The Hostelz.com Review
Named in loving memory of two pet fish, Bon Paul and Sharky's Hostel is located in a converted two-story home on hip Haywood Road in West Asheville, NC. Sunflowers grow tall outside the house, and just two blocks away local farmers bring their produce to the organic food market and once weekly outdoor market. Coffeeshops, pubs, and thrift shops abound, and the hostel has bikes available to borrow for free, if you should want free transportation to the downtown. Local buses also run past the house during the day.
The house is a comfortable one that feels like home, with a swing on the front porch and a hot tub on the back. The ground floor is all common areas with an open layout (no doors). The living room includes a small desk which serves as the reception area, a pet fish, and couches and a large TV where backpackers as well as the owner's friends are often watching DVDs. The dining room has a breakfast table, foosball, and US and world maps where travelers mark their hometowns. There is plenty of cabinet and fridge space in the kitchen, as well as free waffles, snow cones, and common food. The upstairs contains three dorm rooms and one double room. Sheets are provided with no extra charge. There is no air conditioning, but fans keep the rooms comfortable through most of the summer.
The house fosters a friendly sense of community, so hostelers hang out here perhaps more than at other hostels (the free wi-fi helps, too!). The only downside is that, being a regular house, there are only two full bathrooms for everyone to share. On weekdays and uneventful weekends, this is not a big problem, as people tend to get up at different times anyway. Those who have their own equipment and choose to camp in the backyard enjoy the benefits of the hostel at a lower price, but between a bumpy ground, a light that shines all night, and the hum of some machine near the house, it may be worth paying full price to stay inside.
Finding the hostel by car is easy, as Haywood is a major road in West Asheville. Just watch carefully, as the numbers go by fast! For bus information, free rides, or more info, just call the helpful hostel staff.
The house is a comfortable one that feels like home, with a swing on the front porch and a hot tub on the back. The ground floor is all common areas with an open layout (no doors). The living room includes a small desk which serves as the reception area, a pet fish, and couches and a large TV where backpackers as well as the owner's friends are often watching DVDs. The dining room has a breakfast table, foosball, and US and world maps where travelers mark their hometowns. There is plenty of cabinet and fridge space in the kitchen, as well as free waffles, snow cones, and common food. The upstairs contains three dorm rooms and one double room. Sheets are provided with no extra charge. There is no air conditioning, but fans keep the rooms comfortable through most of the summer.
The house fosters a friendly sense of community, so hostelers hang out here perhaps more than at other hostels (the free wi-fi helps, too!). The only downside is that, being a regular house, there are only two full bathrooms for everyone to share. On weekdays and uneventful weekends, this is not a big problem, as people tend to get up at different times anyway. Those who have their own equipment and choose to camp in the backyard enjoy the benefits of the hostel at a lower price, but between a bumpy ground, a light that shines all night, and the hum of some machine near the house, it may be worth paying full price to stay inside.
Finding the hostel by car is easy, as Haywood is a major road in West Asheville. Just watch carefully, as the numbers go by fast! For bus information, free rides, or more info, just call the helpful hostel staff.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
October 2005
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Bon Paul & Sharky's Hostel Details
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Bon Paul & Sharky's Hostel Reviews from the WebHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Stay, Seriously (This is the first review I've ever left for ANYTHING This Bon Paul and Sharky's is a beautiful dwelling nestled in West Asheville. You're sure to love it here if you're looking for a nice, tidy, welcoming, social & private (socially private), and above all else, FRIENDLY hostel. And I dare say that hypothetically, if you weren't looking for any of that, you would STILL love it. Please let this review come as pure truth from me to you. I NEVER leave reviews for ANYthing, so this place is the real deal. Did I mention the friendliness? So don't be a jerk. I had no problems with professionalism or reservations. God, I'm starting to miss it. Asheville is my lil' getaway town and NOW I have a brilliant hostelery to call my own. (That means I'll be going back/end of story)! — Derek , American (2012-01-04) I've stayed at Bon Paul & Sharky's twice now, and have had the best experiences both times. The employees are all genuinely great people. You can have a lot of fun with them and they are very accommodating. On the weekends they feed you