We needed a place to safely leave our brand-new car during our road trip from Dallas to NY. After numerous searches for a decent hotel in downtown Memphis and the surrounding area, I came across this hostel. Having only stayed at a hostel once in Copenhagen, I knew what to expect. But my boyfriend was a bit uneasy about sharing a dorm room. So we booked a private room (we still needed to share the bathroom). The layout of the hostel was very welcoming. Instructions were well written, and you get the check-in info via email. Our private room was a small bedroom with an AC and two windows. There were about four individual bathrooms instead of a dorm room-style shower/locker room. Breakfast was included (bagel/coffee/tea), and the parking lot was well-lit. Given we only needed a place to sleep for 6 hrs, this place met our needs. We even go to meet some people during our short stay. read more

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A safe place to stay in midtown Memphis. They now offer a continental breakfast some coffee , tea and pastries. I stayed her for 6 nights recently. It's a nice area a few restaurant s around a parking lot . The room was air conditioned and clean the bathroom s were always available. I hope to return another time read more

I stayed in a single, separate bedroom. It was nicer than some hotels I've booked on the same road trip. It was clean and secure. The separate bathrooms were plentiful--never a line for shower. And the area cannot be beat. There aren't any motels/hotels that are just feet away from Cooper-Young neighborhood's excellent Memphis record stores, bookstores, and restaurants. Highly recommended, even for older travelers looking for a better alternative to hotels. read more

I stayed here about 1 wk ago and can report this is a solid, well managed& maintained, and most of all, safe place. While there are local buses nearby (No. 2 and No. 36) to the downtown area (bus ride about 25-30 minutes, limited operations on wkend, be sure to check the local bus website beforehand.) Without a car, one would need to plan ahead to get into the Memphis downtown area. It is doable if you are not rush for time! I appreciate there 4 bath/ toilet rooms, so there is no line in the morning! Penny and her very helpful team work hard to keep the kitchen and the entire place organized. Daily bagel breakfast is a bonus. read more

It's entirely possible to stay in a clean, safe, friendly place in the heart of Memphis for $15 a night. That is, if you don't mind sharing and cleaning up after yourself. The place is Pilgrim House, Memphis' only hostel. The Pilgrim house is located inside First Congregational Church in Cooper Young. It's a little more cozy than the average hotel. When I stopped by, a college student was working in the library, the RAs were checking people in, and a man who had walked to Memphis from California was talking about his adventures with a small pack of Australians in the hostel's sunny kitchen. It's only $15 per person to stay in one of the shared dorms at the Pilgrim House. There are two single-sex dorms and one co-ed dorm, each with several sets of bunk beds. There are also a handful of private rooms, which are are $30 for one person (plus $15 for each additional person). There is a private bathroom, as well as dorm-style bathrooms. Guests are allowed to use the kitchen and the library, take whatever they want from the free food stash, and rent bicycles for the day through Revolutions Community Bike Shop (which is located in the same building). There's just one catch - because Pilgrim House is a hostel, they ask that everyone who stays there pitch in by doing a small chore. Most of the chores are things like unloading the dishwasher, taking the recycling out or sweeping the kitchen - they're light and take about five minutes. read more

Hostel Memphis - A private room at Pilgrim House - Hostels Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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The Pilgrim House in Mid Town, Memphis is an awesome place to stay for a week! This past week my friend Chris and I were finishing mixing a record at Ardent Studios and this was the best place to lay our heads, and meet some really awesome people! The Hostel is quite large and with plenty of rooms, both private and shared! We shared a room with 6 bunks in it! We always had roomates! There are lockers in your rooms if you want to lock your stuff up, but I never really thought it was a big deal! The Staff at Pilgrim House was great! Super helpful and for 20 bucks a person, it's a very nice cheap place to stay! Lots of parking and a block a way from multiple places to eat, drink, and be merry! You are assigned 1 chore a day while staying at the Hostel and I thought well this will probably be a hassle but it was actually really easy and takes about 2 minutes to complete every morning! It also makes you feel more at home and helpful! I loved it.. It also keeps the place very clean! They have both private and shared bathrooms and a huge kitchen with supplies for cooking! They have free coffee as well! All and all this was a perfect stay for us! Cheap, Fun, and we met people from all around the world! read more

