Hostel du Nord

After mountain biking at Split Rock, I got in at 9 pm, tired from the day and just wanting a hot shower and a bed. Check-in was easy, and they gave me a quick tour. The restroom and shower were clean, with plenty of hot water and good pressure. I’m a light sleeper, but the bed must have been comfortable because I slept right through until my alarm. I made coffee before heading to the airport. Clean facilities and great value.

Right in downtown Duluth, with nearby attractions within walking distance and easy access to hiking and biking trails. The staff were very friendly, and the place felt clean and comfortable. Excellent stay, highly recommended 👍

The bunk bed was reasonably comfortable, and my wife and I slept okay once we finally got to sleep. The trouble was getting there: someone was walking around angrily singing about another guest snoring, with banging and other noise going on too. For more than 100 bucks a night, that wasn’t a good experience. It was cheaper than the nearby hotels, but I’d happily pay two or three times as much to stay somewhere else next time. I won’t come back. We’ve stayed in hostels in Europe, and this was nowhere near that experience. We arrived a little late, but still before the time they said self check-in was needed, and I couldn’t find anyone to help. As far as I could tell, there was never anyone at the front desk during our stay, even when we left in the morning. We found a sheet with my name and bunk location in the main building, not the annex, then had to wander around to find it. Other guests were using the lockers for the bunk we shared. They said staff had told them it was okay and had given them the code or something. We only had two small bags and managed to fit them in the cubby, but that could have been a problem if we needed the lockers. There weren’t any towels anywhere while we were there, so we couldn’t have showered or used the other facilities. The bathrooms weren’t terrible, but they weren’t very clean either, and I was glad I didn’t need a shower. It was an experience, just not a good one. The hostels in Europe were ten times better.

My work exchange went well at first :) Since I was my own service, it worked out great 😊. Daniel is a really nice guy who tries hard and goes out of his way to help. I would’ve stayed much longer if not for some personal issues.