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    Black Elephant Hostel

    4.9 (23 reviews)
    Open 7:30 am - 11:00 AM, 3:00 pm - 10:00 PM

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    Looking up Hampshire Street toward the Black Elephant. March 1, 2019.
    Victoria B.

    This is as good as it gets. When people hear "hostel," they usually think spartan accommodations and smelly backpackers. They usually think 20-something kids and zero privacy. When I was younger, I hosteled in Europe, and stayed in my share of spartan dorm-like places with aromatic kids from France and Germany. It was a great time. But I'm older now and somehow a few years ago I discovered that when travelling alone, a hostel is a really good choice. And it's not spartan or smelly, especially at the gorgeous new Black Elephant, a thoughtful, communal, eco-friendly space. It's cheaper (by a lot) and more social. Strangers talk to each other and join together to do things such as pup crawl or tour lighthouses. Black Elephant .... 1. Very clean beds. These beds are cleaner than most hotel beds I've stayed in. Seriously. The bedding (which is changed with each guest, not per night) is hotel quality. A sheet, a pillow, a duvet with cover, a blanket. Each bed has a corresponding locker (big enough for a suitcase and satchel) with lock and key provided. 2. Each guest is given a large bath towel on check-in. In addition, the housekeeping staff stocks the bathrooms daily with at least a half-dozen very clean very white hand-towels and bathmats. Liquid hand and body soaps are provided as well. 3. The place is spotless. The bathrooms are pristine. So are the bedrooms. The lobby closes between 11 and 3 each day and they spend the whole time cleaning. 4. If you want to cook or just need a place to drink a cup of coffee (provided free daily), the kitchen is high-end: marble counter tops, gas range, full sink. All kinds of tools, including a large lobster pot, should you get the urge to boil the local crustaceans. There's a large commercial fridge for shared use (with labelled bins for each guest). All of it is very clean. No freezer or ice but I think I'm probably the only one who noticed. 5. The communal area with sofas and chairs and tables and a gas fireplace and great wi-fi is funky and cool and beautiful (and clean). It's a good space to read or write. The owner has an amazing talent for design -- from the stained glass in the windows to the tile on the bathroom floors -- it's all gorgeous in a way that feeds the soul. Every bit of the place just feels good. 6. The location can't be beat. It's very very close to some really great bars, restaurants, and breweries (Duckfat, Eventide, Tomaso's, Honey Paw, Shipyard) (Portland was named Bon Appetit's restaurant city of 2018). It's an easy walk downtown or to the waterfront. Also veryvery close are the Food Coop for groceries and Rite Aid for toiletries and whatnot. 7. You can book direct (which is what I did) or through airbnb or booking.com. There are accommodation options, too, everything from all-female dorm style to a private room with a double-bed. Rumor has it there's even a tub for rent but I never got that far. The bathrooms are private and the showers are great! 8. They have a dog. He's calm and sweet and clean. I watched many travelers hug and snuggle him. He's like home-away-from-home therapy! 9. I've already booked my next visit.

    garden area
    Rebecca H.

    LOVED this hostel. It is the BEST location, you seriously cannot beat it, especially with the insanely low prices. We were able to walk everywhere from the hostel in downtown Portland which was amazing because parking downtown isn't always the easiest. The staff is so friendly and gave us fun suggestions. They have coed rooms, single gender rooms, and private rooms. The place is so cute and I would definitely stay here again.

    The hostel dog keeps watch
    Tyler S.

    We loved our stay here! My girlfriend and I stayed in the Kristofferson room - a private room with a full-size bed and a shared bathroom. For less than $100 on a Saturday night, it was much cheaper than anything in the rest of Portland. The location is great - blocks away from Shipyard brewery, Tomato's Canteen (went there for brunch AND late night food since it was the only place still serving food at 1am), and Eventide Oyster Co. (a MUST for oyster lovers!). We loved the funky decor at the hostel! The staff was kind and helpful and the common area was spacious and inviting. This place had only been open for two weeks when we stayed there but we'll definitely return next time we're visiting Portland!

