Lodging

The Galt House and the Louisville skyline

When booking a room in Louisville’s Galt House Hotel and Suites you’ll have to pick: newer room or bigger room.

The RIVUE (East) Tower, which was renovated in 2006, has 591 suites and deluxe rooms. The SUITE (West) Tower has larger rooms than the East Tower, featuring 600 executive suites, including premium ones with waterfront balconies, but they’re a bit older.

The rooms are clean but lack the amenities many guests expect from an upscale hotel, with the notable exception of complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the building. Located on the waterfront, many rooms in both towers offer expansive views of the Ohio River and neighboring Southern Indiana, although the scene isn’t particularly notable.

Rates range from $169 to $950, but the Galt House does offer specials.

Online reviews yielded mixed experiences with the service: some guests raved about their treatment, but most others complained. It’s not too surprising that most reviews were less than stellar though: a few months ago I was sitting in the back of a Louisville bus next to a sweaty guy in a t-shirt who was pounding beers. We started talking. He was a Galt House employee on his way to work, albeit two hours late.

A room with a view of the Ohio River

Another knock on the Galt House is that all of the elevators go to all floors, meaning if you’re on a higher floor, getting to and from your room can take a while. So plan accordingly or ask to stay on a lower floor.

The 10,000 square foot, three-story glass conservatory that connects the two towers also offers  sweeping views of downtown Louisville and the mediocre Ohio. It has free Wi-Fi and houses Thelma’s Deli and Al J’s lounge, but if you’re looking for local flavor, you won’t taste it here (a common line at the bar seems to be “Have you ever been to Louisville before?”).

Al J’s bar is a long fish tank, albeit sparsely populated (although it’s possible I’d scared the fish to the other end). It has a lengthy martini menu, including–no surprise for Kentucky–whiskey martinis. Its cocktail prices, however, are geared towards drinkers on a per diem, but $4.75 for a Guinness is reasonable.

The Galt House's conservatory houses a deli and lounge

While the conservatory has a modern feel, much of the rest of the hotel’s common areas are dated. For example, the Archibald Cochran Ballroom in the West Tower is ahead of its time, but its time is 1973.

The Galt House’s location is ideal for taking advantage of downtown Louisville’s entertainment, dining and nightlife options. The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory,  the Muhammad Ali Center and Fourth Street Live! (a popular, if gentrified, evening playground that attracts twentysomethings) are just a few blocks away.

And it’s just a cheap taxi drive from the Galt House to Bardstown Road and its eclectic mix of independent bars, restaurants and stores that help “keep Louisville weird,” a popular slogan around town.

It’s also a 10-minute drive to Churchill Downs, but getting a reservation at the Galt House on Kentucky Derby weekend can be difficult and expensive. (Check this article for information on events that are cheaper than the Derby, namely because they are free.)

The Galt House’s rates, size and proximity to Louisville’s attractions (including the Kentucky International Convention Center) make it a popular destination for conferences.

All photos courtesy of Galt House.

The Galt House Hotel and Suites
140 N. 4th St.
Louisville, KY 40202
502-589-5200

Hostels are great ways to save money while traveling, but let’s be honest, it’s not for everyone. Shared quarters, out-of-the-way locations and noisy neighbors are but some of the reasons some people don’t like to stay at them.

A Dorm-Style Hostel Room in Prague

That said, here are the five reasons you shouldn’t consider a stay in a hostel:

• Lack of Privacy – The rates may be cheap, but that’s because sleeping arrangements are generally four or more beds to a room. And unless you’re traveling with enough people to rent out an entire room, your roommates will be complete strangers. Not to mention while some hostels may have rooms with a private bathroom, the majority of hostels have shared bathing facilities a la college dorms. Yes, they do have individual curtained stalls, but there’s generally only that piece of fabric between you and everyone else as you shower naked. A lot of travelers may find that very uncomfortable.

• Noise Levels and Other Personal Habits – As one can expect from sharing with strangers, everyone has a different idea of proper noise levels and it can get quite loud, especially once the local bars close and other travelers return to the hostel – sometimes with additional people they’ve just met for the evening (if you know what I mean). Additionally, the people you end up sharing a room with may be smokers or indulge in other behaviors that you don’t condone. There’s no guarantee your roommates won’t have habits or lifestyles you disagree with.

