800 South Guest House

Salt Lake City

2 of 4

Address	165 West 800 South, Salt Lake City Utah, USA Map
Price	$18 to $51 Check Current Prices by Date Here

Location/Contact

Details

Description

Features

Kitchen
Lockers
Gameroom
Lounge / Common space
BBQ
Food/Restaurant
TV
Washing Machine (laundry)
Clothes Dryer
Travel information provided
Bike Rental
24 Hour Free Hot Showers
Phones (public or in room)

Ratings & Comments

3.7 Average from 15 Ratings

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Comment by Tim Smyth, Canadian

September 2009

Terrible. Owner Threatens And Is A Crook, Rather Sleep On The Street!
It started out that we were pretty excited to have found a place that Looked somewhat reputable, at a good price in Salt Lake City. Booking with Arthur and the Camelot turned out to be a terrible decision. To make a long story short, my girlfriend and I booked a room to stay Separately and we were going to meet friends there (who live in across the country, Note we didn't have any connection to them in the booking). Our friends decided that the place was a dump, and wanted to leave. One friend had said, "I've seen better places in Nicaragua!" The owner/manager Arthur got upset at my friends for wanting to cancel their booking and said that, "You made a big mistake, we have your friends belongings in their room and we're taking it!" I heard about this from my friend and went back to the hostel to find our room locked. We were told that we had to Pay for their rooms, if we wanted to get our things back. Arthur said that if we called the police he would make our night hell and that he would charge double for our rooms. Worst run business I've ever seen. Oh, and we woke up to Banging on the doors in the middle of the night, he had double booked our rooms (this is after we had to pay for our friends room that he had booked out right after they told him they weren't staying, so he wasn't even losing money). Oh, they are recording and listening to your conversations over the Webcams in the Hostel. I would rather Sleep In the Street then spend another night there. We ended up sharing a room at a hotel for less than what it cost at the dump they call the Camelot. Arthur runs a few places in town as he tends to them in his Business Suit on his Scooter. So do not stay in a place he runs. Note, I have never had to write a poor review on, well, anything (I have a high tolerance for shite, but this was over the top).

Comment by Simone, Italy

September 2009

Very good, cosy and clean, nice location
I had a very nice stay, staff really helpful, and the room was spacious and comfy and the premises very nice. Downtown is at walking distance.

Comment by Insulted Customer, China

August 2009

Bullying Owner
I had a surreal experience at the hostel and left feeling most violated and insulted. I stayed at this place one night and it was not eventful. The next day, my plan to stay with a friend fell through at the last minute and I had to drive back to the hostel around midnight. The check-in computer did not allow me to pay online. I felt the only choice I had was to wait until the next morning to pay the staff in person. The next morning I waited to pay for my stay, but was told there will be a penalty payment for paying in person. I felt that my honesty was being penalized. I asked the staff to waive the penalty, and he said he understands my point but knew from experience that the owner would not. I asked him to call the owner. To my greatest surprise, as soon as I said hi into the receiver, the owner on the other end of the phone was yelling -- "you do not do this! you trespassing! you pay penalty or I call the police! I know everything about you! You do this in your country, but here in America, I call the police and the police arrest you! Tow your car!" on and on and on. I tried my best to calmly explain the situation, how I got in so late that I didn't have any way to pay before staying and why I shouldn't be punished for being honest. This was no use. He was not listening and the verbal abuse continued. Either the Salt Lake city police force was the stellar example of the country or there was some special reason behind it, the police officer promptly showed up in five minutes, still on the phone with the owner directly. Once the officer's off the phone with the owner, he asked for my name and birthday, and told me that he would arrest me for trespassing the hotel property, have my car towed and bill me for it, and I can tell my story to the judge. Or, the owner was willing to drop all charges if I pay the penalty. I tried to explain the situation and that the owner insulted me, but the police officer insisted that my options were to pay, or get arrested. I don't know enough about the legal system to know if the police officer had ground to arrest me for entering a hotel property and wanting to pay for my room. But I am an immigrant and didn't want any arrest record. So, with tail between my legs, I swallow my principal and my pride, paid the penalty, and left the place feeling utterly disgusted. I then recalled a similar situation with the police when I was traveling in Kenya, and remembered with bitterness that I was able to reason my way out of that corrupted country without having to pay any bribery. Who knew, this is America! Come to this hostel if you enjoy humiliation.

