HI - Phoenix, The Metcalf House Hostel

A real hostel!
Old house of brick. they are Wi-Fi'd now. downtown area Phoenix is easy walking, very flat. This hostel is quiet, which I like because you get a good sleep. It's not a loud party type place, which for me is better. I am glad it's still here. the garden is very private and shady, the kitchen big and well equipped. A home away from home.

Good place to stay, racist management
I have only stayed in a couple of hostels, but this one seemed quite nice. It's close to downtown Phoenix and the I-10 freeway, but it's a very quiet neighborhood. It's also near one or two bus lines, and a couple of other guests got along fine that way, but most had rented a car. The place was clean and the kitchen was well-equipped. The front yard is a great place to sit and hang out. The only problem I had was with the owner/manager Jim. He has a very harsh sense of humor and is not afraid to get into a debate about politics or whatever, which in itself is ok. However, he was outright bigoted towards the Japanese guests who were staying there, which really rubbed me the wrong way. He is willing to do work-trade deals, though, so that might work out for some people. Overall a good experience.

Liked it
Ah, those were the days. Like Glen, I was here as an English visitor in the summer of 2001. I wasn't here long, but reading the comments I guess it was run by Sue, whom I remember being a little new-agy and friendly. I seem to recall the decor of the place and looking at photographs jogs the memory. I don't remember it being in a particularly bad part of town, however on walking back with a friend late at night someone unseen from a housing area nearby decided to throw six inch nails at us. Weird. I'm in Phoenix again but I called them and they say they are closed until September 1st. Sad.

Odd, but a good experience
This hostel is not like anywhere you've stayed. A little green oasis in an extremely bad area, it certainly has character. When I arrived, the rather odd guy taking care of the place rubbed me up the wrong way, but ultimately it was fine. Just a lost case I guess. Met the legendary Sue. A spirited lady who had lots of great stories and a great sense of humour. Even showed her the stories on this site. Met some great folks, including a philosopher/psychologist who I had long debates into the night with, and a cool photographer chick who was crashing for the night after a gig. Good time. Very hard to find the hostel, took hours of driving around. Really bad area. Went to the corner filling station at night, and asked a local girl behind the counter if it was safe to walk around. She said that the gangs ran things in one direction, and the drug deals ran things in the other, so I should probably just stay inside. Yikes! No net access. Really far from the city, and Phoenix is humongous. Way way more spread out than most american cities. It's two buses, about an hour if I remember correctly, to the get to Tempe, the "fun" student area.

I came down from Seattle on a "Southwest Adventure" back in '93 or so. I stayed here for a couple of nights and had a good time. I do think Phoenix merits a larger hostel though. I never thought that ten years later I would have bought an old Bungalow just one block from the Metcalf House. Now I occasionally direct hostelers who come from the bus station to the Metcalf house. It is getting better here, folks!

I have only stayed at a couple of hostels, but this was the worst. It was even worse than the one with a cockroach in New Orleans! I didn't have any time to check out the common areas, but the room itself could have used a lot of work -- especially the bathroom. My best friend and I were to share bunkbeds and set our bed before we went out, when we got back some girl in another bed who wasn't there when we left had taken the blankets off our beds and was sleeping with them. The top bunk didn't seem very secure and we didn't want to take any chances, so we slept together on the bottom one. This was a room that fit three bunk beds, so six people in one and it was 20 dollars each per night. And it was in a horrible part of town, or should I say it is a bummer of a town. No good restaurants or clubs and there was so much construction going on on the roads that it was frustrating to get through it all. I wouldn't recommend the hostel or the city.

There used to be a lot of people here on work exchange but they turned out to be smooth-talking heroin addicts! That was back in 98. Its a lot quieter now and not a party hostel. Lovely grounds full of trees and not corporate at all. Sue the manageress is a lot older and wiser now,and has stood the test of time as I think its the only hostel left standing in the whole arizona state! Good quiet place all in all.

I was visiting Phoenix in October and decided to stay in The Metcalf. When I came, there were just a few other guests so it was very peaceful and quiet. Everything was clean and nice and the manager was nice, too. I would suggest definitely that you eat at nearby Tacos de Juarez; it had very, very good and cheap food, although the place looks miserable from the outside. I have heard that this part of the town was not so secure, but I didn't have any problems. Pity that there were not more people. All in all, a very good experience.

Well, from what I've read of the reviews, I expected a warm friendly place. However, Sue was not there and a "Pauline" is now the manager. The place locks you out from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., so you have a chance to get breakfast and be booted out to the desert. I don't know what people do without a car in that area. I went walking my first day there and even though I had plenty of water, I was wiped out by the heat. Not to mention wasting my cash on food during the "lock out." I came to Phoenix for a job and needed a quick, cheap, place to stay. It was six days for $108. I asked Pauline if I could work around the hostel for a day and she said, "No, if you can't pay, then don't stay." She was very rude in her tone and I regret not finding a different place to stay. There are signs posted EVERYWHERE! Telling you what to do, and how to do it, and what times you can do these things. Yes, everywhere from the bathroom to the TV room. The mood of the place is very strict. Oh, the main rooms (kitchen, rec. room, TV room) also close down at 10:00 p.m., and lock you out until 6 a.m. Upon leaving that place, I realized I forgot and left a good pair of leather sandals against the back fence to dry. I came back for them, and that wretch Pauline said she had donated them somewhere! This was all in a time frame of 7 DAYS! I can't believe she didn't ask around or hang on to them for awhile, considering I was the only female there to whom they could have belonged. I really hate that place, I put a lot of money in that hostel and was seriously disrespected. I'm a laid-back person and a professional and this was seriously uncalled for. Go to Tucson or some part of the desert if you come this way. The hostel is not within walking distance to anything great so getting around would be difficult without a vehicle. Not to mention you're in one of the ghettos of Phoenix, so forget about nighttime exploring on foot or bike.

Nice place, but a weird lady said in the morning she had caught SCABIES and blamed the hostel! I couldn't believe her ranting and raving. Her car was full of filthy gear and obviously she doesn't know that this particular infectious disease is caught from having close personal contact with another infected person, not from beds! My otherwise pleasant stay was marred, as unfortunately whilst hostelling you tend to run into travelers like her, and they are nearly ALWAYS over frigging FORTY!?!#*? SO, to be forewarned is to be forearmed!!

I stayed here for a couple of nights in the summer of 2001. Weeks rolled past. In the middle of a big daunting city lies a small property containing masses of interest. A whole wall is adorned with a giant map of the Southwest, illustrated with ALL the things of interest, Sue and Jordan were more than welcoming. Many happy hours were spent listening to live music in the awesome coffee shop a short walk away, admiring the amazing sunsets and hiking up the local mountains. One day I will return!! I just hope it hasn't changed.

I stop in here periodically on my trips to the desert. This little bungalow, surrounded as it is with desert plants, is a little, laid-back oasis in the middle of the hell of Phoenix. Sue, the owner, has not turned the place over to a bunch of employees who don't care about it and her friendly, somewhat quirky personality is one of the things that really floats the hostel. It's a very comfortable place. I'd rate it higher except it happens to be surrounded by Phoenix.

I've never stayed in a hostel before, except recently at this one. The hostess was very nice but it's not private at all. I guess hostels aren't. Phoenix is a wonderful place; there's much to see and do. It's a very large city.

Stayed there a couple of time for several weeks in '93 and '94. Glad is still exists. Sue couldn't play piano at all back then. :-))

Nice place, friendly people, and interesting plants. It's small, but somewhat social. I'd stay here again.