• The Safety of Your Belongings – Most hostels do offer in-room lockers to stow personal belongings while staying there, but there’s a big difference between a school-type locker and an in-room safe. If you have to travel with the latest tech gadgets or a lot of valuables, and don’t want to carry them around at all times, then you take your chances with the lockers. That’s not to say fellow hostelers are thieves, but let’s face it, there are people out there who will grab any opportunity presented.

• Providing Your Own Basics – Even the most bargain of hotels and motels provide clean linens and toiletries. Hostels usually don’t, and if they do, they usually charge you for them either in deposits (towels, sheets and the like) or for outright purchase. Generally the price of a hostel stay only covers a bed and a locker (sans lock, which you will also have to provide or rent). But that’s why the rates are so low.

• Location – Many hostels are off-the-beaten-track in converted old buildings or far enough from major attractions that it takes serious planning to get around. Additionally, some can be in less-than-safe areas of town, since rents for the buildings are cheaper. If you need to be in the heart of everything or don’t want to chance accommodations that may be in a seedy area, hosteling isn’t for you.

A lot of travelers are fine with staying in hostels and find the above just to be things they can live with to get the lower room rates. In fact, I have friends who would rather stay in a hostel above any other kind of lodging. But if anything on the list makes you uncomfortable, it may be worth the extra money to find a motel or hotel to stay at instead.

Have you stayed in a hostel and not liked it? Let us know why in the comments.

[photo courtesy of Advantage Hostel Prague]

Hostels sometimes get a bad rap with travelers thinking they’re either slum-type accommodations, or that they may be too old to stay in one.  But for a budget traveler, hostels offer a chance to travel on a shoestring without sleeping in the airport.

Hilo Bay Hostel Lobby in Hawaii

That said, here are the five best reasons to stay in a hostel:

• Cheap Beds – Let’s face it, it’s hard to argue with a $15 a night bed. Granted your sleeping situation will be akin to sleeping in a college dorm, but if you’re not looking for more than a place to crash for a few hours in between exploring the city and partying all night, why pay for it?

• Meeting Fellow Travelers – Many hostels are full of international travelers, which leads to some great conversations. Not only that, but you may make friends with people from areas you plan to travel to, which leads to great travel tips and more.

• Knowledgeable Locals – Hostel staff members usually know the city they’re in very well and you could get some great tips on deals, as well as suggestions on off-the-beaten-path restaurants and things to do that you wouldn’t have found otherwise.

• Enjoy a Communal Spirit – A lot of hostels offer group activities like movie night or pool parties to encourage guests to mingle. Traveling solo? It’s a lot easier to find people to share certain expenses, like taxis to nightclubs or buy-one-get-one-deals on attractions, at a hostel.

• Unusual Lodging – While many hostels are housed in converted buildings, which can be cool, some offer a truly unique experience. How about sleeping in a tent in the Hawaiian jungle, a railroad car in Florida, a boathouse in Amsterdam, an airplane in Sweden or a tree house in Turkey?  That alone is a story you’ll remember about your trip.

Granted, hostelling isn’t for everyone, but as you can see from the above, it can actually enhance some travels both in saving money and getting to interact with people you wouldn’t normally meet in a traditional hotel.

Have you stayed in a hostel? What did you like best about it? Do you have a favorite?  Let us know in the comments.

[photo courtesy of Hilo Bay Hostel]

My Orlando friends and I were talking and a few of us realized that we’d never been to Miami, Florida, and decided to start planning a weekend girls’ getaway ASAP to sunny South Beach. We wanted something cheap, convenient and close to the city action.

Becky mentioned the South Beach Hostel, and at first I was skeptical, given that I’m pushing 30 and feel outside the appropriate hostel age limit. But then I took a closer look.

In true hostel style, it has an onsite bar and lounge (open until 5 a.m., how Euro), great for getting to know your fellow travelers. And there’s free breakfast. Score.

South Beach Hostel

Located in the Deco District, it’s within walking distance to many of the night clubs and other attractions, and it’s only two blocks from the beach.

OK, so the rooms are spartan, but if you’re doing it right, you shouldn’t spend too much time sleeping anyway. You could also look at a room here as an expensive locker for your belongings while you party all night, play on the beach and nap poolside after one too many mojitos.

After all, it is South Beach where it’s in fashion to misbehave.

