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Hostels Guide > North America > USA > Utah > Moab Hostels > Lazy Lizard Hostel

Lazy Lizard Hostel

Moab

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Hostels in Moab

Address	1213 South Hwy 191, Moab Utah, USA Map
Price	$9

Location/Contact

Details

Online booking is not offered for this hostel, contact them for availability and reservations (any contact info we have is listed above).

Their Description

Features

Kitchen
Lockers

The Hostelz.com Review

A lazy-looking lizard adorns the sign of Lazy Lizard Hostel in Moab, UT, giving the place a leisurely state of mind. Upon arrival, one may find guests and staff lounging out front at the picnic table, having a smoke and sharing a story. Walk inside and find a kitchen, an internet machine, and a living room nestled next to the front desk on the small amount of square feet on the first floor. Although limited in space, the coaches are comfortable and serve as an unavoidable place to meet guests and talk about the day's hiking and biking explorations. The hostel also has a video collection and cable TV.

The $9 a night it costs to stay in the hostel dorm rooms is cheap, and their website reads, "people wonder how we do it." Although the bedrooms, kitchen, and living room are sparse but clean, the bathroom has bugs in the windowsills and some dirty areas, and the outdoor bathrooms are campground-like. The lockers are dirty and go unused. The hot tub is not working. No sheets or towels are offered to guests, but the beds do have blankets, although they don't appear to be washed regularly. The building itself is slightly run-down.

Seeing the staff hanging around, reading, or talking most of the time is a clue to how the place runs. However, it is a livable place, and the un-kept areas suggest an inviting go-at-your-own-pace atmosphere. The staff is generally friendly and helpful, willing to invite guests to join their evening picnic table socializing. Other guests participate in the low-key state of mind, saying hi, sharing stories, and telling each other the best places to go. There are other economy places to stay in Moab, probably worth a few extra bucks for the cleanliness, but lacking in atmosphere.

The hostel is a short walk from downtown, no more than two miles. Located along Highway 191, it is not visible from the road because it is located behind A-1 storage units. However, there are signs that clearly label the hostel's driveway. Private cabins and rooms are available. For day travelers, showers are available for $2 a use.

Review by Nina Weiss

— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review

Ratings & Comments

3.5 Average from 32 Ratings

This is an open forum, and unlike other hostel guide websites we don't censor out the negative comments.
We can't validate the legitimacy of comments posted on this site—so take what you read here with a grain of salt.

Comment by Nate Dog, Australia

July 2009

Exactly the type of thing I was looking for
I came in search of something beyond what I would find at a hotel. I wanted the full experience while visiting Southern Utah. The staff are all experienced in the area and world travelers themselves, so they know a lot of good places and things to do, going on. There seems to be an abundance of information going on around the hostel and we were able to find some things we never would have found had we gone the hotel route. The place is reasonably clean and the prices are the cheapest in town but there is a groove going on at the Lizard, which is the reason to come.

Comment by Dave , U.S.

June 2009

Very very friendly, laid back, a must experience for your trip.
I have been here for a week and absolutely love it here. During the morning/day, I was able to work online from my laptop in their lounge with free Wi-Fi. It is very peaceful, comfortable, and a relaxing atmosphere. I have met several people here (staff and other people vacationing) that added a tremendous value to my stay. I plan on coming back out here next month, and will definitely be staying here for at least another week if not two. You can't beat the price, the rooms and bathrooms are very clean, kitchen has plenty of dishes (that are always clean), there are two gas grills outside (that we used at least every other day). Another thing i found very convenient was that if the bathrooms inside were full, you could always find the cabin bathrooms would be available if you had to take a shower or immediately use the restroom in the mornings. Comparing this hostel to larger hostels (for example San Diego), i would pick this one in a heartbeat. The ratio of people to amenities is perfect.

Comment by EK, United States

March 2009

One small step above a homeless shelter
We arrived on a Tuesday afternoon and our reservation had been lost. We were still able to rent a cabin. The cabin was decently clean. The kitchen was horrible. Dirty dishes everywhere, dead cockroach in the sink, children washing their faces in the kitchen sink and spitting on the dirty dishes. There was a family living there and two of the four children had chicken pox. The mother was warning everyone that the children had chicken pox. Luckily, we had brought most everything we needed and didn't have to use items in the kitchen, however every time we cooked something the children were salivating over our meal. Common complaints heard from other people staying there were not to leave your food unattended -- it would go missing. We ended up leaving a day early because we couldn't face the place another day. We chose the hostel so we would have a kitchen. We would have rather camped!

Comment by te quila, australia

December 2008

Bargain bed but you get what you pay for
The price is unbeatable ($10 for a dorm bed), so you wouldnt expect too much. the whole place is dreary and in need of a coat of paint and some renovations, but it is only $10 a night. dorm rooms are basic and fairly typical for an average hostel. the kitchen was filthy. there are no mugs or bowls in the kitchen. someone stole my aluminum pot (which i had to use it because there were no bowls). like so many U.S. hostels most of the people staying there seem to be long term residents rather than travelers. one particular ignorant loudmouth really spoiled the vibe for me, but maybe that's just me. dorm rooms are directly above the TV/lounge room so expect some noise when the residents are watching the football. the hostel is hidden away about a mile out of town. it is a fifteen-minute walk to the moab brewery, which has excellent food and beer.