    Lemur Room wallpaper

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    Review Highlights - Black Elephant Hostel

    Super clean, so cute and unique, friendly staff (Sam we loved you!) & everything was so smooth and easy.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

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    The Percy Inn

    The Percy Inn

    4.2(38 reviews)
    1.0 miWest End
    $$

    What a great place! (Since 2018). We stayed in the Elizabeth Barrett Browning room (yes next to…read morethe front door) and loved it. Newly updated this room was so comfortable (loved the gas fireplace). The Inn owners Dale and Misael are very genuine, outgoing, informative and very knowledgeable about the history and places to eat in Portland... steered us to great venues. Continental breakfast was good and we loved the set up of the dining area and having access to snacks 24/7. Thank you for the great ambiance and hospitality. We plan on returning! (2024 Visit, still a wonderful establishment in a perfect location in Portland) (2025 Visit, exceptional as always!) P.s. (2018) We found our room, next to the front entrance, to be quite acceptable. We were a little worried by some of the reviews, but we've had far noisier experiences in those typical long huge hotel hall ways with the throngs of people walking through, getting ice and elevators. Street noise nothing. Even if the windows had been open the noise was just normal. Unless you need to bed yourself in a complete vacuum don't let the negatives count this room out.

    Was there for 2 nights last weekend. We had the Emerson room and we loved it. It was charming.We…read morewere warned we may hear noise from the adjacent kitchen as breakfast was being prepped but if there was any noise, we were unbothered. Breakfast fare was good and the breakfast room was adorable. We would stay there again!

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    The Westin Portland Harborview - 2 Double Beds, Harbor View

    The Westin Portland Harborview

    3.2(260 reviews)
    0.7 miParkside
    $$$

    Chose to stay at the Westin Portland Harborview due to its close proximity to State Theater. I'll…read morenever, ever stay there again. Prior to even arriving we experienced how rude the staff was-- we called at 2:30 asking if it would be possible for us to check in a half hour early and were shocked by how rude and unaccommodating they were. We knew check in was at 4, we were simply just calling to see if we could check in at 3:30- but, apparently they don't make exceptions. So, you can't check in until 4pm and need to leave no later than 11am. No exceptions. Once arriving, the layout of the hotel was an absolute mess. You had to walk quite a distance indoor/outdoor to access the parking garage (parking not included-- so another fee on top of what you're already paying a lot for). Depending on where you're staying in the hotel.. it can be quite a distance to the lobby/garage/etc. so, prepare to do a lot of walking to get from one place to another within the hotel. We had a junior suite. It was fine. Very spacious. Mostly clean, but we did notice some leftover dog kibble from a previous guest underneath one of the tv stands. The weather was so cold, it wasn't super fun to walk around. We spent more time in our hotel room than anticipated and were disappointed that they only offered a few channels-- no ability to sign into Netflix, or even pay to rent a movie. Additionally, they didn't have a pool or hot tub. So, really not a lot to do within the property or your room. This particular hotel seems much more suited for business travel than for leisure or pleasure. Again, wasn't a HORRIBLE experience, but for what you are paying to stay there the "amenities" and the way you are treated isn't worth it. Which is very disappointing for me because I've always enjoyed the other Westin properties I've stayed at.

