Hostelling International Phoenix – Metcalf House

This hostel I must say is absolutely FANTASTIC! Here is why. The management and staff are as nice as possibly can be. The young ladies that work here cook breakfast every morning for the guests. A good breakfast too. The hostel is extremely clean 100% of the time. Very very clean. My favorite part about this place is the fact they have a strict alcohol policy. They do not allow people to get drunk and party at this hostel. They are not about the BS. They are about the guest having a peaceful, relaxing, and clean environment to stay at. So if you are looking for a party hostel, than go elsewhere, but if you want to stay at a place that is friendly, clean and a lot of fun, then you have to come see Keith and Katie. Those two are the absolute best. This is the best hostel I have ever stayed at.

Pros: Felt safe, quiet, single person rest room in room, small lockers in room, free parking (curbside in quite neighborhood)
Cons: No large locker in room (in back of property), uncomfortable bed, no autolock door

Here’s the situation:
It’s late July 2014. You’ve just spent 13 hours driving from Oakland, California to Phoenix in a minivan with 6 other people. As you continued East along Interstate 10, the air got hotter, people got grumpier, and thighs got stickier. Looking back, there is no place I would have rather picked to spend the night at rather than the Metcalf House.
The staff was super friendly and welcoming as we pulled up to the house around 10pm. The AC was already going in the room, and folks were socializing in the living room and in the outdoor areas. There were cool spots (bars, restaurants, karaōke bars!) within close proximity of the hostel, and after we finished exploring the nearby neighborhood, we spent some time unwinding the in backyard.
The facilities were very clean, and the price was very reasonable (We were a group of students so we got a group rate). We stayed for only one night, but I would have totally been down to staying longer!
So, if you find yourself stressed out in Phoenix sweating your butt off and without a place to stay, hit this place up. You won’t regret it!

I love the Phoenix Hostel! I work for a social justice organization in downtown Phoenix and we have a lot of our out of town guests stay at the hostel. We know they are not only getting a clean, nice place to stay, but that they will be in a progressive and creative community. The Phoenix Hostel hosts fun arts and cultural events like readings from banned plays and downtown mural tours. I often come to hangout even though I’m a local. I love this place!

I had a nice experience during my stay in the Metcalf House. The hostel is clean and orderly. It has a convenient location located off of I-​10, a short walk from downtown Phoenix. Chase Field is only 15 minutes away on foot! There is lots of on street parking as well. The staff was friendly and helpful, providing a map and useful points of interest/​food suggestions when I checked in.
I have stayed at least 10 Hi Hostels and this one was quite different from the others. The hostel is unusual in that the staff leaves at 10pm and returns the next day at 8am. Quiet hours are from 10pm to 8am and they impose a no laptops policy on one of the main kitchen table, which is a bit inconvenient if you want to use your laptop because it is the only indoor table space. The shower was a bit cramped, but was adequate for taking a shower. They provide a small breakfast but they limit your breakfast size (One coffee/​tea, one piece of toast, one egg, and one piece of fruit) so it’s not really enough food to start the day. They don’t put out the breakfast stuff until 8am so it’s a bit inconvenient if you want to start the day early. I was waiting around for them to put the breakfast stuff out on my last day until 8:10 and simply left because they were running late.
If I find myself traveling alone to Phoenix again, I would stay at the hostel for sure. I wasn’t really impressed with the art district of Phoenix, but there are a number of great hiking opportunities (Camelback Mountain, South Mountain, Pinnacle Mountain, etc) close by and the hostel is centrally located to all of these points provided you have a car.

Spent 1 night here on my way to Flagstaff. The staff was great, I met really nice people there for the next steps of my trip. The talking table is a good idea and the kitchen is complete. However, I would say that the beds are a little bit old and make a lot of noise everything is like moving when someone walks in. Great hostel I recommend it !

We really enjoyed our stay here. Nice place – loved the pancakes! – and a nice hostelling experience. Good location, too.

I love this hostel! This is one of the best hostels I ve stayed in the US!
Great location, close to the historic art district of downtown Phoenix. The staff is super friendly and knowledgable. They do a lot of different cultural events and they are always great! I got to meet the owners and staff and I consider them my friends from now on. I highly recommend you to stay in this place! It will stay with you and in your heart. Muchas gracias por todo phx hoste!

This is hostel is amazing! The staff is incredibly friendly, talkative and will go out of their way to make your stay, not only at the hostel, but in Phoenix as great as possible. The facilities are nice, clean and very homie. The outdoor areas are perfect, and during the evening when the ferry lights are turned on it’s just the best. I sincerely hope you’ll not miss out on the weekly barbecue (organize on otherwise!) — it’s the best time, good food, a nice way to get to know your fellow travelers and the staff at the hostel and learn more about what to do in Phoenix. I planned to just stay one night but ended ended up staying two, and leaving with a love for Phoenix — mainly because of this hostel. Other plus is the low rates, good included breakfast (not the normal pancake powder a lot of the US hostels are giving ya’), the homemade map given upon check in (it has a backside full of activities and plans to make your Phoenix stay awesome) and the location (fairly central, in a nice residential area — super close to the murals and art galleries). Stay here if you’ll get the chance!