Comment by Megan, USA

June 2008

Great value
My experience at the Lazy Lizard hostel was unforgettable! The person checking us in was extremely friendly and helpful. The staff was very relaxed and personable and seemed like fellow guests. The atmosphere was very laid back and fit the Moab lifestyle. It was a bit of a mess but the haphazardness of the situation made you feel comfortable and at home. I stayed in the main house in a dorm style room it was broken in, to put it nicely. My roommate was very eccentric. She turned our trashcan into a beer cooler so she could have a cold beer next to her bed in the morning, but all in all she was very respectful of my traveling buddies and me. The common room was simple but provided a place that the guests could mingle and get to know each other which was fun. The hot tub was a blast and it was great to be able to soak away the days hiking escapades. The outdoor bathroom was convenient and gave ample privacy. I would defiantly recommend this hostel to anyone on a budget.

Comment by Daisy, USA

May 2008

Good Value
We stayed in the La Casa house for four days in 2007. It was very typical for a hostel. The beds were a little rundown, but the place was clean and thrift-store-style-eclectic. It's worth the cost and it has a very laid back and easy going atmosphere. Compared to other hostels I have stayed at, it was similar in style and quality. It beats the heck out of the over-priced, rundown hotels in Moab. If you are focused on value and spending your time out of doors, this is the place for you.

Comment by Aaron, USA

March 2008

Great
Best deal in Moab, $9 a night. i would suggest this to travelers not tourists. it's not as good as camping but when you have no choice do it! don't be alarmed by the appearance, it's fine and comfortable. It's my official place to stop at when i go to moab every month.

Comment by Veronica Hoever, usa

February 2008

Great Location
9 bucks a night to be that close to one of the most beautiful national parks I've seen is great! It is a place for campers, hikers, and explorers -- it's not a resort! We stayed one night and liked it so much we stayed a second. We stayed in the female dorm and everyone respected our stuff, also did laundry that night, and hung out in the common room for a while. I will go back here when I visit the area again.

Comment by J johnson, usa

August 2007

fun place, great staff, excellent hiking
stopped at the lazy lizard on the way to california, the rates were great and the staff were friendly and helpful with hiking info. a safe place. the buildings themselves are older and appeared to be under recent minor renovation but were clean and comfortable. i would refer anyone to stay.

Comment by Cathy, USA

July 2007

A bit rundown, but I had a good time here
I stayed here for about five days in the fall of 2005. I did not stay in the bunkroom, which is in the main house -- I got one of the private rooms, since these were about $22 a day at the time. The room was clean and pretty quiet, in a cabin outside of the main house. The kitchen could be better equipped, and the bath house needed better screens. Otherwise, things were serviceable and pretty clean, but generally old and worn. I did get the impression that the staff were living at the hostel, but they were very friendly. The common room is right near the kitchen and I met some nice people here.

Comment by Ray, USA

June 2007

Not at the top of my list.
The hostel itself could appear much more presentable with very little work. The living room and kitchen reminds me of a typical older college dorm that has been tidied up every once and a while. The private rooms are adequate for their purpose, but could benefit from a cleaning every now and again. The restrooms/showers are located in a separate unit outside, and are quite reminiscent of a summer camp experience. The on duty manager, at the time of my stay, was far from helpful. The power was out in our unit, and he had no idea where the breaker box was. It was a simple fix, but we ended up without power for the evening. I suppose the room cost was the offset, but a little service would have been nice. It seems the name of the hostel better fits the characteristics of the staff than the actual experience. If you are in a rut and need a cheap place to stay last minute in Moab, then you might want to give this place a shot. However, it would be far from my first to recommend.

Comment by cj, usa

May 2007

This place is quite dumpy -- they could easily clean it up and make it look nicer. I booked a "cabin" and instead got a stuffy, claustrophobically small room that I couldn't hang out in. They were unapologetic about mishandling my reservation. Make sure you get a confirmation or an email confirmation with detailed booking. Showers are disgusting -- if you're going to stay here, bring your flip flops. You'll need your flip flops to walk around the room, too, cause the carpet was nasty. I had to go hang out at a nearby restaurant cause the room doesn't have A/C. I would not recommend this place to anyone.

Comment by Jenny Randles

January 2007

I am going to go a bit against the grain here. The Lazy Lizard was the least pleasurable hostel experience I had on my travels. In the Lazy Lizard's defense, it has good laundry facilities, cats, kitchen, decent enough toilets, and all the basics in place. However, the fact that it seemed to be populated by a community of middle aged men with a penchant for strange conspiracy theories was a bit intimidating.

Comment by Anonymous

January 2007

It's true that the place isn't always the cleanest, but if you're a flexible fun loving person this is the place to stay in Moab! The price is right, the people are always friendly, and the atmosphere is as laid back as the town itself.

Comment by Reg Wells

November 2006

Fantastic stay with such great hiking everywhere. My only complaint was the damn TV was on the entire time we were there. My idea of a great common room is no TV and good comfy chairs for discussion. Heck even a stray guitar to top it off.

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