Hostel Memphis - Typical Chore at the Pilgrim House! Supplies right there, takes like 1 minute! - Hostels Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

The only hostels I stayed in before this one have been in Europe. And I was blown away by the wide amenities, cleanliness, furnishings and the very friendly staff. I stayed 7 nights and met people from at least 5 different countries. If you want the best cultural experience Memphis can possibly offer, Hostel Memphis should definitely be the foundation for your stay. A wonderful place. read more

Do not waste your time with the Hostel Memphis. They take advantage of the fact that they are the only hostel in the area and use it as an excuse to leech money from young, poor travelers that are in a foreign place. Instead of being helpful or understanding, which you would expect from a HOSTEL, the staff only care about getting your $28 per person. My friends and I were passing through Memphis late one night on our way back from a month-long backpacking trip. Hostel Memphis was our only option financially. We planned to do what we had done this entire trip at other hostels: couples would share beds to cut down on costs and take much-needed showers. After driving straight through from Arizona, we arrived just before 11:00 PM. Three of the five of us entered to pay for our beds, while two of the group went to purchase supplies. After paying, we learned several of their policies that they DO NOT list on their website: --No one can share a bed --You must present an ID. For many, this may present no issue, but for college students nearing the end of a long trip, not being able to split the cost of a bed was a huge strain. The three of us were checked in and our bill had to be split between two cards as none of us had the funds to absorb the total $80. The rest of our party returned, this is when we learned our friend had lost her ID. The staff was completely unsympathetic to our situation. It was past 11:00 PM. We were exhausted and unshowered. We were in an unfamiliar and dangerous place. They refused to make an exception to allow our friend to stay the night without an ID. This essentially meant they were turning our entire party away, as we could not send an 18-year-old girl out into the Memphis night alone. Apparently, the Hostel Memphis staff is fine with this idea. We were forced to find other accommodations. We asked for a refund because we had not used any facilities and spent no more than 15 minutes total in their building. Despite the very unfortunate situation, they told us this request had to go through upper management and we were not guaranteed to be reimbursed. After multiple attempts to contact their bookkeeper, Nikki, and explain our situation, one card was ultimately refunded and the other (mine) was promised to be refunded. After waiting weeks for this refund, I contacted Nikki once more and was THEN told that the refund inexplicably would not be completed. I'm exhausted dealing with this establishment. They make things intentionally hard and have no sympathy for someone in my situation. They're charging me for a service I did not receive. If $40 is make or break for a business, they really should not be in business. If you're forced to stay here, be sure to check for urine stained sheets and fleas as other reviewers have reported on. But really, you should just keep driving. read more

This is my 5th time staying here, and I love it every time! The beds, bathrooms, linens and kitchen are always kept clean. They are so welcoming and have a wonderful shared community that opens with arms wide to guests. The area is super hip, too! Lots of awesome restaurants and things to do within walking distance. It's only a short ride over to downtown to explore that too. Couldn't recommend this place more and it makes me feel great to be supporting the church. They do incredible work in the community! read more

I have literally lived in hostels for 12 of the past 18 months, and this is the most pleasant, comfortable place I've ever set foot in. It's so nice that it's confusing. Seriously. I was convinced for 5 minutes I was in the wrong place. Then I saw the giant kitchen, talked to the super-friendly people, checked out the rad and big beds in the equally rad rooms, and grabbed a good old Bloom County cartoon collection (starting with Penguin Dreams and I'll work my way up from there) from their well-stocked library, and I was at home. Scratch that. If I had a home it still wouldn't be this nice. I'll update if I find a flaw later, but right now after 4 days of 12-hour drives across the US, this is a slice of heaven with habanero on top. (did I mention it's $15 per night? total. no fees. no nothing. hell, it cost me $35 for a patch of dirt 10 feet from the 101 in California just to set up my tent in a puddle. Memphis gets much respect from me for this.) read more

I've been too allot of hostels around the world and this one actually ranks fairly high. Everything is super clean and safe, and just nice. The major con is it's a bit out of the city, but one bus will take you directly downtown. if your coming from the south via Amtrak you'll have to get a cab cause it's just too late for most buses and if your going south via Amtrak just get a cab cause it's too early for most buses. You have to do some chore while your here, which really isn't too bad, otherwise that's it. Just a nice simple clean hostel on the backside of a church. read more