free spaghetti dinners and in the mornings, toast and fruit. It's an affordable, cozy, clean hostel and I recommend it to anyone! — Francesca (2011-09-12) Feels like home. I was lucky enough to find Bon Paul's while in the process of moving to Asheville. The staff was simply amazing. Extremely friendly, helpful and really fun to sit around and chat with. I felt so at home during my first stay that I decided to make it a home base for coming and checking out places to live in the city. I recommend this awesome house to anyone wanting to experience Asheville the way locals do. The staff's numero uno concern is YOU. They are more than happy to give advice and to do anything in their power to make your stay as comfortable, as relaxing, or as exciting as you want it to be. They offer co-ed bunks, private rooms, and even an adorable little cottage. You might find yourself coming to Asheville just to stay at Bon Paul's. True Story. — Anonymous (2011-04-15) Great home away The location was perfect, close to the mountains. Economical at $22 a night for one of the bunks. And the staff was very nice and accommodating. I would stay again without hesitation. — Anonymous (2011-04-06) The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly The Good: good company, other travelers were quiet and considerate. Clean sheets, nice location, wireless Internet. The Bad: Manager Dan quotes variable rates depending on who you are and how much money you have (example, a solo room was $50 for me but $65 for a female attorney). Also don't count on any reservations you make. When I reserved a room, later on it was deleted. A subsequent reservation they said they'd hold a bottom bunk for me. Upon check-in however my bunk was given to someone else and I was given an upper bunk in the basement with 18" of headroom and nasty ductwork over my head. Apparently if someone younger, more cool-looking or prettier comes along, you move down on the food chain depending on Dan's mood at the time. The Ugly: The basement is like a dungeon with no ventilation. Doors stick, needs some maintenance. Kitchen faucet barely more than a drip. Bunk bed slats have gaps so wide the foam mattress pads fall through the cracks and give little support so that you feel the slats every time you roll over. Conclusion: Bunk beds are inadequate. If you want a private room, there are numerous hotels in the area for the same or less. Try kayak. I had no problem my last night finding a hotel room with 2 double beds, internet, continental breakfast, cable, wireless for $60 tax included. That was over Labor Day weekend too. Next time I won't be staying here. — Ken , USA (2010-09-07) I was really disappointed This hostel had so many good reviews on here, but I was very disappointed. There was no television, no foosball machine, and only 2 dorm rooms not three. The female dorm was small and cramped with too many beds for the small area and you could barely turn around in there if you had any bags with you. The "homemade bunks" were not real beds, they were 3 inch pads on top of wooden slats that you could feel every time you turned over. They were very uncomfortable.These "mattresses" with no springs were covered by a slick material and it was impossible for the bottom sheet to stay on. I woke up a few times in the night with no bedding. If you are staying in a top bunk you have to be careful, because the bunk is really high compared to the height of the ceiling. One of the times I woke up to grab my missing sheets I ended up hitting my head on the ceiling. I have backpacked around the USA so I have stayed in hostels before, and so I can be objective. For $24 per night (high by hostel standards) I at least expected a decent bed! — Sasha , USA (2010-08-19) Came back twice -- that says it all All of the above-chill, friendly, homey, comfy, free Wi-Fi, great folks (staff and guests). Excellent perks with the bikes and helping hands with info, etc. Stopped here last month, so when back in the area had to stop again to relax, chill, and enjoy a awesome part of Asheville instead of staying on the road. Sometimes being off the beaten path gives you an added dimension to a place, not to be missed. Fun place without being over the top. Special thanks to Joe and Dan for their attentive, friendly, and fun demeanor. — LMS , USA (2010-06-13) Best hostel in america! I'm not kidding, after traveling for 2 months across the states we got into Bon Paul and sharkys and felt like we'd returned to our own house. We were greeted by ultra chilled owner Joe and his affable worker buddy Dan, who checked us in and shared a chat and a beer like old friends. The place feels like a big family home, and the bunkbeds are custom made (good on ya dad!), comfy and no squeaking. It isn't downtown but in a very cool area, excellent bars and cafes minutes away. Can't praise this one enough, stay here!! — Lockie, Tony and Nick , Australia (2010-05-21) Looking for something laid back yet orderly? Here it is. This is a clean and very well organised place to stay -- feels homey and comfortable with Joe, the manager, who is very helpful. It's easy to relax here. Little notices everywhere in a hostel