stephanD
01-09-2023, 13:07
The owner, Zen, got a load of negative comments mostly from people who were never there. For the sake of fairness and balance I wish to tell my own, objective and impartial, experience in that place.
I stayed there two nights in July 2022. The owner picked me up from the road crossing as scheduled. At the hostel, he asked me to leave the hiking shoes outside, as many hostel owners do. Nothing unusual. The hostel has a basement section and the upper (main) floor. In the basement is the bunk room, a private room, shower/bathroom, the laundry room and a small common area with a basic kitchin. The main floor has more private rooms, a fully loaded kitchin, a large common area with a TV, books, magazines, games and the private quarters. I stayed in the private room in the basement as it was nice and cool downstairs. My interactions with Zen were mostly over the morning coffee. We had some interesting conversations; he's into Eastern philosophy and martial arts. He told me that he opened the hostel in memory of his late father, he told me that he loves the hiking culture and the hiking community. When was time to leave, he took me and another hiker from Germany back to the trail. After some small talk and pictures, we proceeded with our hike. The place was spotless clean, the bed large and comfortable, and the charge for a private room was more than fair. The hostel is within walking distance to all the town's amenities: the supermarket, the outfitter, the restaurants, the brewery, etc.
I'm sorry for Guillaume's experience. As I was not there, I will not comment but every event that involves more than one person has, as we all know, at least two versions. I wish for the hiking community the the Gooder Grove Hostel stays open; the town of Franklin needs a real hiker hostel.
May peace be upon us and Happy New Year to all.
I stayed there two nights in July 2022. The owner picked me up from the road crossing as scheduled. At the hostel, he asked me to leave the hiking shoes outside, as many hostel owners do. Nothing unusual. The hostel has a basement section and the upper (main) floor. In the basement is the bunk room, a private room, shower/bathroom, the laundry room and a small common area with a basic kitchin. The main floor has more private rooms, a fully loaded kitchin, a large common area with a TV, books, magazines, games and the private quarters. I stayed in the private room in the basement as it was nice and cool downstairs. My interactions with Zen were mostly over the morning coffee. We had some interesting conversations; he's into Eastern philosophy and martial arts. He told me that he opened the hostel in memory of his late father, he told me that he loves the hiking culture and the hiking community. When was time to leave, he took me and another hiker from Germany back to the trail. After some small talk and pictures, we proceeded with our hike. The place was spotless clean, the bed large and comfortable, and the charge for a private room was more than fair. The hostel is within walking distance to all the town's amenities: the supermarket, the outfitter, the restaurants, the brewery, etc.
I'm sorry for Guillaume's experience. As I was not there, I will not comment but every event that involves more than one person has, as we all know, at least two versions. I wish for the hiking community the the Gooder Grove Hostel stays open; the town of Franklin needs a real hiker hostel.
May peace be upon us and Happy New Year to all.