When we finally arrived at the Pilgrim House, it was like a breath of fresh air. That was when we finally got there. Prior to our arrival, we tried calling but found out that there phone lines were not working and that's why we were unable to contact anyone and make a reservation. My friend that I was traveling with also was a little apprehensive about staying there because the Pilgrim House is located at the back of a church and we weren't really looking to stay in a Christian youth hostel. Anyway, a person from the church finally let us into the building after nearly dehydrating outside in the fierce Memphis heat and the Pilgrim House felt like we had arrived at home. The set up seemed like a real house in that bedrooms were set up around living spaces. It is a co-op style establishment in that everyone who stays at the Pilgrim is expected to pitch in and clean up and that way it was maintained rather well. Remember to do your chores or no key deposit back! In hindsight, the only drawback to staying at the Pilgrim House was that a lot of the staff that works there also lives there. I didn't feel completely welcome because I knew I was on their turf. Otherwise, The Pilgrim House was a positive experience and I would stay there again. It is not a Christian retreat which we feared and I think it was 15 bucks a night for a shared room. It is located in a cool part of Memphis and right down the street from the hostel is the wonderful little coffee shop: Java Cabana. read more

My sister and I stayed here for two nights while we were in town, and this hostel (along with the city in general) made me wish I could stay for much longer. Clean, friendly, and unbelievably cozy. Each day each guest has one small chore to complete, but it's hard to argue with that when you are staying in a safe and homey place for as low as $15 a night. I sprung for a bit more to get a private room, since I didn't know the place and was traveling with my young sister and some expensive photography equipment, but after seeing how friendly and safe the place is, I would go for the shared dorm rooms. Other charming bits: -- Common areas with comfortable couches and tons of books that people can read, share, swap, leave behind. -- Mordecai the cat, who lives in the hostel. -- Bicycle co-op in the building where you can rent bikes. -- Very friendly staff - R.A.'s who live in the building in exchange for covering shifts. -- Right around the corner from the Cooper neighborhood, with cafes, restaurants, bookstores, etc. A great place to stay in a great city. Try it out. read more

My husband and I stopped in here for a night on a road trip through the South, paying just $30 for the two of us. They didn't have a private room available when we booked earlier in the week, so they placed us in a co-ed dorm with no other people. There were a couple of full-size beds, too, so we were able to sleep together. There was a door to a private room in the co-ed room, so there was still traffic in and out. The bed itself was pretty uncomfortable, but you really can't complain for $15 a night. My only genuine complaint is that it was very, very hot in our room. There was a window a/c unit, but it didn't seem to be able to cool such a big room. Compared to other hostels, it's very clean and has a lot of common areas. There is a big kitchen and a library, as well as a couple other sitting rooms with couches and funny-shaped pillows. The staff was friendly and gave us advice on where to eat and drink in midtown. The hostel uses entry codes on a few doors to get in, so it was nice not having to use a key. There was a handful of other people staying. I could definitely see myself spending a week here if I had time. read more

A friend and I stayed at this hostel while road tripping from TX to MD. The hostel is located on the back of a church. Upon checking in, the staff were very young but extremely friendly and accommodating. However, they warned us that there had been several crime instances in/around the parking lot recently and that we should keep everything out of sight in our car which was disconcerting. A police officer was even parked in the parking lot overnight. We grabbed sheets from their linen closet and headed to the bunk beds. The mattress covers were stained on a few of the beds and my friend had chosen what appeared to be a yellow fitted sheet. Upon opening it up, I noticed that the corners were very white and the yellow color was circular in pattern. Stretched out, it was quite clearly a urine stain. The sheets may have been washed/clean but it's ridiculous that someone would think that would be ok to put out for paying guests. Early the next morning, I was using the toilet and I felt bites on my legs and ended up pulling off 4 fleas before I could get out of there. I even filmed them as I knew my friend would be in disbelief. The hostel also has a policy of requesting/requiring each person to perform a house keeping chore before leaving. They have a bunch of index cards with chores from dusting to taking out the trash. Although the chores only took five minutes a piece at most, it was clear that the hostel relies solely upon these chores being carried out to maintain itself. The trash and recycle bins were overflowing/piled twice as high as they could handle with stuff stacked in front, there was a general uncleanliness/dustiness about the whole hostel, and the common area bathrooms were littered with wet towels/rugs and hair, had mold on the shower curtains, and were lacking soap/paper products. For $25/night, the hostel should be kept in greater repair. read more