The South Beach Hostel
235 Washington Street
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 534-6669

Photo courtesy of South Beach Hostel.

Elements Hotel in the Mission is hipster paradise.

San Francisco knows no bastion of hipness cooler than the Mission.

Traditionally a Hispanic neighborhood, it retains its ethnic charm while also becoming known for great bars (swanky and divey alike), lipstick lesbians, art, murals, and food — both nice restaurants and cheap eats.

Medjool is the city's only rooftop lounge

Then there’s the weather. In a city that is perennially foggy, the sun shines bright in the Mission.

Aside from at the Mission Dolores, there aren’t loads of tourists milling about this neighborhood, nor is there much in the way of lodging. But upping the hipness quotient is the Elements Hotel which claims two floors above the Mediterranean restaurant Medjool and below San Francisco’s only rooftop bar, (also run by Medjool). So, as you might figure, the location is pretty much Party Central.

It’s called a hotel and you can reserve private rooms but they also offer men-only and women-only dormitories that contribute to a hostel-like vibe. The walls are brightly painted and rooms have private bathrooms.

Hipness has a price, and it’s cheap! Double private rooms with queen beds are $30 per person (two person minimum); twin privates have two bunk beds and also cost $30 (two person minimum). Dorm rooms are $25 per person.

Linens are included all rooms, even dorms. Private rooms have televisions. A dark, spare hallway space is considered the “Internet Lounge” but there is free wi-fi access throughout building. Continental breakfast is gratis and served on the rooftop deck which is not to be missed. The website promises movie and game nights and rooftop parties. Thus, Elements is probably not the best choice for families, early risers, older folks, or the cranky.

The surrounding neighborhood is a mix of Spanish-speaking grocers, dilapidated movie houses, hip bars (Bruno’s, Lazlow, Doc’s Clocks), burrito joints, and dollar stores. Foreign Cinema, one of the city’s best and most unique restaurants — think organic, locally-grown heirloom tomatoes while watching Fellini on a giant outdoor screen) is next door. With the money saved at Elements, treat yourself to Foreign Cinema’s legendary brunch.

Elements Hotel

2524 Mission Street

San Francisco, CA 94110

(866) 327-8407

Photos by Lisa Dion

Guest Post from our friends at Hostel Bookers

Be sure to check out Hostel Bookers new Twitter competition where you can win a free week at St. Christopher’s hostel in Amsterdam.

With scenic parks, historical sights and excellent shopping, London makes one of the best city breaks in the world. From the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace to riding around on an iconic red bus, the city is full of memorable moments, but has a reputation for being a pricey place to visit.

Luckily there are hundreds of London Hostels all over the city providing you with great value accommodation, close to most of the main sights. Forget crowded dorms and broken bathrooms, the capital’s hostels offer the ‘best of British’ hospitality, with wi-fi facilities, funky design and in-house bars for enjoying a pint of beer.

Palmers Lodge

Palmers Lodge Hostel

Fancy really soaking up some London history? Then stay at Palmers Lodge, an elegant Victorian mansion in a leafy, affluent area of North London. Built in 1881, the Lodge’s rooms are thoroughly modern, ranging from private rooms to a bumper 28-bed dorm. With a lounge, games room, and laundry, this hostel adds a touch of the English country manor to life in the big city. With free breakfasts and a bar serving pizzas and Paninis, you won’t get peckish during your stay here.

Astor Hyde Park

Astor Hyde Park

London has an awful lot of green spaces for a big city, and you can experience country living close to the expanse of Hyde Park. The Astor is part of a popular chain of hostels in London, and the Hyde Park outpost is housed in a historic period building, updated with ultra-modern interiors and abstract art on the walls. Each room has its own ensuite bathroom, and the hostel boasts a stainless steel kitchen, two lounges and a digital TV amongst other facilities. Situated in hip South Kensington, you are close to the upscale shopping of Harrods and High Street Kensington, and the National History, Victoria and Albert and Science Museums for a dose of culture.

St. Christophers Inn

St Christopher’s Inn Village

Across the street from foodie heaven Borough Market, St Christopher’s Inn Village is only a short walk from the cultural delights along the Southbank, with scenic views over the River Thames. Once you’ve explored the Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and the Tower of London, return to the ‘chill-out room’ and watch a movie. With its own Belushi bar serving cheap drinks all night, and basement nightclub, St Christopher’s has a full-on party atmosphere. The rooms range from 2-14 bed dorms, but the best thing about St Christopher’s are the personal touches – from the sauna and roof terrace, to walking tours and free breakfasts.