    Stayed here for a conference and it was pretty nice. It's an older hotel and that shows but it's…read morepretty nice. Lots of stairs to get into the hotel itself and up to the lobby as well as the elevators, so be prepared to climb. We arrived early so our room wasn't ready but the helpful front desk said they'd notify us when a room was ready. That never happened but when my husband asked, we were able to get a room about an hour ahead of check in so that was fine. The valet was able to hold our luggage in the meantime. Valet was $44 but you could park yourself in the garage on the corner. The room was nice and comfortable. I loved the pillows. The desk was a good size. The room was very quiet despite being a connected room (I am not a fan of connected rooms because I always seem to be staying next to the Loud Family). The shower was great and the products smelled good without being overpowering. Elevators are insufficient for a building this size with this many rooms. Especially at peak conference times, wait times were long and sometimes the elevators were too full to accommodate passengers from the lower floors who tried to get on. Conference facility was okay. Main room was good and acoustics and temperature was great. Also, the conference food was very good! Often times, it's mediocre but I liked everything. The break area was way too narrow so it was hard to network when everyone was turning sideways to try to get through. Location is a bit far from the main commercial areas of Portland and as others have mentioned, there are a lot of unhoused folks outside. I didn't feel unsafe at any time but I live in New York so it's nothing new. However, I get how it could be uncomfortable, especially with the overwhelming smell of weed. I did want to stay an extra night but the regular rate was almost $500 a night so I noped out and used a free night I had at the Canopy, which was a leisurely 10 minute walk away. Overall, I'd probably give this place 3.5 stars so I'll round up to four since I got to stay there at a discounted conference rate. If I'd paid full price, I'd probably round down to 3.

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    Conway White Mountains Hostel

    Conway White Mountains Hostel

    4.4(14 reviews)
    48.5 mi

    The White Mountains Hostel is a great option for lodging in the Conway area. I took a last minute…read moretrip up to the mountains to hike and didn't have time to get all my camping gear together. The hostel had availability at a more than fair price and it was simple to make a reservation online. Check in starts at 4pm. My only interaction with a staff person was at that time but they were very friendly and explained where everything was in the house (as it was my first stay). I ended up with the female bunk room to myself. There is also a male bunk room, co-ed room, and plenty of private rooms. Depending on your needs, they're likely to have the accommodations for you. Sheets, blankets, pillows, and lockers with keys are provided. The amenities were a welcome addition to my stay. The full kitchen came in handy when I decided to stay in for dinner. The bathrooms were clean with several stalls and a couple of showers. Plenty of tables and seating downstairs. A back porch to lounge on. Several children were staying in the hostel at the same time that I was and though they were a bit rambunctious during the day, all guests were respectful of quiet hours. I would definitely stay here again. Similar if not cheaper in price than some of the local campgrounds.

    I'm pretty new to the concept of hostels; this is only the 2nd one I've stayed in. The first also…read morein the White Mtns was horrible and dirty so I was nervous to say the least about staying here. Alas, this is a jewel. Very clean. Comprises a fully equipped kitchen big enough for several cooks in the kitchen at the same time. Has a dining room big enough to seat at least 12 if memory serves me which is open to the living area. Has at least 10 bedrooms (I say that because we were in room 10 on the 3rd floor) with linens provided. We had a private room with 2 queen beds and a sink for about 63.00 including tax. There are other rooms available with bunk beds. There are separate gents and ladies bathrooms on the 2nd floor with shower stalls, toilets, and sinks. There is another restroom on the first floor. Towels are provided but bring your own soap and shampoo. Our caretaker is the new owner, as well. She was very inviting and gracious. I'd definitely stay here again. I'd say it's better than a hotel for my needs. I don't mind sharing a bathroom with the offset being I have a kitchen to use. I'd say that's a fair tradeoff when looking for a place to stay while hiking the White Mtns.

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    Snow Squall Bed & Breakfast

    Snow Squall Bed & Breakfast

    4.6(10 reviews)
    37.4 mi

    We loved Snow Squall so much. For me a great B&B needs to do a few things well, but have some…read morelittle thing that is kind of unique. The room was comfortable, the hosts super-genial, and the breakfast was tremendous - one of the best we had in Maine, actually. The husband is a former chef, and the wife teaches yoga classes and does massage. Perhaps the most surprising part is the price. I'd expect to pay twice what we did. I'd go back in a second, and if I had a friend visiting Maine, would not let them go until I saw an email confirming their stay at Snow Squall.