As far as hostels go, this one is pretty good! It's a church with a big parking lot, very safe part of town, too. The doors had security codes, which were changed regularly. I never felt unsafe there alone. Lots of cute restaurants nearby. The beds were OK. If this is your primary concern, I recommend the co-ed dorm, which had double beds that looked more comfy than the twin ones. If you're a neat freak, this place probably isn't for you. It's not the cleanest, but it's certainly not the dirtiest either. For the price and location, it's a pretty good place. read more

Pilgrim House is the first American hostel that I've been to, and it was great. The experience is totally authentic. You meet friendly travelers from all over the world who want to hear your story, share theirs, and just generally create a sense of home for nomads and road trippers. Their ammenities are very nice. I utilized the extremely organized and well stocked kitchen to make my first self-made meal since starting my road trip. The lounges are comfy, there is plenty of parking, and enough different kinds of sleeping and bathroom arrangements to suit your preference. The staff range from ...disinterested... to outstandingly generous and creative. There are so many of them around at all times that you can keep your antennae out for friendly vibes. Try asking them a bit about Memphis. This is a nice neighborhood in the city, so you can get good recommendations for restaraunts and shops within walking distance. Pilgrim House is a good approximation of the kind of hostel you would encounter backpacking elsewhere in the world. Give it a shot! read more

Wonderful place. Very clean, spacious and comfortable. Incredibly friendly and helpful staff.

Driving through from NJ to TX, I stayed here in the co-ed female dorms for just one night. Charming is right! I really liked this part of town and the building. Being inside a huge, quiet, old building in the middle of the night like this made me feel like I was staying at Hogwart's. The wifi is fast and my bunk didn't squeak at all. It was very comfortable even if you're a tall woman like myself (6'1). It's not the cleanest place but they try. The mattresses are pretty stained up but didn't smell. The towels did have an old smell that became more apparent when they are wet. You might want to bring you own. No soap or anything like that so bring your own. If you're driving, I parked in the church parking lot to the right of the building and I didn't have any problems. I may or may not have seen a roach scurry in the kitchen when I was refilling my water bottle that night, but it ran too fast for me to confirm. There wasn't many others staying that night but there was this horribly intrusive older woman that talked from the moment I arrived until lights out about her life and gave me tips on mine (Hello, I don't know you and you don't even know my name or asked!) Some people need to realize that some guests are traveling and tired, and are not in the mood to hang out or chat. This is not highschool/college 2.0, learn to read the atmosphere. All in all, I would stay again but spring for a private room. read more

It's a pretty good place to stay for the price. Not much secure storage to lock away your things, but the staff is nice and the location is perfect. read more

I made the reservation 2 months before I checked in. I was able to do everything by email. The staff was very friendly and they answered my emails promptly. The price was very good too. I was attending a conference at the Peabody hotel, so I didn't want to spend $173-a-night there. I ended up paying $25-a-night at the Pilgrim's house. The hostel is very clean and organized. Everyone that stays at the hostel has a daily chore. The chores are things like 'clean the bathroom', 'vaccuum hallway' and so on. I think the chores are important to keep the place clean; and also to let people feel like they are part of the hostel community. The hostel is located in a cool part of Memphis. You can walk to the bars and to the restaurants. Everything is pretty close. The only thing I didn't understand was a group of students that gathered one evening at one of the lounge areas. They didn't disturb me at all. But it was just something unusual to me, since they were not staying at the hostel. When I asked the guys that work there about it, no one could answer me. I think that the hostel is somehow connected to a church, and those students used the space for a meeting. I will definitely stay at the Pilgrim house if have to go back to Memphis again. If you're looking for a cheap, clean, organized and well-located place, this is a good option. read more

