Denver International Youth Hostel

Denver hostels

Denver has a pretty low vareity of youth hostels to choose from, so if that's your mode of travel, you might just be staying at the one I went to. It is just outside the Denver business and commercial distrcit. I was surprised how much the area goes downhill just outside the invisble boundary lines. It is in an area where the houses have bars on their windows and the people don't hang around outside after dark. I was outside no more than ten minutes after dark smoking a cigarette when I actually got approached by a gentleman wondering if I was a prostitute for hire. Dressed in jeans and a sweatchirt having a cigarette outside a youth hostel, I was shocked.
The hostel itself was decent. the bottom floor was for women and the top for men. In the women's room, there were about ten bunkbeds, a black and white television set, a digital alarm clock that didn't display all the numbers, and very flat springy matresses. Luckily though I was only sharing the room with only one other woman, a middle-aged Brazilian who had come to the U.S. to teach for a while. It made for good conversation and we had our pick of the beds.
This was until at about midnight, when I had finally fallen asleep, and a woman named Melissa (apparently one of the regulars) stomped in with cloven hooves and demanded to know where her sleeping bag was. She called the guy who manages the place and mans the front desk ( a guy with a major attitude who runs a psychic phoneline business from his cell phone ) and everything got straightened out. The hostel however, is not to blame, and if you go there I hope Melissa won't be there to interrupt your sleep. Keeping all these things in mind when considering this hostel, your night should turn out as you expect it.

Unique Quality: I believe I have already mentioned the psycic at the front desk. Besides that, the hostel seems like small, old dorm for a school constrcted with a horseshoe or bracket design, if you will. Also the shared room does have a full kitchen. The only things in the refrigerator are condiments, but they have glasses and silverware which help if you have that left over steak in your backpack. The kitchen floor is dirty though and there is a dripping sound which I couldn't locate. The beds are squeaky but roomy enough to sleep comfortably. I brought my own blanket and pillow case along fro the train ride, and I was glad I did. Oeverall, I have no bitter feelings about this hostel and if I had to I would probably stay there again. I would say be friendly, keep your socks on, sleep with your belongings, and try not to wake others with midnight drama. You'll be fine.
* Also please be warned, if you are going to stay at the only hostel in the Rocky Moutnains in Denver, it has been closed down. If you go there, you will just have to find another place to sleep, and the place I just described might have to be it.