Comment by Cristiano Marcos Agulhari, Brazil

March 2009

Excellent hostel!
I must say that staying there was a great experience. The kitchen is clean and had everything I needed, as are the bathrooms too, and the bedroom is really good. I felt really safe there, thanks to the passcode scheme (both for entering the house and the bedroom). The location is good too -- right next to the tram station, and about fifteen minutes from downtown on foot. I recommend!

Comment by Sam, usa

February 2009

Great first hostel experience.
First time I've stayed in a hostel and chose this one because of the good reviews. I booked it the night before and didn't get the email containing the check-in info before I showed up. Made a quick phone call and got the information I needed promptly to get in and self check in on the computer. Very clean and instantly met some real nice guests. I felt much more at home than in a motel. Slept very well.

Comment by Caitlin, US

September 2008

Very well-kept and organized.
Thank God for the after-hours check-in system. Overall, a fast, stress-free experience.

Comment by George, USA

February 2008

Far exceeded my expectations
My stay at the hostel (guesthouse) was most memorable. The concierge, Joshua, was extremely friendly and helpful, even at times when he wasn't scheduled to be on duty. Management has done a good job of excluding the local near-homeless population that sometimes plaque urban hostels. Fellow travelers were most interesting and excellent company. The facilities were first rate for budget accommodations, among the best I've ever seen. The bathrooms were extremely clean and numerous. The kitchen facilities (including an oven for baking!) allowed me to prepare my meals everyday. I highly recommend this facility to everyone (and in fact I've told many people staying elsewhere in the area what a gem this place is). Should I have the opportunity to return to SLC in the future, I won't even consider staying anywhere else.

Comment by Caroline, USA

August 2007

Nice, clean, organized -- but top floor too hot in August!
The hostel is clean and well-organized, and I would recommend it with the following caveat. Do not stay on the top floor in August! We booked a private room, and we got one on the third floor, with no A/C and a fan that didn't work very well. Research where you will be staying if it's the dead of summer -- Salt Lake is hot! Otherwise, this is a very pleasant guesthouse -- enjoy it.

Comment by Kegbert, USA

August 2007

Nice
I got in at 1am and there were just a couple people talking in the common area. I did the simple self check in to find the room and key code to my room, got in my room and went to bed! Simple place for cheap. I enjoyed the night here and a shower in the morning. There are a lot of signs saying you will be charged $40 for breaking rules which seems a little odd to me. Guess it's just threats to keep the place nice. I would likely stay here again but I'm moving here so I probably won't get a chance.

Comment by Jessica

July 2007

Terrible Service
I posted this review on another site: Absolutely would never stay in again because of the attitudes of the staff. When two people showed up late at night without a reservation, the guy working told them to "leave the premises immediately" even though he was still up at the computer and could have easily helped them. He didn't even allow them to call a cab or help them find another hostel even though it was late, and they were stuck. The staff member was rude to another friend -- said something tacky about how he couldn't speak English well. Very unprofessional. It is like Fort Knox in there with a thousand keys and bolts and combinations. It sucks trying to figure it all out -- especially when you get in late from the train. There are signs all around like a bulletin board warning about a $40 fine if you do anything the owner deems breaking house rules. There is no front desk, and this makes it extremely difficult to get any kind of help if needed. You are better off sleeping outside on the gravel parking lot. That is, if the night guy doesn't come out and demand that you "get off the property!" And I received this response from the owner: Make sure you never come back to any of our properties. If you do you will be trespassing and will be prosecuted. We do not want people like you in any of our properties. This is a perfect example of the terrible hospitality at Camelot Hostel I was referring to.
Reply from the Hostel: (((WHY IS THIS COMMENT BIASED?))) This traveler is unhappy because her two friends were not able to book a room late at midnight. All the other hostels in SLC have their office closed after hours- we do the same. This traveler wanted us to open up the office late at midnight, especially for her two friends who were 'walk-ins"; Is this a reasonable request? Hotels do this, not budget accommodations like hostels. (((TWO PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP WITHOUT A BOOKING))) We have in the description that "we do not allow walk-ins". The building is locked and you cannot get inside without the building door entrance code; you receive this entrance code after booking the room. We do this for security reasons. By walking into the building, these two strangers were trespassing into our private property. This traveler, who wrote this comment, showed up with her two unannounced traveler friends, she met in the train, late at night when the office was closed. When these two travelers found out that the office was closed, they began to argue with Joshua and were extremely rude to Joshua, the concierge. Joshua had no other option than to ask them to leave. These two travelers demanded a room from Joshua, who is a concierge and not a office staff member who can process bookings in the middle of the night. Joshua was on the computer checking his E-mail, not processing bookings. We are not a shelter and are very protective of our paying guests who have the right to sleep late at night- these travelers were being loud and were disturbing the peace. (((STAFF MEMBER"S MANNERS)) Joshua is extremely polite and soft spoken, this is why he is our concierge. He is not rude even when he has to evict a person who is disturbing the other guests. Joshua was assertive and not rude to these two strangers. (((LOCKS ON DOORS))) All our doors have deadbolts on them for our traveler's security. If you check our ratings you will notice that we get high ratings on "Security"; this is because people feel safe in our buildings. (((QUICK CHECK-IN))) We have a state of the art system that allows you to do your own check-in anytime after 1PM; no other hostel that I know of, has this quick check-in system; Only a few hotels have started to successfully integrate this revolutionary system. The quick check-in system is similar to the check-in kiosks you find in the airport. Our travelers love it; You can check-in at 12AM, 2AM, or any other time (after 1PM) without having to consult a staff member. If you have difficulty checking in, Joshua or one of the management will help you. ((($40 FINE/HOUSE RULES))) This $40 penalty helps us maintain the house rules- a place with no rules can be dangerous to live in. We have never had to charge a $40 fine yet- because most of our travelers have acted responsibly and have kept the house rules which are very simple- plain common sense. If we charged everyone a $40 fine indiscriminately, we would have been out of business long ago- instead we are booked out most of the time. We get many return satisfied customers and referrals from past paying guests. Try reading the other comments on Hostelz.com site and the testimonials on our website, and you'll understand for yourself the quality and valuable service we provide. (((TESTIMONIAL ABOUT OUR QUICK CHECK-IN SYSTEM))) "This is really a cool hostel, the new creative check-in system is just like playing a treasure finding game! I think this place is even more than a hostel. It also trains you to self-discipline and resolve the problems independently. It is in a very convenient location and has complete equipment, including kitchen, laundry, WiFi and bicycle... you just can't miss such a cool place and a self test!" Jacob Hsu (CH), Taichung, Taiwan

