Hostels aren’t just for college kids on an international backpacking trip anymore, and American hostels are on the rise.
Of the 4,000 hostels worldwide in a 2014 customer survey, only 54 were in the United States. But the survey found rated highest as the friendliest and the most green.
The survey also found that 40 percent of guests who stayed in their U.S. hostels last year were domestic travelers.
In 2015 international awards program, known as the a came in second in the category “best extra large hostel.” Third place went to one .
Denver’s , an urban hostel that opened downtown in July in the , is this city’s newest addition to America’s urban hostel trend. And like many urban hostels in the U.S., it’s rethinking the traditional idea of domestic travel and lodging.
“This style of lodging is a breakaway from the norm that most Americans are used to, where you go straight to your hotel room,” said Chad Fish, Hostel Fish owner, who started planning the project four years ago.
At 20th Street between Larimer and Lawrence streets, Hostel Fish is just about a baseball’s throw (or three blocks) from Coors Field. The closest hotel to the baseball stadium is the Oxford Hotel, at 17th and Wazee streets, where rooms begin at around $200 per night.
Hostel Fish also shares its central location with , the newest venture from local restaurateur and chef Justin Cucci, of Denver hot spots Linger and Root Down.
There are 67 beds, starting at $45 per night, including two rooms and bathrooms that are completely private.
The Airedale building Hostel Fish refurbished is home to a colorful past: The building once served as a Victorian brothel, a hotel and saloon, a pornography shop and a peep show.
The decor of the 11 rooms in the hostel was curated by a Denver interior designer, a home furnishings company and a local collector. One room is filled with clocks, one with maps, another with vintage odds and ends from motorcycles and bicycles.
It fits with the worldwide trend of hostels with a story: There’s one built out of a in Stockholm. In Singapore, you can stay in a The
An interesting theme might spur a conversation with fellow guests at the hostel. And that’s part of the point, Fish said.
“At a hostel, you have the chance to share a communal space, create new friendships with people from all walks of life, and then go out and experience the city together.”
Francie Swidler: 303-954-1001, fswidler@denverpost.com
