Salt Lake City Hostel Review
All photos courtesy of SLC Hostel
Being a budget traveler, I’d never actually delved into the wonderful world of hostels. The idea of staying in a room with three to nineteen other people was unappealing and I don’t usually travel solo. However, on a solo trip to Salt Lake City, I was looking for accommodation on the cheap and SLC Hostel caught my eye. You don’t see too many hostels in the US and I wanted to try one out!
SLC Hostel offers traditional dorm style rooms separated by gender, as well as single, double, and triple rooms. I stayed in a single room with access to the shared bathrooms. The average nightly price of a hotel stay in Salt Lake City is $147, so at only $50 per night, this was a steal of a deal. Their shared rooms start at $32.
The hostel offered easy check in, with a code to enter the building and a key provided for my individual room. I believe they used to offer online check-in, but the self check in was much preferred. The website does mention check-in must be between 4 pm - 9 pm, but I’m not sure if that’s up to date information.
I had mixed thoughts about the location. While it was downtown and only a two minute walk from the train station, the area felt a little unsafe to me and I wasn’t very comfortable walking alone at night. Now, I don’t travel solo often, so I may just be extra cautious on this front!
Having nothing else to compare it to hostel wise, I’m not sure how SLC Hostel stacks up in amenities. My single room came with a towel for the restroom, and a tray to set my toiletries on, but otherwise it was pretty sparse. The bed had one pillow and a thin comforter. There is no AC, but the fan proved adequate for my visit mid-spring. I didn’t end up using any of the common space outside of the restroom as I was so busy, but I saw a full kitchen with access to coffee, plates, and cookware. There was a section with left behind supplies and I’m sure on a stricter budget would have been helpful to me!
From this experience, I realized I am not a big hostel fan. While the price can’t be beat, I prefer to have my own space to get ready in the morning -- no mirrors in the rooms, so I can guarantee it wasn’t designed by a woman! I would stay here again in a similar situation, where I’m using it as a base to shower and sleep, but wouldn’t book for a more leisurely stay.
If a hostel isn’t really your vibe, check out this article my friend Lily at Office to Outdoors shared with the 11 Best Places to Stay in Salt Lake City.