UMI Hostel

UMI London

Live like Hugh Grant in the film ‘Notting Hill’ at the UMI London, located in the trendy Notting Hill and Bayswater area of West London. This hostel is chic and cheap, housed in an elegant townhouse in a quiet leafy square. Each room is private with an en-suite bathroom and plasma TVs, and the in-house coffee bar and lounge with complimentary newspapers feels like a first-class hotel. You’re close to the quirky cool stalls of Portobello Market if your budget won’t quite stretch to the department stores in Knightsbridge.

YHA Hostel

YHA London Central

Few hostels can claim to be in the heart of London’s sprawling metropolis, but the YHA London truly is ‘central’; a stone’s throw away from the shopping on Oxford Street, the nightclubs of the West End and cool cafés in Soho. With a free locker room and wi-fi, travel desk that books tours and offers travel tips, and hip bar with tube maps on the wall, this is the perfect base for young backpackers.

Journey

Journey’s London Eye

Journey’s may look like a traditional pub from the outside, and the hostel comes complete with a fully-licensed bar serving cheap drinks. But inside you’ll find a more homely affair, with comfortable rooms, an internet café, pool table and roof terrace upstairs. Welcoming parties ‘of all sizes’, the friendly staff give every guest a welcome pack on arrival. On the banks of the Thames, you’re a short walk to Westminster and the houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and yes, the London Eye, boasting panoramic views over the city.

The Officer's quarters at the Marin Headlands Hostel.

One of the great things about San Francisco is how easy it is to get out.

Taking the first exit north of the Golden Gate Bridge, the city falls away as you enter the lush green hills of the Marin Headlands.

One of the charming common areas at the hostel.

Steep rocky cliffs, spectacular views, an extensive network of hiking and biking trails, Rodeo Beach and Point Bonita Lighthouse are some of the destinations that lure visitors to the southern end of Marin County.

This area, west of Sausalito proper and south of Mount Tamalpais is Fort Barry, a former military post built in 1908 to protect San Francisco with a line of gun batteries perched on the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

Today the bucolic region is home to horse stables, a YMCA, the Headlands Center for the Arts, a Visitor Center, and the Marin Headlands Hostel.

The hostel is comprised of two historic buildings –  the main, a former infirmary with a spacious kitchen and cheerful lounge on the first level, and in the dank basement, a dark and kinda scary game room, laundry room and computer kiosk. Upstairs floors house both dorms and private rooms.

Caveat: Internet and cell phone connections are spotty, if even available, here.

A few houses down is the much preferable Officer’s quarters, a warm, homey building with smaller kitchen facilities and decidedly less institutional vibe. Both buildings were spotlessly clean and had fireplaces, games, books, and boxes of children’s toys.

The “green certified” hostel is tucked in a wooded grove beneath fragrant eucalyptus trees. Rates are $20 for beds in the large dorm-style rooms, or $60 for private rooms. Rooms sell out in summer and large groups — from weddings to girl scouts — often retreat here.

The hostel is located at Fort Barry Building 941 in Sausalito. They can be reached by phone at (415) 331-2777.

Photos by Lisa Dion.

Pistante's Coyote Den, South Lake Tahoe

My friend Joe mentioned a motel he’d returned to several times in South Lake Tahoe when skiing at Heavenly. So, last weekend, while spending the holidays in a rented cabin nearby, I decided to stop and get the skinny on the ominously named Pistante’s Coyote Den.

“We get a lot of returning guests,” Lorraine Pistante, the affable, motherly innkeeper told me. “Right now, half of the rooms are booked by people who come back every year.”

Lorraine and husband Earl Pistante acquired a tired, 16-room motel called the Sundowner on Emerald Bay Road in 2002, and set about updating it. They incorporated outdoorsy themes that reflect Tahoe’s nature and wildlife — coyotes, bald eagles, sunflowers — into the dated, generic motel rooms. Many of the beds have rustic headboards hand-crafted from logs.

Prices range from $50 to $235 depending on the size, season and weekday versus weekend. Non-themed rooms cost slightly less.

The Suite is a good option for families and groups of up to six. It has two rooms, three queen-sized beds, a microwave and a refrigerator.

