Online booking is not offered for this Hostel. Contact them for availability and reservations (any contact info we have is listed below).
Please see Preston for other available Preston hostels and accommodations.
Please see Preston for other available Preston hostels and accommodations.
The Hostelz.com Review
The Old Barn Resort is truly located in an old barn. The hostel is on the basement level, and the stone walls and concrete floors give it a very sparse and bleak feeling. The common area is not a place that invites you to linger, and the walls are empty of any decorations. The hostel is definitely not cozy, but the bathrooms and showers are clean and adequate. The door rooms are also clean and have sturdy wooden bunk beds.
The Old Barn is about a five minute drive off of Route 52 in Preston (a left turn when coming from the west). Several well-placed signs make it easy to find the Old Barn, even in the dark. Check-in ends at 9 p.m., but because we called ahead the staff accommodated our midnight arrival by leaving a key in the door. We were unable to get a good look at the town of Preston because it was so late, but given its small population (about one thousand four hundred) it seemed to have limited amenities.
The Old Barn provides a pool, golf course, washers and dryers, and camping facilities. The main floor is a restaurant and bar. Visitors to the hostel portion of the Old Barn are few and far between, given the barren refrigerator and lack of other guests during our stay. Beautiful countryside surrounds the hostel, offering the chance for relaxation and quiet. However, the hostel is also isolated and is not the place for those looking for nightlife.
The Old Barn is about a five minute drive off of Route 52 in Preston (a left turn when coming from the west). Several well-placed signs make it easy to find the Old Barn, even in the dark. Check-in ends at 9 p.m., but because we called ahead the staff accommodated our midnight arrival by leaving a key in the door. We were unable to get a good look at the town of Preston because it was so late, but given its small population (about one thousand four hundred) it seemed to have limited amenities.
The Old Barn provides a pool, golf course, washers and dryers, and camping facilities. The main floor is a restaurant and bar. Visitors to the hostel portion of the Old Barn are few and far between, given the barren refrigerator and lack of other guests during our stay. Beautiful countryside surrounds the hostel, offering the chance for relaxation and quiet. However, the hostel is also isolated and is not the place for those looking for nightlife.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
September 2006
Their Description
The Old Barn Resort & Hostel Details
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Map
Location/Contact| Address | Route 3, Preston, Minnesota, USA |
| Website | www.barnresort.com |
| Telephone | +1 (507) 467-2512, +1 (800) 552-2512 |
| Fax | +1 (507) 467-2382 |
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
Beware -- Stay away from this hostel! After reading about this place online, we thought we couldn't go wrong -- beautiful surroundings, old barn, restaurant, river -- so we decided to book a stay for 2 nights with the 2 kids. When we arrived we were "welcomed" by the musty odor that was overwhelming. The hostel rooms are in the basement of the barn that has no natural light to speak of. We weren't sure if the musty smell was coming from bathrooms that were rundown and not clean, or from the standing water in the common area. Regardless, not a great way to start out the stay. Given we'd arrived late, we decided to stay the night anyways. Unfortunately, there has been no thought given to the hostel rooms, so our room also had no natural light (the window had been overgrown with bushes, so you couldn't see a thing. Thus, when you turned off the main light in the room, it was pitch dark -- no small lights for reading or to help the kids get to sleep. The kids couldn't sleep in the pitch dark, so we had to open the door to the common area. All in all this was a disaster. When we went to complain the next day, the staff at the desk had nothing to say. No refund for our stay, no apology for the dirt or smell. Nothing. We left after one day and I'll never go back. The property has so much potential, but is being neglected. Don't waste your time or money on this place, you are certainly in for a disappointment. — Jim , USA (2011-12-23) Standing in filth We have had the opportunity to stay here several times over the past few years. If you want to stay in a place where the bathrooms have standing water and water from the urinal flow into the shower trough this is your place. It amazes me at the minimal upkeep that occurs from year to year. There has never been grass on one of the sites we frequent and to my observations no attempt to remedy it. Trees are lost every year but I cant think of a single new tree that has been planted to replace those that are lost. If it were up to me, we would not encourage such neglect by giving them our business. — Jason , USA (2010-07-19) Strict, Unfriendly staff While the resort is beautiful place to stay (views of bluffs, kid's pool), the prices are high and customer service is really lacking. The rooms feel claustrophobic and a very cramped. They have a strict check out time of 10 a.m. and really enforce it- not very relaxing. They have staff that patrol the grounds all day to make sure that everyone has wristbands and they are very vocal about their many rules. All around, not a very relaxing family weekend. I would not recommend it if you do not want to feel "nickeled and dimed" and want a relaxing weekend. — Angela , USA (2009-07-26) Peaceful and relaxing My father and I visited this hostel in December of '92 when I finished college. I have fond memories of our stay. We drove a long distance through a snow storm to get there. The barn was very picturesque, and we had it all to ourselves. The kitchen and sleeping quarters were adequate -- much like camping, but inside. (Kids would love it.) We took our own food, so we did not get the chance to eat in the restaurant. We did go upstairs, though, to see the dining area. A nicely dressed crew of waiters and waitresses were waiting to serve anyone who braved the treacherous weather. The candlelit tables were eloquently set with linens and silverware. While we were there we did some cross country skiing -- the snow covered bike trails made a nice path for beginners. I hope to return with my husband and children some day, and I hope we get to go during a snow storm! — Janice (2009-03-04) We were not hapy with our stay. The bunkhouse rooms were clean, but the men's bathroom/showers were not. Ladies' was old but reasonably clean. There was endless noise from the floor above the bunkhouse until 1:30 a.m. and then beginning again at 5:30 a.m. on our first night. Our second night was a little quieter, but noisy again at 5:30 a.m. — Lori (2006-09-24) my wife and i enjoy the park and golf course except for the rude bitch that works the front desk! being senior citizens it's very hard to carry our clubs from the motor home to the cart area and back. some kind of shuttle or pick up service would be the way to cater to your guests. won't be back! — r erickson (2006-01-04) This hostel has everything. The hostel itself is located in the basement of an big, old converted barn. Upstairs is a classy restaurant, tavern, game room, small convenient store, and office. Attached to the side of the barn is a building with an indoor swimming pool. The premises also hosts a campground and a golf course. The hostel is clean and comfortable. People are friendly. Surrounded by fields and woods, the evening air is filled with the peaceful sound crickets. — Lynn Lipari (2003-12-26)