Originally Posted by
spinnaker
Curious. When you stayed in the bad hostel was it HI? I was going to stay in a hostel in Santa Barbara that was not an HI hostel. I even paid and checked in. When I got to the dorm room I found people that were visibly drunk and a number of other drunks wandering about the hostel. We left immediately. Ended up getting the last room in Santa Barbara and paid something like $200 for the room but it was money well spent by comparison. Unless I hear really good things I would never stay in a non HI hostel again.
Also it seems that a lot more older folks like me stay in euro hostels where in the US it tends to be a younger crowd but I have always found the youngsters to be very well mannered and polite.
The one in Canada was HI ... in Edmonton. That was in 2007. I don't know if it has improved, but I did find out later it had a bad reputation.
Edit: I just had a look at a few websites, and it seems as though they have done some renovations. That would help ... a step in the right direction. When I was there, the washroom was atrocious! Not clean, two toilet stalls but one was out of order, the showers only worked occasionally, and they had one old-fashioned sink in the ladies with a small ancient, half blackened mirror over it. And I'm guessing the only light was about a 20 watt bulb ... so dark. All of that shared by several dorms of women. I see by the pictures that it looks like they've got decent washrooms now.
Edit Again: I had a look over the reviews over the past several years, and found a couple posted in October/November 2007, which is about when I stayed there, and the reviews are horrendous ... but they describe the situation perfectly. It was an awful place then. However, the more recent reviews are a lot more positive and it seems that the new manager is making an effort.
The one in the US was not HI ... at least I don't think it was. It was located near the University in Boulder, Co. We stayed one night and then moved into a hotel. That was in 2005.
And yes, those who stay in hostels in Europe and Australia tend to be older ... or any age for that matter. There's quite a range from just out of high school to retired; individual backpackers to families with children. So it tends to dampen down the party atmosphere. Although Queensland, Australia is a bit more party-ish.