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Hostels Guide > North America > USA > Colorado > Denver Hostels > Hostel of the Rockies

Hostel of the Rockies

Denver, Colorado, USA

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Hostels in Denver

Address	1717 Race Street, Denver Map
Price	$20 Check Current Prices by Date Here

Location/Contact

Details

Their Description

Features

Kitchen
Lockers
24 Hour Free Hot Showers
Washing Machine (laundry)
Lounge / Common space
Gameroom
Phones (public or in room)
BBQ

The Hostelz.com Review

Hostel of the Rockies has moved locations and changed ownership within the last year or so. Don't be confused by various "new" guidebooks that list the hostel at the old address and include features that no longer exist. The Hostel of the Rockies is one of Denver's most upmarket hostels. What makes it attractive is the location -- it's in a fairly good part of town and is opposite a nice coffee shop and bar (which provides free wifi access). Plenty of parking is available on the street and you're not too far away from public transport.

Dorm rooms are very basic as are the kitchen and TV room. Wifi is not available but you can use the shared computer downstairs. Coffee and tea is available but it's on a do-it-yourself basis. Bathroom areas are straight-forward and you'll be sharing the one combined toilet/bath with more than ten beds if they are booked out.

The Hostel of the Rockies is not a bad hostel and is definitely not unclean or unsafe. It does its job and is located in a great part of town. If you can snare an upstairs room than do so, most have private balconies and seem to be fitted out better (plus they are much warmer). The social aspect of the hostel is great and you're sure to meet lots of international travelers. It's pretty easy to find in downtown Denver and there is ample free street parking. Just look for the street cleaning signs (normally it's the second Wednesday of each month) and make sure you don't park your car -- otherwise it'll get towed.

-- Exclusive Hostelz.com Review

Your Comments

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Comment by Travis, USA

September 2008

Good and progressing
The first night I got there, I came in very late (about 1 a.m.) and they still let me in with no problems. The staff were really nice and did everything they could to help me with my week's stay. The staff makes up for any downfalls that the hostel may have. The building is old but they are currently renovating and make pretty major improvements. The neighborhood is pretty good and has easy access to buses.

Comment by Jen, USA

August 2008

Rundown but ok for a night
The people at the front desk were super nice and helpful. But they don't control the condition of the building -- and the building is a dump, honestly. Really rundown. My window was propped open with a metal pipe, ceilings peeling, bare bulbs. There didn't seem to be many people staying there. But it was ok for one night, and I slept all right. The Five Points neighborhood in Denver is overall pretty sketchy, but this street seemed ok, and it's just a few steps from this urban-renewal area with a cool coffee house, bar, restaurant. I felt safe as a woman traveling alone. Shame the building is in such crappy shape -- it's a gorgeous old house that could shine if it was remodeled.

Comment by TexasDoug, USA

July 2008

Central, acceptable
The management has a good heart and the right spirit about hosteling (including a free burger and hot dog on Saturday night). The place is a tad dirty (bring flip flops), a tad disorganized (slow check-in, ran out of toilet paper), but the location is a pleasant walk from the downtown, and just across the street are a Thai restaurant, a popular bar, a trendy coffee shop, and more. Plenty of street parking. Free computer use, free Wi-Fi. Both the neighborhood (a quirky mix of law offices, a day care, and public housing) and the hostel appear safe. There are a few long-term residents, like folks relocating to Denver for service industry jobs. Other fellow hostelers sometimes bypass the number code access to the building and similar locks on each room, but there are sturdy metal lockers in each room also. Towels and linens were included, and were clean and fresh.

Comment by MD, USA

May 2008

Good management
I live in the neighborhood (which is my favorite in Denver), and ran into some people staying at the hostel who were drunk and causing a scene outside. The manager came out and took care of things quickly and quietly, without involving the police. I was impressed with his professionalism.

Comment by Sanfran

March 2008

Two Words -- Shit hole
This place is awful! I read some negative reviews before staying here and believe me they are all true. Bathrooms, kitchen, showers all look as though they were cleaned sometime back in the 1980s. The management is so rude -- I complained about noise at 4 in the morning and was told I would have to leave. Me a woman, in a strange city just because I thought it was crazy that management was partying upstairs. I was also sexually harassed by Walt. I think that this place needs to be shut down.

Comment by The SnakeOiler, USA

February 2008

Do not ever stay at this hostel
Do not ever stay at this hostel! I was physically attacked by the owner (who was drunk) and had to call the police on him in able to get my stuff and get my money back. The bathrooms were filthy, hell, everywhere was filthy. Many of the other people staying there were transients, not travelers. The staff was drunk and surly. (Except for one, he was the only decent moment in a horror of a stay, him and the free computer.). There are other, cheaper, cleaner, not run by a drunk, violent idiot hostels within a few blocks. Go to one of those.

