Whitney Portal Hotel And Hostel

After the HST, this was a nice spot to relax. I was in an eight-bed dorm, but there were never more than two other beds occupied, so it stayed quiet. The room was clean and a comfortable temperature. Nobody minded when I left my gear to dry in the hot sun during the day, and the balcony was a great place to read; I met several interesting people there too. Only the bottom bunks have chargers, and the bathroom fan is extremely loud. With so few people in the room, though, neither was much of a problem.

There’s no common room or kitchen, which seems like a big part of the point of a hostel, and this place is banking on being the only one in town. It may be the worst hostel I've stayed in. The customer service was horrible, and signs everywhere shout the same warnings already sent by text and email when booking. It would be more useful to have information like quiet hours than repeated threats of charges for a late checkout or touching anything that's not on your bunk. The bunk beds shake like an earthquake if you or your bunkmate so much as moves a finger. There was hair that wasn't mine in my bed and in the bathroom. No shelves or hooks anywhere, including in the bathroom or by the beds. Bottom-bunk guests can use the floor, but if you're on top, you're stuck. The AC couldn't keep up on a mildly warm 80-degree day. I've bought a shower here before, and those are great, with strong water pressure and nice towels. But don't stay here. If you can make it to Bishop, go there, or anywhere else. I won't be back.

We arrived to find the front office closed and no message telling us how to get into the room we'd booked and paid for. I called and emailed that night without a response, so I had to book somewhere else. I tried again by phone and email the next day, then finally reached an attendant. She said only the supervisor could process refunds and wouldn't be available until a weekday. She also said she wasn't allowed to give out the supervisor's number, though I hadn't asked for it, only for her to contact the supervisor. Seriously, an owner should be available. I still haven't received a response or a call back. Book elsewhere.

There's a little store with basic supplies and souvenirs, and everything is within walking distance. It's a decent place to stay before or after hiking Mt Whitney, though it feels more like a motel than a hostel and there's no common area. Our room was okay, but could use a deep clean around the corners, ceilings, sprinkler and similar spots.