This is a wonderful, comfortable place. We used Hostel Memphis as an affordable place for our wedding guests to stay for the weekend, and I really can't say anything bad. They have put a lot of money into renovating and upgrading the space in the last six months and it shows. There's new paint, a new continental breakfast, lots of new bed frames, sheets, carpet, and furniture. If you visited more than a couple of months ago, I'd highly recommend going back. It will feel like a completely different place. I also love the new manager and all the work she's done with the staff and the building. They were all very accommodating and helpful to our guests. A couple of notes after reading past reviews- There aren't any chores anymore (that stopped a number of years ago), and whatever issues they've had with cleanliness or service in the past, they've fixed it. From what I could see, the place was spotless and the staff was extremely friendly. Also, the hostel is still walking distance to quite a few restaurants and bars in the Midtown neighborhood. It's quite a pleasant place to visit. read more

Great Place! Very clean very cozy. If you are staying in Memphis this is the place to be. They have full size beds in the dorm rooms, and they have private and public bathrooms. And for $15 a night, that's cheaper than staying home. It's a little far from downtown, but driving is easy, and the neighborhood is pretty hip. You have to do one chore each day wile you are there, but they are easy, and it only takes like 5 minutes. read more

Pilgrim house is a truly lovely hostel in the middle of a pretty charming/hip™ neighborhood in Memphis. The hostel is safe and secure, and attached to a church/community center. This place has obviously been around for a while- their decoration and organization game is p fuego. I was really blown away by their organization: everything has a place-- to the library room, linen baskets, chore chart, etc. There are private and communal bathrooms, bigger dorms, a few queen sized mattresses. Their kitchen is really well stocked and organized, as well. The environment is really appealing and welcoming. Many of the other guests were older individuals, and some shared really cool stories. I kinda wish that they allowed alcohol in the hostel, or that there were more groups of humans socializing? But that could've totally been the given day I was there, +church rules, etc. Overall, Pilgrim house is p bomb, really cute. The kinda place one that's both perfect for conversation with new people, or curling up w a book and tea / being a lil corner hermit. read more

The Hostel is pretty nice, it's a very homey, kinda place. I like how the staff are, especially Dalton he was very nice and very helpful and explained to me how things work. Whenever I ran pass him he would be nice to say hi and check how's my stay is. I appreciated that very much. I do wish the the hostel would update a little bit on how it looks on the inside with more charm and cleanness of the area also maybe better bedding/sheets however it was still very homey and I did feel safe with the using a door code to enter, the lockers for my things. I also liked very much that all the best restaurants and sites of Memphis are near and Dalton would tell me what's going on in the area, like events etc like that. So I like the hostel a lot and would recommend it to others for sure and tell them to try to come in when Dalton is there to assist them and feel welcomed. read more

Just returned home from spending 6 great days in Memphis, at the Pilgrim House Hostel. This was my first experience at a Hostel, and was very pleasantly surprised. The staff were so kind and helpful, getting me up to speed with everything, and helping me with anything I needed. The facility was always safe and each public and private room were well kept, and made me feel like I was home and amongst family. The neighborhood surrounding is amazing, and gave me an almost bohemian vibe, with people from many backgrounds and walks of life, always made me feel welcome and at home. By far one of the best experience I've had in many years, and I hope to visit back here again in the future. All the best, Matty from D.C. read more

I will revisit again. Organized, friendly staff. Clean living areas. Clean restrooms. Plenty of parking. Restaurants nearby. WARNING: The neighborhoods nearby are crime ridden. Be careful if you plan on walking through them in the evenings. Hide your valuables in the trunk of your car if you park overnight. For $20 in a shared room its a good value. I would recommend the assigned chore be volunteer vs assigned, if you are staying for one night only. read more

I really liked staying at the Pilgrim hostel. It was clean the staff was friendly and the people staying there were nice aswell. The chores they have you do are super easy and take about 5 minutes max. It is in a safer hip part of town so you don't feel scared. Near by are some good restaurants too! I recommend staying here if you are on a budget and are up for an adventure! read more

