Lost River Hostel

Amazing experience for anyone who may be curious about a slow living lifestyle or wanting to experience something they never have before. Dinner was excellent, staff was superb, the shared spaces were very welcoming, and our nest was quite peaceful.

Was it wonderful stay loved the sleep accommodations. And the staff was great

Mattress coils without cushion above them, crumpled sheets with dirt and leaves between them, kitchen faucet without handles that required wrench to turn on, hole in screen that let bugs into my "nest" sleeping place, remote for light did not work requiring me to stand on bed to turn on and off, unhealthy, poor quality food. The owner got upset with me for suggesting staff make coffee when they drink the last cup after I was asked to do things many times a day. Empty coffee pot, sugar dispenser, and ice cube trays that I repeatedly filled. Kitchen towels so dirty that I washed them with a teaspoon of detergent so that dishes I ate off of were dried with clean towels. Emailed owner to say he might want to bring detergent and sponges when he came (the ones in the kitchen were disintegrating). A staff member said she asked for clean sponges the day she arrived and thanked me for "following up." Lots of things not working like the ovens. One only worked on broil and the other only had a working coil on the bottom so no heat from top. The owner, defensively, told me it is a self-service hostel, that he doesn't expect staff to do things most managers would want to know were not getting done. Other guests commented about the state of disrepair while not saying anything to staff. The owner spends much of his time in kumbaya meetings rather on repairs. "The color of this point in your journey is purple...." Most managers are there for 3 months with staff a few weeks to a few months so there is little institutional knowledge. Mostly people passing through on work-share status so unpaid. Accommodations for staff include four single beds to a small room. While I was there, a guest appropriately called the setup indentured servitude. Most staff seem to appreciate the guru-like owner's approach. Asking people personal questions in "managers meetings" about their troubled pasts is one of the things I saw that reminded me of cult leaders. Another guest with experience in services related to providing for trauma victims echoed my concerns about this as a feature of manipulative. I wonder what current staff will think about this experience in the future.

it was like visiting family. very welcoming staff. Being a hostel, you can disconnect and relax.

We loved the place the minute we saw it. Very nice friendly people. The place is well taken care of. As close to camping without having to do all the work of setting up a tent. Pathways are nice,just everything is great. Good campfire company.

Just the whole experience! Had a family emergency and didn’t even have a chance to unpack. Explained the situation to the property manager that we desperately had to leave since we were over 3 hrs away from home. No refund provided or anything! Absolutely pathetic!!