Comment by Jonathan Harvey, US Citizen

June 2007

Great -- clean and organized
Camelot Hostel is very clean and highly efficient. The instructions of the hostel are clearly explained, and having access to free internet use is highly convenient. The staff is very helpful and the location is within a mile of the city center. There are also many amenities that are provided as well including a washer/dryer on-site.

Comment by Paul, USA

May 2007

Everything I needed
I was looking for a reasonably priced place to stay while making a ski trip to Salt Lake City in March. Camelot Guest House turned out to be perfect. Offered a place to sleep in a quiet neighborhood within walking distance of everything I needed (grocery store, Hard Rock Cafe) and a thirty- to forty-minute drive to Alta and Snowbird. Facilities were great allowing me to prepare and store my food and save a bundle. I plan to return next year.

Comment by cj, usa

May 2007

I liked being able to check myself in and there are lots and lots of signs all over the place to let you know whats up. The place was clean, cute, and convenient. The A/C worked -- it was nice and cool and my room had a ceiling fan. There wasn't much of a place to hang out and relax -- you have to watch TV which is placed up high while sitting on uncomfortable little wood bar stools. The room was a little small to hang out in. Overall, it was a very pleasant experience. I would recommend this place.

Comment by Allen

October 2006

Not bad for the price, I guess. Didn't use the kitchen/pans, tv/game room. People seemed nice enough, even though concierge didn't even know where lockers/towels were kept. (Small) charge for towel and laundry. Flickering bathroom lights gave headaches, room smelled a little funny, no curfew was nice but stairs squeak loudly. Heard some regulars in the hall complaining about how things have started changing there. met someone sitting in the kitchen my first morning there, with all her luggage, because she was afraid to call the owner/manager to ask if she could check in yet because of $40 charge for breaking the (ambiguous for first-timers there) rules. Liked checking myself in, learned to appreciate the key box, good shower temperature, ample parking in back (make sure you get the right spot!), free (but slow) internet access, one week there as cheap as one night in a good hotel. Manager responds fairly quickly to e-mails.

Comment by Dea

July 2006

Hostel wasn't bad. Our room was on an end so it was very very hot. They have a kitchen with pots, pans etc so you can cook. The automatic lights were a little annoying because they didn't always turn on when you needed them too (like during a shower). For the most part everything was clean, but a good vaccum/mop/dusting wouldn't hurt. Thumbs up to good hot water heater, key safes, self check in/out, no curfew, free internet acess, friendly service, co-ed room options. Thumbs down to hot room, window was sealed shut, no parking (had to park on the street), automatic lights.

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