    I absolutely love this place, I really only have two criticisms: the beds/pillows were far too firm…read morefor my liking and I had a hard time getting to sleep, and I would have preferred more than one hot prepared breakfast option. After doing a lot of research I ended up with Snow Squall because it looked like the perfect combination of price and quality and I believe that's exactly what it turned out to be. Prices are listed on their website and in my research I could find no deals on travel sites so what is listed is what you'll be getting your room for (still a good deal). The exterior and interior of the Snow Squall is absolutely beautiful with attention paid to every detail, I can't get over how immaculately clean and gorgeous this place is. Paul (the co-owner/chef) was a true gentleman, he was very kind without being over the top and was a absolute pleasure to deal with. He's also an amazing chef and made the most amazing breakfast of pancakes with a berry sauce w/ fresh berries as well as ham/scallion/gruyere scones. The pancakes (though perfect) were only only about 5" and you only got 2, thankfully Paul had set up a table with cereals, scones, yogurt, fruit, and juice. Again it would have been nice to have a second option, maybe something with eggs but I didn't leave the kitchen hungry and the food was awesome. The dining area was set up with a number of tables and chairs so you didn't have to sit with strangers. In fact you didn't need to interact with any guests or feel as though you were in some sort of hostel at all, just a very comfortable big house with plenty of privacy and hospitality. The B&B had a couple of very comfortable living rooms which I wish I had taken advantage of as well as a couple of very cute and friendly cats. The rooms are not equipped with TVs and the room I had (the Flying Eagle) had a stall type shower which was alright but bigger would have been ideal. Snow Squall is located right on Route 1, a fairly major road in the area, although it's not that noisy you won't get absolute silence if that's what you're after. Personally coming from NYC I hate absolute silence and I need a passing car every once in a while so this wasn't an issue. Also the town of Wiscasset is very tiny so if you want a bunch to do you'll have to drive 20 or so minutes to Boothbay Harbor down the way (also not really a hassle whatsoever). All in all Snow Squall and Paul were both very charming and it's a really nice place to visit.

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    Anchorage Inn - An easy walk to the beach from the hotel:)

    Anchorage Inn

    2.3(144 reviews)
    39.3 mi
    $$

    We visited recently, off-season, and had two rooms on the 2nd floor. The view was beautiful! They…read moredecorate (at Christmas) BEAUTIFULLY and I believe their lights remain lit until late January. It really is gorgeous. The rooms are definitely old but our bed was comfortable, clean and updated appearance to the beds and linens, and the tv/coffee maker/etc were all nice to have. We had two double beds and it was comfortably sized (along with a little cafe type table and 2 chairs). The tub is old. Clean but old. Tub and toilet are in the bathroom, the vanity/sink are outside of the bathroom - just for reference. This worked well for us, and can work well for families trying to shower/get ready separately but simultaneously. Location is fantastic. Right across from the gorgeous ocean. Roaring waves, beautiful sounds and sights. I loved the location. Plenty of restaurants, even off-season, to visit VERY close by. Nubble light is in view from the hotel (and is just minutes away by car). Gorgeous. They have a little bar/cafe inside the office/pool building. The bar is pricey in a way that makes zero sense. Bartender, while nice, probably isn't a bartender at all and is just assisting in that area as there was really no knowledge of beverages to make/mix and no rhyme or reason to pricing. No where to sit to enjoy them unless you sit in the pool area which is WARM (heated pool, so it's nice for swimmers) and noisey as all get out if there are many swimming. Pool seemed nice, though we didn't use it (outdoor pool is closed right now due to the season). All in all, we would stay again. Our rooms were ready VERY early (so great) and we received text messages to alert us, so we were able to check in well before our time and we appreciated that a lot.