We actually booked this place thinking it would be a creepy church experience, and it would add to our southern experience. It did add, but not because it was creepy. It was totally awesome. The staff was SO nice. There is no indoctination like I expected as it's attached to a church. It's really sweet and large and nicely run. The whole 'daily chores' thing made us worry but it was actually really fine, the chores were something like refill the ice trays to throw out one of the recycling bins to wipe the kitchen stools. It takes between 30 seconds to 2 minutes, max. There's a lot of rooms, bathrooms, living room space. We got a private room and one space in the dorm, my only complaint is the private room, which is for three, had a bunkbed, with the bottom a double, so three of us didn't fit well, so the third just slept happily on one of the couches and we all ended up having a great night's sleep both nights. Totally worth staying at. I think it was way better than a hotel would have been. read more

I almost didn't stay here because the website makes it look like this place is run by a bunch of stodgy old church ladies, but the staff are actually young and fun, and so is the atmosphere here. It's a bit far from downtown so you do need a car. It's super-affordable, one of the nicer hostels I've stayed at. read more

Wholesome. True . Americana bleeding out the wall . For whatever that means. Fuck a holiday inn. Hardwood floors and clean at that . Showers a plenty. Staff who won't Kiss your ass , ain't that plus ! Memphis Tennessee is a place to visit and this is a fine place to catch it as it is. read more

Overall OK as far as staffing and organization, but I do have to question security because one of the guests staying in our room who failed to respect curfew managed to "break in" at 3am and had the nerve to wake me up by putting his chihuahua on my pillow. It sort of means pretty much anyone can get in any time they want. Watch your stuff and your security if you're sharing a room. read more

Definitely worth the insanely cheap cost to stay here. I've resided in co-op housing and traveled through hostels, and this place is much cleaner than the former and less institutionalized than the hostels I've stayed in. I stopped here for a night on a long drive from MI to TX, and the chore I got was wiping down the dining room tables, which took 5 minutes. Most people working and visiting the hostel were in their 20s, and everyone was very friendly. There were lots of maps and brochures sitting around for tourists' easy access, as well as local menus organized by geographical distance. The hostel itself is in the hip Cooper-Young neighborhood. Even if it weren't a safe neighborhood, the hostel sits on the third level of a building next to a church, and door codes are needed to get in. Probably the most cost-effective part of my trip. read more

Stayed here for a night during a road trip through Tennessee. It was not at all what I expected from a church hostel! There was plenty of space, lots of comfortable loungey-areas to hang out, and a huge kitchen. They require that you do one chore while you're there that takes about 3 minutes (mine was wipe down the kitchen tables). The dorm rooms are cramped with rickety bunk beds so I didn't sleep very well. Then again for $15 it was fine for a night. If I was to stay there for longer, I'd definitely try to get a private room. The town near the hostel is cute with good restaurants, but it's definitely easier to have a car if you want to go down to Beale street at night. read more

I loved this place. Very quiet. In a great neighborhood. Spacious. You can't find it on Hostels.com though, which is kind of frustrating. It was recommended to me by some people in Nashville who had stayed there. Cool lounge, big kitchen. read more

Awesome place to stay. Clean very nice staff free breakfast and very nice dorms. Would stay there once again for sure

Not very cooperative, I wasn't able to stay here because I could not check in until 4pm, I had to be somewhere during check in hours, and no special arrangements would be made. I ended up walking 7 miles to the river through the parks and woods, and ghettos and historical districts and found a more accommodating place in town. read more

Didn't love this place...staff was type A about everything unlike most other hostels i've ever been to. take this place with a grain of salt. 5-7 miles out of town, you'd need a car. good coffee shops, antique shops and cafes nearby as this is a trendy outskirt neighborhood. read more

We had a lovely stay. (We being my husband, 5 year old, 19mo old and me). Neighborhood was beautiful and friendly. Quiet, clean, and bright. Beds were not the most comfy but the private room was more comfy than expected. If you're an early riser prepare in advance to go somewhere else until at least 9. We went to Brother Junipers for a fabulous breakfast until we could check out at 9. read more

I loved staying here. Very home-y. The women in my dorm were all courteous. The staff is very friendly and I got a great run down of the facilities. $27 got me a cool bed (it was scorching last night), fresh shower, wifi, comfy couch to work on. They also offer a free pancake breakfast but I stuck with my protein shake, which I was able to mix up in their fully stocked kitchen. Each person needs to help out with a chore before they leave, but I was happy to take out the recycling. I would definitely stay here again. read more