Wanderlust Hostel

I’ve stayed at hostels all over the world but never before in the states. It’s great to see the hostel culture making its way to the U.S. and this place was exactly what I love about hostels and their community culture. My boyfriend and I spent three nights over Christmas and met all sorts of awesome people by hanging around after our days on the slopes. Amy, the owner, is great — an outdoor enthusiast and world traveler herself. The location is perfect, walkable to most anywhere in Gunny and only a short drive to Crested Butte and Monarch — both of which are great mountains to ski/​snowboard! Whether you’re on a budget or just want to meet some rad people, Wanderlust is an ideal place to stay!

My boyfriend and I stayed at Wanderlust for a week in April, and were absolutely wowed by the amazing atmosphere and homely feel of the place. Amy and Kristen are gracious hostesses with incredible knowledge of the town and areas surrounding — also great company and really, ridiculously good looking. The two hostel cats were adorable and Cole the hostel dog is an absolute champ. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would recommend for anyone — there are private rooms and dorms and all the fun activities you can imagine

Whether you are just hiking or riding through, or planning on spending a few days in Gunnison, the Wanderlust is a great option for affordable, friendly housing, and a really great night’s sleep. The staff is friendly and helpful (they can clothe you with their costume closet when all of your laundry is being cleaned), and the hostel is always clean and welcoming. Not a grungy hostel full of dirtbags (whew — what a relief!). If you’re in Gunnison, make sure to check this place out!

Wanderlust is awesome!!! If you are near Gunnison looking for a place to stay, go here. Amy runs the hostel and is really cool. There are private rooms and shared dorm style rooms and the prices are really good. There is a ton of stuff to do in and around Gunnison and if you stay at Wanderlust you’ll definitely meet some cool people. I will definitely be back.

We had a great stay at the Wanderlust. We were traveling all over Colorado. Amy and her crew were very helpful and fun to hang out with. We’ll definitely stay there anytime we’re going through Gunnison.

This place rocks! The owner (Amy) has a very cool thing going on. It is a great place to stay if you are just passing through or to use as a base to explore the region. It is walking distance from the downtown area and lot’s of restaurants. The rooms are comfortable and clean and you get to meet some great people from all over.

When traveling abroad, hostels and guesthouses are my go-​to choices for lodging. They’re usually cheap, lively, full of amenities, and give you the opportunity to meet people you typically wouldn’t if you were staying in a regular hotel. Traveling in the U.S. is a bit different and I’ve never had the opportunity to stay at a hostel until now.
Wanderlust is an unexpected gem for a city like Gunnison. The location is very close to the one block of Main St. that actually has something to do. The interior makes you feel like you’re right at home. The cat can be pretty grumpy and show his fangs at you from time to time, but he’s essentially harmless. Free tea and coffee, full kitchen, BBQ, a closet full of movies and plenty of couch space with a warm fireplace to just chill out.
The rooms range from privates to dorms with bunk beds. We decided to go for the latter. The beds aren’t 5 star hotel style, but they get the job done. I slept like a rock throughout the whole night, even when my alarm accidentally went off five times at 4 a.m.
Amy is very welcoming and made us feel right at home. She keeps the place in top-​notch shape and I was even surprised to see her using Square to charge our credit card. Looks like Bay Area innovation is making its way across the country. We met some great people here who were biking across the country and other individuals who were just passing through. That interaction you get from a hostel setting is unbeatable.

From the exuberantly eclectic furnishings, to the sparkling clean kitchen to the furry friends scampering around, I immediately felt at home. Kelsey, the manager, was welcoming and invited me to pluck veggies from their garden for dinner. I picked an enormous beet! Being a light sleeper, I chose a private room (very colorful, large closet), but since the quiet hours are respected I might get a bunk next time. The other guests were friendly but not intrusive; it’s a relaxed environment where you can seek out community, or not, depending on how you feel. The hostel is a great place to crash for one night or stay for several, as I did, and use it as a base to explore the area; they even have bicycles for use around town. It’s just 30 minutes from Crested Butte but is at slightly lower altitude, important for folks like me who have trouble sleeping higher up.

I completely second that this place is off the chain and am so glad that somebody posted pictures of this adorable hostel!
I went in late September expecting nobody to be there, but was pleasantly surprised by a good crowd and a warm welcome from Kelsey, the co-​manager. Everyone made me feel so at home… if I’d realized that this was the kind of place that let you nap in their hammock, grill out in their backyard, cook (and store!) in their kitchen, use their bikes, watch their Netflix and mooch off their wi-​fi I would have probably planned to stay longer in Gunnison (which is a really cute town, by the way — also, so unbelievably safe that apparently you can drop your wallet on the sidewalk and come find it 45 minutes later. True story. Unless you’re a criminal, in which case I’m just kidding).
Alas, I could only stay one night, but I had a great time watching Grandma’s Boy and joking around with the whole crew on the living room couch, and was sad to say goodbyes the next morning. The cat is named Pork Chop and is super chill. He’s got a blog, too, FYI.
I opted for the private room, which was clean, colorful, comfortable and had tons of storage space. Appreciated the plugs, too! The bunkers were similarly adorable and looked like they’d be a ton of fun when the place gets crowded in the summer. Oh and the bathrooms — impeccably clean, and fear not if you’ve forgotten anything: enough people come through and donate extras (food too) that you’ll be totally hooked up here.
Have already informed my jealous boyfriend I’ll be returning with or without him… love this place!

Awesome find! We stayed at the Wanderlust on our way through Gunnison and loved it so much we stayed an extra day. The owner Amy is very welcoming and extremely knowledge about the area and it’s outdoor activities… and totally made us feel at home. The rooms are comfy, clean and creatively decorated. There is even a costume closet (major score for people travailing with kids like we were). There’s s full kitchen, BBQ out back and plenty of space to just chill in the ample living room.
The location was also a big plus. The hostel is located close to some of Gunnison’s climbing areas and just a short drive up to Crested Butte… a funky little ski town with great eats. This will definitely be our accommodation of choice when we come back in the winter for skiing and ice climbing.
Overall great place with great people. Family friendly and affordable. We’re fans of the Wanderlust for sure!

I recently stayed at the Wanderlust — it was amazing. The hostel is so warm, inviting, clean and colorful. Amy the host is sweet, hospitable and has so many suggestions of things to do. I will stay here whenever I am in Gunnison.