Blair Street Hostel

The patio and courtyard are hard to beat, and the newly renovated kitchen is great. Ms Jan is awesome, and the hostel has a peaceful, friendly feel. I’ve seen the owner deal gracefully with upset guests, even when they paid late, ignored checkout times, or stole from other guests. She also opened the hostel to hikers and evacuees during the fire at no charge. It’s a special, magical place. Highly recommend!

We were staying at another hotel, but wanted to check out the hostel since we’d considered it and may stay there on our next visit. Jan welcomed us warmly and was lovely to talk with. The rooms we saw were cozy and spotless, and the remodeling underway looked really nice. We also spent some time on the 420-friendly patio before continuing our self-guided tour around town. Don’t overlook this hidden gem.

We’ve stayed and worked in hostels around the world and love them, but this one was the worst, especially considering how good it could be. We didn’t feel welcome at all. The owner made us feel like a burden, and she seemed burned out and ready to move on. I feel for her, but maybe she should. Showers are limited to 15 minutes, and as you approach the limit there’s a long, sharp knock on the door until you get out. The comforters and blankets were dirty and didn’t seem to have been washed since the last guest. The room also didn’t seem cleaned. The owner only took out the trash when she noticed us looking at it while showing us the room. Rustic is one thing, dirty is another. Two stars because it provides shelter and hot water, and Silverton is gorgeous.

I stopped by for a private room because I was starving and wanted to shower and get lunch. The owner said the room needed cleaning, meaning sheets put on the bed, so I waited. She could’ve taken my payment and let me get set up to shower and eat while she finished, but instead she sat in the backyard on her phone. About 20 minutes later, she left to shuttle some hikers, and I was stuck waiting over 40 more minutes. What a waste of time. I went to a local hotel for the same price. Update to your response, Jan 2019: Thanks for finally responding. I first reviewed the place in 2017. I doubt you remember me, since you got the time I arrived very wrong. I showed up around 2 in the afternoon, starving for lunch. You only told me the rooms needed cleaning, then walked out back.