    We just went off season in April and they wanted to charge $50 for a late checkout when we inquired…read moreand they would only let us stay ONE extra hour. I have traveled all over the world and have never heard of charging for late checkout. I would respect it more if they just said they couldn't accommodate it. If they're going to charge 1/3 the price of an entire night's stay, you should get more than 1 hour! Seems outrageous for a very outdated motel, during the off season, when the building was mostly empty. They also don't clean the rooms while you're there for multiple days. I had to take out my own trash. Yet they wanted to charge me $50 to stay an extra hour. Also, bring your own pillow. The ones on the queen bed are only 12 inches long

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    The Notch Hostel - Front porch

    The Notch Hostel

    4.7(16 reviews)
    76.8 mi

    I'm sad that I missed Earth Day yesterday. To make up for it, enjoy this overdue review of one of…read morethe most special places I've ever been to. The Notch hosts one of my fave racial justice orgs - Summits in Solidarity - and that commitment is felt in everything The Notch does. I stayed here in June for their annual Solidarity Night fundraiser and it was magical. I was assigned to one of the bunk rooms on the third floor which contained single beds arranged around a large room with views to the road and lush backyard. There is a large shared kitchen on the middle level, a gorgeous living and dining room, private suites downstairs, and other smaller bunkrooms on the third floor as well. There is also a huge backyard with space for tent camping. Except in private suites, bathrooms are shared. There is also laundry onsite. The Notch is both a backpacker's Eden and an affordable base camp for tourists or day hikers. Read on for what I loved: --AFFIRMING IN ALL THE WAYS. I was just as fat, and Black, and queer as I wanted to be. --Great intro to broader backpacking culture. Yes I backpack with my lil group of queer fat hikers. It was great to get exposure to AT thruhikers and people who set and achieve massive goals. Seriously inspirational! --Super clean and respectful space. I'm always dismayed when travelers of a certain age say they're "too old" to stay at a "rowdy, grungy hostel." Well friends this is anyplace but. The place was spotless from the bathrooms to the kitchen to the bunkrooms. And folks were respectful of quiet hours and day sleepers just catching some Zzzs after a big hike. --Everyone from the staff to guests were super nice. I felt very welcomed and cared for. A woman I was bunking with even asked if I wanted to join her for a trip to Lost River. --Location location location!! Right around the corner about a mile away is North Woodstock, down the highway is Littleton and you are smack dab in the middle of Franconia Notch which AS YOU KNOW is my fave place in NH. I can't think of a better situated place with just the right amount of peace and proximity. I shudder to think of all the summers I spent in the area at AirBnBs, scared to take a chance. So glad I did last June and I hope to join them again for this year's Solidarity Night. Shout to Trish and Serena for making my visit extra special!

    Trish was nice and the Vermont soap was a real treat…read more Now for the bad! The Crawford room is more like a little torture chamber... the wood stove smell is intensely acrid, overpowering and just not healthy to be breathing those fumes! There were over 50 ladybugs flying around in my bathroom and in the bed room... also on each window was a clear bug sticky pad... each was completely covered with dead hornets, wasps, gnats etc... like some Natural history insect display. The ceiling in that room is so poor that you can hear every step above you when all the hikers are moving around. It is awful! It's an annoying crunchy sound and it feels like someone is going to fall through the ceiling at any time! I DARE that owner to sleep in that room for an entire week! Also to add insult to injury... 2 new male hiking guests arrived during my stay and they smelled sooo bad that I ran into my room for cover. Their BO, dirty clothing, socks ,shorts, pants, feet etc smelled up the entire kitchen area and the common living room as well. I have been a nurse for over 40 years... this was one of the most disgusting odors that I have smelled in a very long time! They should have paid me to stay there... I was happy to leave. The toilet rocked, the lighting was poor and no cable TV... so much for my $250.00 worth. I would like to suggest that they open a mud room... or perhaps a decontamination area for incoming hikers who need an immediate shower and a laundry area next to that to start on their clothing. Dont expose other paying guests to this filth! These men also put their shoes on the porch with a fan running all night long to dry their smelly foot wear... so much for sitting out on the front porch! Those shoes smelled bad too! I would NEVER return and if you are a retiree who wants a little quiet down time.... do NOT stop here... keep on going.. find a real hotel!

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    The Notch Hostel - Facts.

    Facts.

    The Notch Hostel - Living room

    Living room

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    Check in here

    Black Elephant Hostel - hostels - Updated May 2026

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