Online booking is not offered for this Hostel. Contact them for availability and reservations (any contact info we have is listed below).
Please see Lead for other available Lead hostels and accommodations.
Please see Lead for other available Lead hostels and accommodations.
The Hostelz.com Review
The Main Street Manor Hostel is a two-story home on Main Street, run by a wonderful retired lady named Joan. Her personality dominates the house, but not in a bad way.
The Location
Lead -- which is a mining town with a still-active gold and silver mine -- is one of the “Twin Cities,” the other being Deadwood. They join at Lead’s northern boundary. There is a bit of history there, and the town won’t let you forget that it was the location of Wild Bill Hickok’s murder (it's fifteen minutes away from the casino gambling and we're not sure why a casino town would want to push the fact that its most famous resident was killed while playing cards!).
About forty-five minutes to the south are Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. You can see both on a half-day trip, and the ride is scenic. Don’t be in a hurry, though, as you will undoubtedly be stuck behind the vacationers in their giant motorhome, traveling twenty miles per hour in a fifty-five zone.
Rooms And Bathrooms
The general decor will keep you prescient of the fact that you are a guest in someone’s house (we were afraid to sit on the furniture, for fear we might damage it). The rooms aren’t dorm rooms -- they are, for the most part, actual bedrooms. Most of them have two beds (twin sized and very comfortable), so you may be sharing with a stranger (or a friend, if you brought one). There are two beds downstairs, separated from the basement community area with some room dividers. The bathrooms are shared between approximately four people. In the upstairs bedroom, they are Jack-and-Jill style, so you have to knock on the door and make sure you don’t interrupt anyone. Our only issue with the bedroom is that two of the windows wouldn’t close. Hopefully this will be fixed by the time South Dakota’s harsh winter sets in.
Common Spaces
There are several common areas, including a living room upstairs and a community area downstairs. There is a very large kitchen downstairs, with everything that you need to prepare your own meals. Each floor also has a dining area. There are televisions upstairs and downstairs with cable. In the back area, there is a patio for socializing and a parking lot with ample spaces below it. Joan also provides free Wi-Fi for the guests, but the signal isn’t strong enough to reach downstairs. There is no laundry for guests on premises, but there is a laundromat directly across the street, with a convenience store next door. There is no online reservation -- you need to email or call her and make arrangements and she will then ask you to send a check or money order for a 50% deposit. Curiously, the no vacancy sign was up during our two-day stay, even though she had beds available.
Summary
Without a doubt, this is a very friendly hostel. If you are looking for the party atmosphere, go far away. If you want something similar to a homestay, you have come to the right place.
The Location
Lead -- which is a mining town with a still-active gold and silver mine -- is one of the “Twin Cities,” the other being Deadwood. They join at Lead’s northern boundary. There is a bit of history there, and the town won’t let you forget that it was the location of Wild Bill Hickok’s murder (it's fifteen minutes away from the casino gambling and we're not sure why a casino town would want to push the fact that its most famous resident was killed while playing cards!).
About forty-five minutes to the south are Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. You can see both on a half-day trip, and the ride is scenic. Don’t be in a hurry, though, as you will undoubtedly be stuck behind the vacationers in their giant motorhome, traveling twenty miles per hour in a fifty-five zone.
Rooms And Bathrooms
The general decor will keep you prescient of the fact that you are a guest in someone’s house (we were afraid to sit on the furniture, for fear we might damage it). The rooms aren’t dorm rooms -- they are, for the most part, actual bedrooms. Most of them have two beds (twin sized and very comfortable), so you may be sharing with a stranger (or a friend, if you brought one). There are two beds downstairs, separated from the basement community area with some room dividers. The bathrooms are shared between approximately four people. In the upstairs bedroom, they are Jack-and-Jill style, so you have to knock on the door and make sure you don’t interrupt anyone. Our only issue with the bedroom is that two of the windows wouldn’t close. Hopefully this will be fixed by the time South Dakota’s harsh winter sets in.
Common Spaces
There are several common areas, including a living room upstairs and a community area downstairs. There is a very large kitchen downstairs, with everything that you need to prepare your own meals. Each floor also has a dining area. There are televisions upstairs and downstairs with cable. In the back area, there is a patio for socializing and a parking lot with ample spaces below it. Joan also provides free Wi-Fi for the guests, but the signal isn’t strong enough to reach downstairs. There is no laundry for guests on premises, but there is a laundromat directly across the street, with a convenience store next door. There is no online reservation -- you need to email or call her and make arrangements and she will then ask you to send a check or money order for a 50% deposit. Curiously, the no vacancy sign was up during our two-day stay, even though she had beds available.
Summary
Without a doubt, this is a very friendly hostel. If you are looking for the party atmosphere, go far away. If you want something similar to a homestay, you have come to the right place.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
September 2011
Their Description
Main Street Manor Hostel Details
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(To add or correct information for this listing, please use the Listing Update Form.)
Map
Location/Contact| Address | 515 W. Main Street, Lead, South Dakota, USA |
| Location | |
| Website | www.mainstreetmanorhostel.com |
| Telephone | +1 (605) 717-2044 |
How is Main Street Manor Hostel rated on other websites?
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
What fun! We drove by, couldn't believe there was a hostel in lead. On a spur stopped in and sure enough there was room, quiet atmosphere, right balance of friendliness and privacy. Next day we toured all around North BH's. Spearfish Canyon, even saw a Mtn Lion! — Randy , USA (2011-09-03) Great place to stay! This hostel is very charming. Everything is very clean and well-decorated. It feels like you are staying at a nice bed and breakfast, not a hostel. Joan, the inn keeper, is very helpful in her recommendations for sight-seeing and dining. Ask her where to go to see bison on the wildlife loop in Custer State Park! — Cindy , USA (2011-08-12) Feels like home This was so much better than a hotel. Joan is the most wonderful person, easy to talk to and also respects privacy. Her home feels so comfortable, warm, and inviting. I am looking forward to staying there again! — chris m. , USA (2010-09-11) Great hostel!! I had a great stay at Main Street Manor. The hostel was clean, quiet, and the owner was very friendly and accommodating. This felt much more like a home than your regular run-of-the-mill hostel; I will definitely be back!! — KJAM , USA (2010-01-31) Really great hostel My friend and I arrived here in mid-June, 2009, and were greeted by the owner, who is a lovely and gracious, well-traveled, retired professional. We shared a private room in the basement, where the kitchen, a bathroom, and a common area was located. There are apparently rooms upstairs as well, but we were the last to book so we got the last room downstairs. It was a little chilly even in June, but we had plenty of blankets. Staying at this hostel is like visiting your wealthy, kind, interesting aunt or grandmother -- because the hostel is her home, but not so intimate that you feel invasive. It is superbly decorated and comfortable. It far beats the institutional-type hostels found in large cities. My friend and I met really nice people here and even ended up sightseeing with them for a day. Very good hostel, and I think people driving through the area, hiking for a day or two, photographing in nearby Deadwood, or just looking for a day or two away will really appreciate it. It's also close enough that you could use it as a base for exploring Crazy Horse/Rushmore and Custer State Park, but my friend and I stayed there the night before visiting those three sites, then stayed at a cheap chalet in Custer after the sightseeing and that worked out well for us. — Jennifer , USA (2009-07-16)