Handbooks That Lead to the Best Hostels

One problem with relying on guidebooks for finding youth hostel-style accommodations is that their descriptions are often quite brief, sometimes amounting to little more than an address. Hostel atmospheres and standards can vary greatly, and you often can’t tell what you’re getting from short guidebook listings.

Facilities can range from a few rooms in a home or on a ranch to a 500-bed building in the center of New York City. Some hostels are suitable for families, while others fill up with school groups or a boisterous young party crowd.

Now there’s a new book that offers detailed reviews of 329 U.S. and 11 Canadian hostels. “Hostels U.S.A.,” by Evan Halper and Paul Karr (Globe Pequot Press, $14.95).

Halper, Karr and a half-dozen freelance helpers visited 90% of the hostels listed, and using their own assessments and comments made by guests, they rated each on a five-star system. Reviews include indications if the hostel is good for families, business travelers or couples, and special features about its location (for example, a natural setting with hiking and nature).

Fewer than 10 hostels earned a top rating of five stars. The list includes the Riverbend Hot Springs Hostel in Truth or Consequences, N.M.; the Austin International Hostel, Austin, Texas; and Salt Spring Island Hostel, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada.

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The 400-page 1998 edition of “Hostelling North America: The Official Guide to Hostels in Canada and the United States” is produced by Hostelling International (HI). Listings are limited to the 217 HI affiliates (148 in the U.S. and 69 in Canada). Each listing includes brief descriptions on the facility, its location, directions, a map, a photo, whether credit cards are accepted, and contact information, including toll-free numbers if available.

At HI hostels, overnight rates average $12 to $16 per member and several dollars more for nonmembers. A membership for one year is $25. “Hostelling North America” is free to HI-AYH members and hostel guests in the U.S. Nonmembers may obtain a copy for $3. Credit card orders are accepted by the HI-AYH National Office, telephone (202) 783-6161.

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“The Hostel Handbook” by Jim Williams, manager of the Sugar Hill International House in New York City, is an 88-page booklet that comes out annually and lists 420 U.S. and 250 Canadian budget accommodations. About 220 of the hostels are affiliated with HI, 38 with the Rucksackers network, and the balance are unaffiliated. Take note: Although the word “hostel” appears in most of the Canadian listings, many are student residences, cabins, bed and breakfasts, etc. Their operators provide the information for the brief listings in this book, and more detailed information is contained in advertisements. Copies can be obtained for $4 by contacting Jim Williams, “The Hostel Handbook,” 722 St. Nicholas Ave., New York, NY 10031; tel. (212) 926-7030, fax (212) 283-0108.

Izon is a Toronto-based freelance writer. She can be reached at https://www.izon.com.