Lost River Hostel

My wife and I were really looking forward to staying here because we love to hike and we like to try new things. We purposely stayed in a room inside a house that had a private bathroom so we didn't have to deal with bugs in the night. When we got to our room my wife checked the bed and there were a dozen bugs nesting in the bed as well as mouse poop. Needless to say we did not stay there and they refuse to give us our money back even though there were special circumstances. They were not interested in the video and pictures I took of the bugs as well. My recommendation is stay away!

Loved the property. Been thinking about it since I left. I’d be there more if it was closer.

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.