Blonde had actual work that she would be well paid to do sitting on her desk at home, a Spanish class to study for and a house to get ready to put on the real estate market. She considered those options then went out for a walk and ended up spontaneously interviewing a very patient, charming young woman with hair better than a best-in-show Irish Setter’s and a mini-nose ring.
How did this mysterious chain of events occur? Blonde had walked past a hostel last week returning home from lunch with a friend and thought the place looked interesting. Today’s walk route was going within a block of the hostel so Blonde made a sudden decision to do an ambush interview. She had to borrow paper to use for notes and only had her iPhone for pictures but hey, bloggers of this caliber rarely even take notes and usually steal their photos (please see Irish Setter above).
We normally only cover places we’ve gone to and this was mostly a curiosity stop for Twitter material (BlBrTravel) but it seemed interesting enough to merit a brief post. Occasionally we try to provide actual useful information and this falls into that category so now we’re done with that for 2013 .
The hostel opened in June of 2012. It’s on the edge of Boston’s Theater District and about two blocks from a T stop and the Boston Common. It’s a really convenient location, was very clean, neat and well organized. Blonde and Brunette have never stayed in hostels so this was one of the few firsts still available to semi-experience.
The Boston Hostel is part of Hostelling International USA (If it’s “USA” how is it international? Will ask Molly on next visit.) It has a very industrial feel to the design that keeps it feeling uncluttered, clean and groovy (because it’s LEED certified). The room options range from private ($90 to $200 a night) to coed with 4, 6 or 8 people ($40-$65). (Note: Probably should have asked Molly if a room for 4 with George Clooney, Hugh Jackman, Daniel Craig and Blonde could be arranged.)
The coed rooms are either gender segregated or possibly couples. In other words don’t head there hoping to get thrown in a room with a bunch of hotties of the opposite sex just dying to have mind blowing sex with you and then write about it in their travel blogs. Come over to Blonde’s house for that.
The place even has someone on staff who is attending culinary school and makes dinner one night a week (mostly) for whoever is staying there. Aside from that, there is a nice big kitchen where you can store your food, cook it and eat it.
There’s free wi-fi, breakfast is included, they have a pool table and library on one floor and computers you can use for $2.00 for twenty minutes. Warming the cockles of Blonde’s heart there is also a laundry room with an iron and ironing board. (Blonde can out-iron anyone. Anyone.)
On Twitter some people like to complain that hostels don’t allow you to stay in them if you’re over 40 but at this one the only age requirement is that you be at least 18 or with a guardian. Because they limit you to a maximum of 14 nights per calendar year this apparently won’t be Blonde’s assisted living destination after all.
They seem to have good security with room cards required to enter the lodging area and some system of getting receipts for everyone every night so they know the people are occupying their rooms (although Blonde didn’t understand that at all). Oh, and breakfast is included and there’s a little cafe for emergency caffeine and pastries during the day.
Blonde basically expected stoners to be hanging around in dirty clothes but it was a very clean, non-munchy obsessed sort of crowd that appeared to range from their early 20s to at least mid-60s.
If you know someone heading to Boston and looking for inexpensive digs send them here – you really can’t do better.