Beautiful space for a retreat or rest or conference or connection with nature…read more Plentiful land and lovely view of the mountains. The lodge is wheelchair accessible, woth a room that has a roll in shower. Tight fit around corners, but my bulky chair navigated it all, and the weekend was amazing. A beautiful chapel sits between the lodge and the hostel. Lots of flowers and plants and trees. Easy access to the Appalachian trail. There are seating areas with lovely views, kitchen and dining areas, library space, old piano, and so many nifty nooks and so many touches of ambience. Rooms upstairs and down are all with unique character. Wow... thank you...

Very clean and organized hostel and lodge. Plenty of parking and it's within walking distance to…read moreeverything. The Appalachian Trail goes directly beside the hostel part. The hostel prices are good.

Absolutely loved it, spent two there coming off the Trail for resupply! Giant house, lots of…read morehistory. Comfy, clean beds , food awesome!! Highly recommend!!

We stayed three nights at Elmer's during a 2010 southbound thru-hike; this review is from the…read moreperspective of a long-distance backpacker. Elmer's hostel is a charming old two-story house full -- in the off season -- of the quiet in your grandparents' hallways and unused offices. My getting over a cold was a good reason to stay three nights, but it would have been a wonderfully restful place in any case. We had a room with two beds (all the bedrooms are upstairs), which also had a door onto the back balcony -- convenient for airing out gear. The back door is the main entrance. When we first got there nobody was home; we left a note and our stuff on the porch, and explored (probably dinner); the young man helping (Jessee?) was there when we got back, and had a room ready for us. Breakfast is (if there are enough interested guests) communal; likewise dinner. The food was delicious and bountiful. There's a music room: a piano, guitars, more instruments in the closet. (The violin was missing at least one string.) The stairway near the kitchen ends in a skylighted area with bookshelves -- a grand variety of A.T. books, plenty of some interest. Downstairs, there's also a sitting room with DVDs (and other books); two shared baths upstairs, and a shower (with shampoo and towels for guests -not always true of places we stayed). The laundry porch is off limits, but there's a coin laundry (The Wash Tub) just across town.

Great place - friendly team running it and very comfortable options -…read moreA great location as well

Amy is such a nice lady! She made us all feel so at home. Did not stay in the cabins but used the…read moreshowers and the laundry for a small reasonable fee. Showers were super clean and well stocked with shampoo, conditioner etc. Motorcycle garage themed. There is a small resupply with common foods like ramen, candy bars, poptarts and tuna pouches to name a few. This would not be a place to do a major resupply but maybe for picking up snacks for extra carns and calories. There are frozen foods available to buy like pizza, burritos, chinese food to name a view. Appliances available in common area are air fryers, oven, microwave and keurig coffee pot. We enjoyed relaxing on the leather couches in the dining area while we watched Guardians of the Galaxy before be shuttled to Sams Gap. Definitely one of my favorite places on the AT.

This by far my favorite place I've ever stayed. Personally think all hostels are ruined because…read morethis place is so amazing. VERY woman friendly and very safe. Great accommodation such as a private room and full kitchen. Located at great spot 9 min bus ride with a bus stop right next to it. Can't express enough how incredible this place was. Wanted to gatekeep so you're welcome.

Fantastic spot right in the heart of West Asheville! Right next to both great coffee shops and…read morefood, this place has everything you're looking for from a mountain getaway. It's safe, pretty, atmospheric and had good communication from the owners about the stay itself.

This was a really wonderful place to stay. I would have returned, if my choice in companionship had…read morebeen a wiser one. However, I was gifted with the sort of timeshare by my companion that has given me much regret and consternation over the decades. It was a picturesque location. It was a beautiful place to stay.

My friend and I stayed in this cute, clean hostel on a road trip through Tennessee. It's owned by a…read morewonderful older gentleman named Al, and managed by a younger man named Brian. Both are extremely welcoming and helpful. The hostel itself is clean, comfortable and well-lit, with separate male and female dorm rooms. Parking is on the street and seemed safe. Al welcomed us immediately and drew us a map of the town and good places to go. Breakfast is provided in the morning- he has several options including eggs, cereal, grits- you cook it yourself. If you're lucky he'll join you and tell you some funny stories. The only reason I gave the hostel 4 stars instead of 5 is that there is no shower there, just a bathtub. Might be problematic if you are looking to stay for several nights.

I met Colin on top of Albert Mountain. He was hiking up with a guy he was supporting finishing up…read morethe AT. I maybe spent 15 minutes with him but my take is that he truly has a passion for what he does and helping folks on their journeys. He cares about the trails, picking up trash and hauling back garbage. Most importantly, when I got back to my truck after my backpacking trip, he had left a box with 4 jars of AsMaster chafing cream for me. Thanks Colin!

