Leslie Guzman
3/5
My reservation was 'canceled' but I was still in the system, I am not sure how that works but I was still able to get a bed. But I am unable to leave a review on Hostelworld.
I arrived after-hours and there was a note for me on the front door with directions to my bed. Although I had reserved the gazebo, Billie was thoughtful and thought i should spend the first night in the main house which I completely appreciate. It was cozy and I slept really good. The hostel is cozy and cute.
The next day, Billie saw me, asked me for my name and then asked me to follow her to pay for my stay. Did not introduce herself or ask me anything, simply asked me cash or card and did not even give me a tour. I then moved my stuff to the gazebo to my proper bed that I reserved. And let me just say, I regretted staying in there. I stayed in Fairbanks for a week which is more than enough but I did not know at that time. And in the summer, it is daylight 24 hours, I had a hard time sleeping and I did not come prepared with an eye mask. During the actual day, the gazebo felt like a greenhouse. It was SO warm in there! Therefore, the door stays open which invites insects and bugs and flies 🙁 There's also less space to put your stuff compared to the main house.
The gazebo was also dirty most of the time, I think it was eventually cleaned after a few days in which i did NOT appreciate my stuff being moved. I don't think it was disturbing much but I hated that my bags, which were dirty, were placed on the bed which I tried so hard to keep clean since I like to shower before bed and stay clean.
It was a bit hard at first to socialize and make friends. The people I met were a bit awkward, which there is nothing wrong with that but as a solo traveler, I like to connect with others. When I finally made a friend, we chatted away for a long time in the main house upstairs. No one was in bed in the area we were in. Yet, Billie came in as she was assisting another guest, and told us there is no talking even though that rule was never relayed to us. We made our way downstairs near the gazebo where there is a small space for socialising -- we were walking there when Billie stopped us and told us we were not allowed to talk there either. It was only 9 PM. She said people in the gazebo were sleeping and sent us to the other side of the hostel in the far corner. My new friend and I continued our conversation for another hour and decided to then head to bed. I went back to the gazebo where I was staying to find that only ONE person was in bed and was still wide awake.
Mind you, the night before, there was a HUGE group of people at MIDNIGHT talking loudly in the area and I hard time sleeping. I let Billie know and she said she tried telling them to keep it down but they obviously did not listen. I did not find it fair that there was a group that stayed past midnight being loud and I couldn't even talk to ONE person at 9 pm.
Billie and her friends (I am not sure who they are) also smoke a lot in the area between the gazebo and house; and it was horrible for me to walk from the gazebo to the house through cigarette smoke. I cannot stand the smell and I was always worried that the smell will linger on my clothes and hair.
It's a nice hostel if you're staying one or two nights but honestly, i would have rather stayed in a hotel.
The friends I made at the hostel were the only ones who made my stay bearable. Ah, and the adorable pug!