Comment by traveler, USA

November 2007

Filth and Disgust
Apparently, a change of operation has accompanied the change of management. The pictures on this website have nothing to do with the actual hostel. The good points of this hostel are that it is located convenient to regional bus lines and has several nearby restaurants and shops. But, the place looked like it hadn't been cleaned in months -- right down to the dust bunnies mixed with hair in the dormitories and rusted bathrooms downstairs. There was a large portion of tile missing from the shower in the women's dorm, which was covered in plastic and duct tape. Men had similar comments about the men's side. The place was drenched in cigarette smoke. There are several residents looking for work in Denver and staying at the hostel, but none seemed to be problematic. Several mentioned that they were afraid to complain about conditions, for fear they would be asked to leave and have little place to go until they found permanent jobs in the city. The last straw was when I asked the manager and his friends to stop smoking (in front of their no smoking sign) and was screamed at for my rudeness and told that I had no right to tell them how to run their own home. I was told I was being "evicted" at 1 a.m. and gladly found lodging elsewhere. This could be a nice place, but unfortunately, it is a poorly maintained dump at present.

Comment by Robin, USA

July 2007

Excellent hostel!
My experience here was fantastic. It's a great location -- not far from downtown, little shops and cafes nearby, and the place is cozy. The only issue I had was that the place doesn't have much in the way of air circulation, so it was a little warm, and humid. But, otherwise, the staff was friendly, the place is clean, and I'd highly recommend it!

Comment by David, USA

July 2007

This place was okay, not the best. The guy at check in didn't seem too friendly/helpful/talkative. I had a downstairs room. I found the place rather rundown and somewhat dirty, including the common room located in the basement, but by no means terrible. The staff did warm up a bit in the evening when they also were down in the common room watching TV with guests. One of the things I didn't like about this place was that about half the people staying there, including the guy I shared a room with, were not travelers at all, but rather long term residents who were there in between apartments, looking for a job, had been kicked out by their girlfriend. If you can, get a room upstairs. Overall, it's ok.

Comment by Ray , Ireland

May 2007

This is a truly great hostel
This is a really cool hostel. i spent three months traveling around the states and staying in different hostels and this was a joint first as far as everything. the staff are great (some good nights of drinking) and the atmosphere was brilliant. it isn't exactly the ritz but for 20 bucks a night what do you expect. it's clean, in a very safe neighbourhood, loads of different amenities close by, and downtown is only a short walk or even shorter bus journey. really great fun and i'd recommend this hostel to anyone wanting to stay in Denver.

Comment by A.

January 2007

Hostel of the Rockies was a nice hostel to stay at. I stayed there for a week during late December and found the place for the price very reasonable. Some of the staff were more helpful and friendlier than others, but none made my stay uncomfortable or miserable. Having stayed at a few different hostels in the past and in other countries, this hostel was by far the most downbeat and homey, not so hotel-like like some hostels are with keycards and matching linens. Perhaps the time of year (winter, snow) also had to do with it's quiet nature. Some things I'd like to point out: the hostel seems to be in a nice middle to upper class neighborhood and the location is very convenient. Downtown is a quick trip on the 15 bus -- which runs conveniently every fifteen minutes until late -- though Colfax Avenue can be a bit sketchy. The building and rooms are a little dirty and suffering wear and tear, but nothing a real traveler would have a problem with. Not a lot of people for big social outings suggested by the hostel in terms of atmosphere, but offers free internet for searching on your own. Lastly, the place felt safe enough, some of the mattresses were not comfortable, and kitchen privileges were good. HotR is homey, in a great location, and when I ever I go back to Denver (which is a cool city), I'll definitely stay there again.

Comment by Faldor

November 2006

Whilst not terrible this place isnt great. I was able to check in at 10 a.m. which was handy as the Amtrak train between Chicago and San Francisco arrived around 7a.m. I only had two weeks left on my trip and i'd doubled back on myself so i figured it was time to get over to the west coast, to break the fifty or so hour train journey up i'd stopped off in Denver. The hostel was pretty empty. The first night it was pretty much just me and the staff, who were all friendly and chatty. Not a bad hostel, not a great city.

Comment by Mike

November 2006

Probably the worst hostel I have been to. What made it worse is that are several hotels around the corner on Colfax Ave for about 8 or 9 dollars more than the cost of a bed at this place. There are no lockers, no breakfast, terrible beds (there was actually a box spring used as a mattress), filthy bathrooms, and a not so safe neighborhood. All and all, a pretty bad deal.

Comment by world traveler

November 2006

This was an ok hostel. I felt safe. However, the rooms were cold and dreary. The common room was in the basement and it was small and dirty. The bathroom for one of the bunk rooms was pretty gross. There was a garbage bag covering over a opening to the pipes. I have stayed in many hostels all over the world, and I would say this was the worst one yet.

Comment by Michael

August 2006

We stayed here for three nights, it was nice. The owner and other staff members at the "Guest Haus" were really nice. The person that worked the office at check-in was somewhat helpful. Overall this place was nice. The "Guest Haus" with private rooms were clean and well secured. We felt safe during our stay. The only problem we ran into was the street parking.

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