can sometimes be annoying, but here the notices are practical -- you can find everything and they are relevant! Joe, without being obtrusive, ensures that things in the kitchen/rest-room/dorm are ok for you. — David Marsh , Australia (2010-05-18) Excellent, homey, and cheap Although this hostel in not located in central (downtown) Asheville, it is located in a great area in West Asheville. Within an easy stroll there are great pubs, restaurants, and a nice organic grocery store. Also, there is a decent bus system that can take you anywhere else in Asheville you would like to go, except that it doesn't run on Sundays. Also, it's a relatively easy bike ride to the downtown and there are loaner bikes available at the hostel. The hostel itself is roomy, with a very relaxing vibe. The staff is extremely friendly, eco-friendly, laid back, and supremely accommodating. There were only a few other people there at the time I stayed, but everybody was great. Overall, an excellent hosteling experience. Exactly what a hostel is supposed to be. It's much appreciated. — Ether , USA (2009-09-16) By Far Better, Cheaper than any Hotel! This was the first time that I've ever stayed at a youth hostel and suffice it to say, I was very impressed. I read the reviews long before booking my trip to Asheville. For starters, it's located within what appears to be a trendy part of town, where you are within immediate walking distance of coffee shops, taverns, restaurants, in addition to a laundry mat and yes, even two grocery stores. One of them being a co-op style store that caters solely to organic shoppers, the other one being your run-of -the-mill supermarket. If that doesn't suit you enough, you also have access to off street non-metered parking and a bus line, both of which are in front of the house. They even have several bikes which were offered to me as a courtesy for my stay. As for the house itself, the place was clean/safe, offering up to two bathrooms with showers, (one being an upper contemporary style bathroom, the lower having a claw foot bathtub) dorm style rooms with bunk beds with new sheets change daily, complete kitchen access to make and store your food. In addition to the usual amenities, you also have access to free Wi-Fi, and a jacuzzi, all for the break neck price of $23/day. For the little that you pay, I found the staff to be exceptionally professional/polite. They never behaved like frat boys -- they were always conscientious towards the needs all of their guest, especially at night. At the end of my stay, I was even taken to the Greyhound station free of charge. In short, I would recommend this place to all travelers. — Dave , United States (2009-08-28) Best Hostel on the East Coast! I have stayed in many hostels, in the U.S. and abroad, and Bon Paul & Sharky's is one of the best. It has a great location, just outside of downtown Asheville, in a funky neighborhood. The young staff were fun, approachable, and super helpful and had great suggestions for things to do. It is convenient to bars and restaurants just down the street, hiking and swimming along the Blue Ridge Parkway, shopping downtown, and Asheville's live music scene, which is great. If you need just a chill night in the house, there is always music playing, interesting people hanging out, a great porch, and a hot tub! They also serve community dinners and a huge Sunday brunch. The kitchen, bathrooms, and community rooms are kept spotless and the dorms are comfortable and clean. What a great hostel in a great town! I'll definitely be back soon! — Hannah , US (2008-10-16) Not recommended! This is one of the worst hostels I've ever stayed in. It felt more like a frat house than a hostel. The staff stayed up very late being very loud, then weren't around in the morning when I wanted to check out. I could've easily left without paying, but didn't. The shower was gross -- the drain was completely clogged. The kitchen was also grungy. The hostel is quite far from downtown Asheville. After one night, I moved to a hotel downtown and later saw two other people there who had been staying at this hostel. — Jenny , USA (2007-10-31) This place is definitely designed for the hiker. If you're looking for some place economical to stay this is the place for you. But, don't look for luxury accommodations. The place wasn't the cleanest by any means, the kitchen is funky, not in a good way. The bathroom -- well someone had an aversion to flushing the toilet and the shower was sketchy. The staff when they were around seemed nice enough. But in all honesty traveling alone as a female, I felt safer there then I felt staying at a hotel on my own. Oh one other thing there was no parking available there as the website may tell you, I had to park on the street, where it's one-hour parking only Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (and it's not within walking distance to downtown Asheville proper). It is within walking distance to West Asheville downtown though. — Unknown (2006-12-16) A wonderful time! Beds were comfortable, bathrooms immaculate, the hot tub was great, and the people were wonderful! Can't wait to go back. — Jess (2006-08-30)