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Please see Gainesville for other available Gainesville hostels and accommodations.
Please see Gainesville for other available Gainesville hostels and accommodations.
Description
Zen Hostel Details
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Map
Location/Contact| Address | 404 SE 2nd Street, Gainesville, Florida, USA |
| Location | •404 SE 2nd Street • Gainesville, Florida 32601 |
| Website | www.zenhostel.com |
| Telephone | +1 (352) 336-3613 |
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
Dirty, spooky, shabby, nice people but more than a bit sketch The idea is nice, the focus on zen is theoretically great. It is run with a good heart. BUT, the reality not so mellow. No separate area for women. No locks on doors. Filthy. smelly. rundown. depressing. Women should not stay here. I called a day ahead, was told no problem, plenty of room. But when i got there, there was no place for females only and i was told that I would have to share a room with some guys but not to worry, they were nice guys. The dust on the fans was 2 to 4 inches thick. The bugs on the floor creeped me out. And the termite eaten walls made me think the whole place might fall down. How come this place was not condemned? — Anonymous , USA (2011-12-20) Underpar Here are the nice aspects of the Zen hostel. The Zen Hostel is close to downtown Gainesville, which has some great nightlife, bars, and restaurants. The hostel is also well located for using public transportation (RTS) because they are located only 2 blocks from the downtown bus station. However, I would be amazed if you somehow managed to get to Gainesville without a car. That is why it is also great that the hostel has plenty of nearby street parking. On the weekends, the nearby utility allows free parking in their lot across the street from the Zen Hostel. The Zen Hostel has a full kitchen for those that prefer to save money and cook. The Zen Hostel also has secure Wi-Fi and 1 computer for general use. I heard from the Zen Hostel long-term tenants that the hostel is near a homeless shelter, so do not leave any valuables inside a vehicle. However, I must add that I did not encounter any criminal elements during my stay. Here are the drawbacks of the Zen Hostel. The Zen Hostel is more of a Buddhist retreat that accepts visitors than a hostel. It appears that they plow very little income back into the property. The Zen Hostel is in poor shape and they lack adequate heating. I woke up because I was freezing. There is no community room with a TV and coaches to mingle with other travelers. Instead, they have one large room with rugs and Buddhist figurines instead. I felt that the Zen Hostel did a poor job managing and trusting their guests. A guest could stay here for free if they made a good case, because they consider the money they receive as a contribution to the retreat than as mandatory for a nights stay. The Zen Hostel also has cheap padlocks for the rooms that could be easily picked and the padlock latch for my room was almost falling off. There were no lockers inside the room I was in, and there is no staff member that can hold your valuables. It is also difficult to come and go as you please. They claim that the door is open until late at night, but did not have any concrete hours. I would hate to be that traveler that gets locked outside. My biggest complaint was the shower. The shower is outside and the shower walls are some sort of bamboo with leaves. I was there in late winter, which can get cold in the morning. There was also a chicken above the bathroom sink. This is non-hygienic as chicken dropping were in the sink. Taking a shower outside with limited privacy, in the cold air, with cold water, and chicken dropping in the sink is not the best way to start the day. There was also a chicken laying an egg in the linen hamper. I also thought it was also weird that one of the long-term tenants regularly sleeps on the porch. This hostel is not up to par with other hostel around the world. I might stay here again, but that is because it is the only hostel in Gainesville. — Anonymous , USA (2011-05-20) Not so good i was in gainsville for two night and while i was there it made me feel not welcome with the other people being there and they treated me with no respect at all and did what they do most of the time while there where there. i would not want to come back there and i am not planning to after my last visit there. — susan , usa (2010-01-25) Great location outside, somewhat dodgy inside. I was able to walk to many restaurants and shops, easy parking on street. Inside, a bit iffy. Most of the occupants were long-term residents, somewhat shady characters. Might be ok for guys (especially for one or two nights only), I wouldn't recommend for females. — Keith , USA (2009-04-19) I love this hostel! I have stayed in this hostel twice, once in 2006 and once in October 2008. I had wonderful experiences both times. The owner is very friendly and helpful. The location is close to local bus stations and all downtown businesses. This place has serious charm, character, and most of all, a great atmosphere! Uniquely wonderful, would recommend staying here. — Adriane , USA (2008-10-28) This is a wonderful hostel. It was very clean. The owners were very pleasant. The building is a Victorian house and it's close to the University of Florida campus. The people who stayed at this hostel were related to the academic community and were not travelers. — Margaret (2007-01-08)