Vernon Hostel

The host was friendly and made us feel welcome. It was a clean, quiet, peaceful stay at a fair price. I'd recommend it to anyone.

I was a little nervous after reading the Google reviews, but this was a last-minute trip and I didn't have many options. I picked the hostel because I wanted to revisit the feeling of my school days. We ended up having a really good stay. Uncle Balbir was so warm and went out of his way to make sure we were comfortable. He checked on us a couple of times and asked if we needed anything. We used the kitchen for breakfast, and he offered us some goodies. I really liked that gesture. The hostel was clean and cosy, with no complaints from me. I'd recommend it if you want a simple, welcoming place with a nostalgic feel.

My grandmother wanted to visit her retired friends, so I offered to drive her from California. They live in a 55 and up community up the road, and since I'm 31, I couldn't stay at her friends' home. Heat sickness runs in our family, so she booked me a room here because the online listing said it had air conditioning. A nice, smiling man met me when I arrived and showed me to the room, then told me there was no A/C because of an issue. I was also told I couldn't use the stove or oven because the kitchen had no A/C, and was given conditions for using the microwave. It was 40c-100f that day and not much cooler for the whole week. My room had only one small window. I got sick from the heat while sleeping and threw up in the room. I was sick for the rest of the week, though thankfully not in my sleep again. I had to spend money at businesses just to shelter somewhere and avoid getting sick, even though my grandmother had booked the room for that reason. My truck was broken into outside the local establishment, the BNA lounge. My grandfather's remains and thousands of dollars' worth of our property were stolen from my grandmother's truck. On the final day, the manager was rude to my grandmother when she confronted him about the accommodations after I told her they weren't what had been advertised. As I was leaving with my grandmother, the manager went to shake my hand, held on when I tried to pull away, and said she was "causing trouble" and something that sounded like "it wasn't a smart" or "good thing for her to do." I told him, "she is my grandmother and paid for air conditioned rooms. If she starts trouble, Im supporting her to the end." Now I think I may face extra cleaning charges, and I'm not sure whether he threatened my 82 year old grandmother to my face.

The reviews made me hesitate before booking, but the owner was incredibly kind and welcoming. We were travelling from Kelowna and a road closure meant we'd arrive a little past check-in hours. He waited to accommodate us and made sure we had everything we needed. He's a lovely guy, and the room was as expected, so you get your money's worth. The location is convenient in the city centre.