Clean, friendly and great atmosphere. Runs shuttles to the trail and is close to the center of townread more

We were in the area to do some site seeing and hiking in the area. We followed this awesome couple…read moreon youtube back when they thru hiked the AT a few years back. We continued to follow them the next few years on some of their adventures and actually got to support them for a day when they did a thru hike of the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin. Their hostel is such a warm and comfortable space, and they are such gracious hosts. They shuttled us around town when we needed it, they told us all about the area, gave great suggestions of places to see, and they even made arrangements for me with a local fly fishing guide! This was such a great stop on our journey and Franklin is such a cool area with lots to do. When talking to them about why they started a hostel, they said they wanted to support the hiking community and wanted to make a hostel that checked all of the boxes of things they were looking for in a hostel through the eyes of a thru hiker. We are not thru hikers but I think they have accomplished that and then some!

Amazing Folks. They will pick up hikers at Winding Stair Gap and take them back to their amazing…read morehostel. At the hostel there is plenty of food, drinks and snacks for you to purchase. The shower is hot and they have a laundry area. The bedrooms are just the right size for 4 people. If you are hiking the Appalachian Trail or just need a place to hang your hat at night, this is the place. Awesome living room area for you to relax in. Nice seating area outside. During hiking season they provide an amazing breakfast for the hikers who stay.

I had never stayed at a hostel, and had my concerns, but my recent visit was generally positive. I…read morestayed in the pod, essentially a bunk surrounded by three walls and a curtain. I am a pretty big guy but fit comfortably on the extended twin mattress. The mattress left something to be desired , but ultimately I slept better than I normally do at hotels because after 11:00, lights go out and it is quiet hours, which all of the other residents abide by. You can't beat the price and location, in the heart of the tourist district, just blocks from the drum circle park and Harrahs arena.

Sweet Peas offers a great product: great price, great location, and good clean, safe, lodging…read more I think its fair to say the following: Asheville is a tourist destination-and lots of people come to Asheville for many different reasons, and everyone needs lodging. With most homeowners prohibited by local zoning to rent out their homes via Airbnb for short term stays, and with limited hotels within the downtown area, Sweet Peas provides travelers with surprisingly affordable lodging for those seeking an alternative to the chain hotels. Sweet Peas is right downtown, in the midst of the all the things that brings one to Asheville: shopping, music, sports, outdoor fun, and...food-you are in walking distance to any and all of these pleasures you seek. I'm a repeat visitor. It's an ideal spot for me when I visit town 3-5 times a year for the price and location. If you have stayed in a hostel before, you know this is a decent hostel. If you haven't, please-don't compare to a hotel. There are varieties of ages present-young, middle, old, all here for different reasons. There will be people to build community with, or, you can hide in your bunk-and that's ok. There is no alcohol allowed, and quiet times between 11 pm and 7 am. The staff are friendly, efficient, and will provide you towels etc. There is a fridge (but know its usually pretty full) and coffee pot and kitchen area. I've found when traveling, its best to travel hopefully, and I've also found then when staying at a hostel, remain hopeful and positive, and you'll love your experience when doing so. My next visit is in a couple of weeks, and I look forward to the respite of Sweet Peas.

As a USMC Veteran with a VA Service Dog, I had arrived at Johnnys to them not even wanting me to…read morestay and asking me to leave. after a brief discussion of about 30 minutes I was able to stay two nights. upon waking up, I was refunded my last night and asked to leave due to them having too many dogs at the location. Most being employees. will never be staying there again. Resupply is taxed at over 100% and sometimes closer to 200% in profits. Not satisfied and will NEVER return. camp across the street at the river and pay the $5 to shower if need be.

Stayed in the bunk house. Bunks are not comfortable. Not sure how the cabin beds are but…read morerecommend to check the beds before making a decision. Some of us ended up pulling our sleeping pads out and slept on the floor. I ended up sleeping in my van. The lady that was running things was nice but difficult to track down, probably because she was also trying to shuttle people as well. They do offer shuttle into town which is a plus. There are outdoor areas to hang out. There is a very chill atmosphere. Restrooms/showers are seperated from sleeping area which makes it difficult at night and if it raining. The showers were clean, had hot water, and were stocked with shampoo, soap, and conditioner, shaving supplies, sunblock and loaner clothes. They have a store which offers some basic gear and snacky foods for that hiker hunger. Good place if on a budget or just need a break from outside.