Online booking is not offered for this Hostel. Contact them for availability and reservations (any contact info we have is listed below).
Please see Galveston for other available Galveston hostels and accommodations.
Please see Galveston for other available Galveston hostels and accommodations.
The Hostelz.com Review
HI - Galveston is not your typical hostel -- in fact, you would not even recognise it as being a hostel from the outside. The name to look for is the Sandpiper Motel. It's in a perfect location right on the beach and a few minutes away from downtown Galveston.
What makes the Sandpiper Motel a hostel is the converted motel room, which is basically a double bed with four added bunk beds. The room is clean enough but expected the furniture to be a little warn and faded (as per most U.S. motels). There is a basic TV, air con, and combined bath/shower in the ensuite dorm room. A balcony also partially overlooks the beach and other motel rooms.
HI's strict standards ensure there are other features and facilities apart from just the room. You'll find a well equipped industrial-size kitchen and large lounge area with cable TV and a computer with internet access (wifi is not currently available) all located across the hallway from the room. It's worth noting that the private rooms sold online are simply standard motel rooms.
If you don't expect a large, backpacker-designed hostel then the HI - Galveston should do just fine. The staff seem eager to welcome backpackers and every facility you need is located within walking distance -- 7/11, liquor store, gas station. The motel reception is open twenty-four hours, but strangely the common areas shut at 10 p.m. and re-open at 7 a.m., which is a bit of a hassle. They are not locked up, instead you will be asked to move on at the discretion of the staff member on duty (how lenient they are can vary!).
What makes the Sandpiper Motel a hostel is the converted motel room, which is basically a double bed with four added bunk beds. The room is clean enough but expected the furniture to be a little warn and faded (as per most U.S. motels). There is a basic TV, air con, and combined bath/shower in the ensuite dorm room. A balcony also partially overlooks the beach and other motel rooms.
HI's strict standards ensure there are other features and facilities apart from just the room. You'll find a well equipped industrial-size kitchen and large lounge area with cable TV and a computer with internet access (wifi is not currently available) all located across the hallway from the room. It's worth noting that the private rooms sold online are simply standard motel rooms.
If you don't expect a large, backpacker-designed hostel then the HI - Galveston should do just fine. The staff seem eager to welcome backpackers and every facility you need is located within walking distance -- 7/11, liquor store, gas station. The motel reception is open twenty-four hours, but strangely the common areas shut at 10 p.m. and re-open at 7 a.m., which is a bit of a hassle. They are not locked up, instead you will be asked to move on at the discretion of the staff member on duty (how lenient they are can vary!).
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
March 2007
Their Description
HI - Galveston Hostel - Sandpiper Motel Details
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(To add or correct information for this listing, please use the Listing Update Form.)
Map
Location/Contact| Address | 201 Seawall Boulevard, Galveston, Texas, USA |
| Location | |
| Website | None (if you know the URL of their website, tell us and we'll add it) |
| Telephone | +1 (409) 765-9431 |
| Fax | +1 (409) 765-6545 |
How is HI - Galveston Hostel - Sandpiper Motel rated on other websites?
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
On the beach in Galveston I was glad to read that Hosteling International at the Sandpiper Motel existed post Hurricane Ike. I was there in July of 2003 and enjoyed it quite a bit. I'd come to Texas via Amtrak for a family reunion, rented a car and drove to Galveston where I had reserved a place in the HI dorm which I had to myself part of the time and shared with two very nice women from abroad the rest of the time. Making use of the common area with access to the kitchen and laundry facilities, and body surfing on Stewart Beach, I had a perfect time. At the time, the Sandpiper suited me just great. — Canteclada , born in the U.S.A. (2011-02-17) Yakety yak don’t come back! I am surprised that this place still exists. I stayed there in November 2007 (long before Hurricane Ike). The room had very severe mould damage, with mould on the ceiling and down the walls. The room had a very high humidity, and I had to sleep with window wide open just to get some air. Overall, this place was disgusting. The only good thing was the beach, the friendly receptionist, and the one free computer with internet. Yakety yak don't come back! — Anker , Denmark (2010-04-07) Excellent place to stay. Very friendly staff and people in the area are great. Lots to do in Galveston and the hostel is a great place to be while discovering Galveston. — VE1RCC (2007-03-07) Was an ok hostel. All the posts were right -- it's just like a cheap motel room with a bunch of bunk beds thrown in. Does the job ok. Kitchen and common areas close very early (10 p.m.) and there is not really anywhere else to go around the hostel. Room was a little grubby and I had to switch beds after getting "bitten" by something. I won't scare people and say it was bed bugs, could have been an insect or something. But I did see tiny droplets of blood on the sheets in the morning. Not sure. In saying that I don't mean to alarm anyone because it certainly wasn't a hellhole and I'd stay there again. Great summer location. A pity I was there in winter. — Matt (2006-12-07) It's NOT Miami Beach. However, it offers a splendid view to the beach (you're right next to it), and a lot of activities to do, like hiking or jet skiing. You can go on a fishing boat and catch the supper for the night. They have a cheap Mexican breakfast 5 minutes away. The hostel is really a motel, so you get dorm beds inside the motel rooms. There's a TV in every room, your own bath and toilet, and balcony. What more could you want? Go there. — Adventurer (2005-07-11) Galveston is not Miami Beach, or the Outer Banks, but it does have the same feel of a resort beach town. There are enough tourist traps and eateries to keep one busy. Then there is the Strand District for a stroll back in time, and other restored historic buildings including a very nice opera house. Moody Garden, at the other end of the waterfront, is not half bad with a rain forest and an aquarium housed inside glass pyramids. The town also boasts many large public fun events, including serious sand sculpture competitions, festivals and a Mardi Gras that is second only to the famous one in New Orleans.
The hostel is part of the Sandpiper Motel, and is the only one sitting right on the beach. Talk about convenience. It sits far enough away from the throngs of tourists and yet close enough for action. There is a common lounge and kitchen and the atmosphere is beach motel casual. There is 24 hour front desk watch for security and assistance. Rooms and facilities are typical of a decent motel, not very fancy. But then the beach is just a hop from the door. There are public buses but a rental bike will get you anywhere. Grocery store is within walking.
A good place to chill, or join the action when you want it. — Coast3 (2003-03-31) A good place for a getaway to the beach while traveling west of New Orleans to Austin, San Antonio, or points west. The beach is not as perfect as Panama City or some other Florida beaches, or the Outer Banks in NC, but there is a fair amount of history, some OK clubs in the Strand district, and this is the only place you can stay in Galveston which is right on the beach, and right next to the volleyball and fun young beach known as Stewart Beach. The hostel rooms are in the main building with the office, and there is not much of a commons area, but you don't need it. Some fastfood nearby, but you probably will want to go into town for meals. — TexasDoug (2003-03-17)