I’m headed off to Salt Lake City next week for the Outdoor Retailer Show (more commonly called “OR”). This is a trade show for outdoor enthusiasts where manufacturers introduce new products coming to market. The Salt Palace Convention Center is loaded with kayaks, clothing, shoes, hiking poles, sunscreen, tents, watches, backpacks, gadgets galore and pretty much anything and everything a person who steps into the world of adventure might dream about. For me, I’m pretty much in heaven as I scope out the latest in gear and clothes for my WanderGear Wednesday posts.
In my usual wait-til-the-last-minute fashion, I began searching for a hotel just a few weeks ago. I didn’t want to rent a car so was looking for a place to stay downtown near the convention center. While I’ve been able to find bargain motels for about $60/night within walking distance to the show, this time, the cheapest hotel I could locate was $560/night. I do bring home a lot of swag, but not enough to justify THAT price!
Putting my budget hat on, I hopped on Couchsurfing.org and sent notes off to a bunch of gals who, according to their profiles, might be near the downtown area. When I didn’t hear back from anyone for a couple of days I started to fret that I might have to cancel my trip and appointments for the show.
Then, one morning as I was in bed and just waking up, I remembered a post from WanderMom about hosteling with kids. D’oh! Of course. There MUST be a hostel in SLC!
I jumped out of bed and started researching. Sure enough, there was one located within walking distance of the Salt Palace! Not only did they have availability, they have private rooms! And free Wifi. And breakfast. I get all this (OK, with a shared bath) for under $30/night!
It’s funny how I sometimes overlook the most obvious of options. I’ve been going to OR for a few years and on one of my previous trips I did couchsurf (though on that trip I had a rental car and could stay further out of town). But because I have been able to find affordable hotel rooms in the past I was stuck on the fact that I needed a hotel for this trip and I was blinded by what I would normally consider such obvious options as couchsurfing or staying at a hostel.
The SLC hostel where I’m staying doesn’t appear to be affiliated with Hosteling International – which is OK with me. I think that just means it’s not sanctioned by the bigger organization but also doesn’t have to adhere to some of their guidelines (neither a good nor bad thing).
If the cost of a hotel stay is what’s keeping you from taking a trip this summer, consider the many other options available if you’re willing to give up just a little bit of comfort. Youth hostels, couchsurfing, staying with friends, home swaps – give it a try! You’ll likely meet great people you’d never come in contact with by staying in a hotel. You don’t even have to spend big bucks on food – simple hole-in-the-wall restaurants will probably give you a better sense about the place you’re visiting.
The fact is that I’ll be spending very little time at the hostel when I’m SLC. I’ve got back to back meetings over 2 days and dinner functions (well, OR parties, really) in the evening. It’s good to know that I’m not having to pay $560/night for so little time spent in the room! A bed, a lock on the door and Wifi, and I’m pretty happy!
Are you a hosteler? Couchsurfer? Weigh in with your experiences…
Travel Well!
Beth
Related links:
Random Thoughts on Homecoming
Stumbling Over Pebbles
RTW and Long Term Travel
A Monk Walks onto a Plane
Mary Gallagher says
Craisgslist is also a great resource for rooms.
jessiev says
we’ve had good and bad experiences with craigslist. i’d prefer to go with a company, be it a hostel or a hotel! we usually do an apartment/home rental, since we have a kid and it’s much easier for us. GREAT article! yay you!
Danny says
Great Article Beth!
It is strange that people forget about hostels when travelling in the States. The Hostel you mention is not a part of the HI network, but we love hearing about all of the great independent hostels throughout the country.
Here is a map/list of all the great HI hostels in the states: http://www.hiusa.org/hostels/usa_hostels
In our opinion Hostelling is more than just a cheap place to stay (even though that is also really nice). It is a wonderful way to meet other interesting people, learn about other experiences and possible adventures, and just become a more knowledgable world citizen!
HI-USA is actually a nonprofit with a mission: “To help all, especially the young, gain a greater understanding of the world and its people through hostelling”
Camels & Chocolate says
I’m a long-time CouchSurfer since the organization first started but rarely use it anymore since my job means that I very very rarely have to pay for a hotel anyway! That said, if I were traveling domestically for leisure and couldn’t find an affordable hotel, it would never occur to me to look for a hostel, simply because they’re not ubiquitous in the States like other countries. And when I lived in NYC and would direct CSers to hostels, they were always so expensive there, we’re talking $60 and up a night–for a dorm room! Good to know you can find them for cheap in other areas of the country.
Josefina Argüello says
Craisgslist is a good resource for rooms but I prefer bungalows in mexico