Pistante’s is next door to legendary S. Lake Tahoe breakfast joint, Ernie’s Coffee Shop, which was packed with locals and out-of-town skiers both mornings we stopped in for generous platters of pancakes and scrambles.

Amenities include free WiFi, complimentary Continental breakfast, baked cookies and coffee or tea in the evening, a year-round hot tub and a picnic area with barbecue.

There are tons of activities in the area — skiing, sledding, casinos, hiking, biking hot air balloon rides and any lake-related sport imaginable.

Oh, and you don’t have to leave Rover at home, Pistante’s is a dog-friendly establishment.

Photo by Lisa Dion

The San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf hostel in Fort Mason is a former army barracks and hospital.

“If they doubled the rates, this place would still be a steal,” says Hank Cadra, an East Coast transplant who has driven his motorcycle and trailer of possessions cross county. “It’s an absolute hidden gem.”

I’m visiting one of Hosteling International’s three locations in San Francisco, in a former army hospital built in 1863, smack in the middle of a national park. The name is a bit of a misnomer, the hostel isn’t actually in Fisherman’s Wharf, but better, in beautiful nearby Fort Mason, now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Hank is definitely on to something. Where else is a weary traveler going to find some of the most prime real estate in San Francisco on the edge of a cliff overlooking the piers at Fort Mason, with views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge for $22 per night? Oh, and there is free breakfast, too.

Views of the piers at Fort Mason

A dorm shared with up to 24 people clearly isn’t for everyone. The private rooms are a better way to go for most, including families. According to the helpful front desk attendants, the hostel is particularly popular with Europeans and twenty-somethings, and is quieter than the other two Hosteling International locations in San Francisco.

Cafe Franco serves organic food and free breakfast with a view of the bay.

• Located in a national park with huge grassy lawns, hiking and biking trails and outstanding views
• Dorm rooms — $22-$28 per night/Private rooms — $75-$85 (depending on season)
• Cafe Franco serves free breakfast and offers organic food until 10pm; also open to the public
• Clean, fresh-smelling bathrooms
• ADA-accessible wing
• Huge, restaurant-style kitchen with Wolf range and butcher block counters
• Game room with pool table and foosball
• Outdoor deck with picnic tables
• Free parking
• Free WiFi
• On-site laundry facilities
• Free or low-cost activities (history tours, walking tours, movie nights, pub crawls, trips to Yosemite and Wine Country)
• Close to the Marina district, Fisherman’s Wharf and North Beach
• Computer work stations
• 24-hour reception
• Secure lockers
• Comfy guest lounge with wood-burning stove and views of the bay
• Jukebox has Van Morrison, David Bowie and the Beastie Boys

Pigeon Point Lighthouse has an affordable guest hostel.

Imagine soaking in an outdoor hot tub perched on a cliff above the Pacific Ocean and falling asleep to the sound of waves crashing against the rocks. Sound like a spendy resort in Big Sur? Actually, it’s a $20/night hostel on the Central Coast.

For a unique, memorable and ridiculously affordable getaway, check out the hostel at Pigeon Point Lighthouse near Pescadero.

Seven miles south of the tiny town of Pescadero and 30 miles north of Santa Cruz on California’s Pacific Coast Highway a graceful beacon looms 115 feet above a treacherous point — the site of numerous shipwrecks including the clipper ship Carrier Pigeon that ran aground in 1853. The outcropping was renamed Pigeon Point and a lighthouse was built here 20 years later.

At the hostel, guests can opt for either shared or private rooms and make use of fully-equipped kitchens, cozy lounge areas and free Wi-Fi. Docent-led history walks, also free, are available on weekends. Beds start at $20 per person and single rooms cost $55.

The Pigeon Point hostel is a good base for whale watching and exploring the pristine coast and ancient redwoods at Butano State Park. Pescadero Marsh, a bird sanctuary, is nearby as is Ano Nuevo State Reserve, breeding ground of northern elephant seals.

This Saturday, November 15 is the annual lighting celebration at the lighthouse. Every November the original Fresnel lens is fired up to commemorate the first lighting 130 years ago. The lens is 16-feet tall, weighs four tons and fitted with 1,008 brass-framed prisms that create an amazing spectacle of 24 beams of rotating lights piercing the night sky.

Photo by Dan Dion