Okay, so I’m a second timer here. I swear it had been 20+ years since i visited phoenix and now i’ve been back here twice within the last year. Anyways, take a look at the photos because you are staying in a residential hostel which is basically a large house converted into an hostel.
The area for those who like an edgier feel is in an historic artist community. Not a big deal to me but there are unique small shops happening in the area. For those who do public transportation its not too bad until the walk to the hostel which can be a sauna in the summer. I mean you can wait for the bus, but its a long wait in phoenix.
An important thing about this place bring cash they do not take credit cards or checks

Nice staff, nice common room with plenty of info of what to see and do in the area, large communal table, decent sized kitchen. I only spent one night so didn’t see much else. I had the private room which has a separate entrance around the back and has a door into the common bathroom, which is shared with the mens dorm — so basically you’re sharing a mens dorm bathroom, which is kind of meh. Also the walls and door are thin and the bathroom is just on the other side, so if you’re a light sleeper you will wake up every time someone goes in the stalls or showers. There is another bathroom in the main part of the house that has a more private shower. Bed was pretty comfortable and there was a heater in the room which I didn’t use. It was cold when I was there so I can’t comment on how the air is in that room but I would wonder about that — I don’t sleep well when I’m hot.

for a hostel I think this place is as good as it gets… I paid 20/​night we even had a decent Superbowl party with food and drink, the people running the place were nice while I was there. I had a good nights rest, did laundry, and a nice shower and met some interesting and nice people… I recommend it, next time I’m in phoenix I’ll stay here again no problem =)

I’ve traveled in hostels all over the world (China, Europe, etc), and this is one of the nicest I’ve been to. Mary gets to know all of her guests personally, and creates the kind of community environment where everyone wants to hang out, make dinner together, etc. She will also provide great advice about where to go, including a walking tour of the public art that has been appearing all over Phoenix — a great way to see the city if you don’t have any other destination in mind!
We stayed in the private room with shared bathroom, and the only downside was that one of the other guests had a stomach flu that night, and the adjoining bathroom was… not very soundproof. Oh well.
Overall, a great place to meet some cool people if you’re passing through Phoenix, especially if you’re interested in art/​music/​off-​the-​beaten-​track places.

I arrived at Metcalf House at 11:30 PM on a Friday night. The hostel is located in a residential neighborhood, not a business district like most hostels. It’s in a safe part of Phoenix.
At 11:30 PM I called the number that was listed on the door of the hostel and Keith said he would be over in five minutes to let me in. It’s a cash only hostel so bring lots of green. Keith set me up with a towel for one dollar to rent while I was there. They use electronic locks with codes so you don’t need to carry around the key.
The beds were super sturdy, so no shaking of the bed. The kitchen is large and has all kinds of cooking utensils, free coffee, and the hostel included continental breakfast. The living room is huge, there’s is a very large, round table, enough to seat 10 – 12 people comfortably. There is a couch and a comfortable chair. The Wi-​Fi signal is very strong.
The only thing I wasn’t pleased about is the shower. The showers are small and if you don’t have the curtain just right inside the shower, there can be a puddle on the ground when you exit the shower.
All in all the family who runs the hostel is very nice. Mary has traveled extensively and is very amiable. She gave me the ‘local rundown’ of Phoenix, which was extremely helpful. Thanks again Mary!

The Good:
–it’s a place to stay.
The Bad:
–it’s only nominally better than just sleeping in your turned off car.
Want to know why there are no pictures of the actual sleeping area (s) of the hostel? Stay here to find out.
It’s small; co-​ed; and hot. They charge you without even inquiring if you are an HI member. They don’t even ask to confirm your membership if you tell them you are a member. I did not use the kitchen or any of the community area (s), so look elsewhere for reviews of those areas. My review is solely for the sleeping quarters. — E
Postscript. I used the showers, of course (only way to keep cool here), but cannot think of anything redeeming about them to factor in my ‘Meh. I’ve experienced better’ rating.
Post-​postscript. Perhaps my experience was unique in that the climate control was broken. Maybe you will have better luck in your stay.
Post-​post-​postscript. The elderly lady operator is pretty abrasive in her personality (especially for hospitality industry).

Very good hostel, with friendly hosts!
Great atmosphere!

This is a small, homey hostel with great atmosphere and artistic flair (definitely not your typical Hostelling Int’l hostel) in the heart of the artist district near the bus lines and a 15 minute walk to the light rail. While it was pretty empty in early September, the staff running the hostel was lovely to talk to and I enjoyed rifling through the various treasures (books, artwork, instruments). The neighborhood is safe.

I love the people, I love the decorations, the homie feel of the place. I love the staff, I love the 3 dollar beers, I love everything about it. I met so many cool people there and had the fun-​nest time walking on the streets of Phoenix during Friday artwork. I call it my 3^rd home. I love this hostel!!!

Worst hostelng experience ever.
And i’ve spent months in europe and traveled back and forth numerous times across the states in a mix of camping, friends places, motels and hostels so i’ve seen a bunch. what do you want from a hostel? to pay $ 20 for a clean place to SLEEP, did you hear that Metcalf House? SLEEP!
You have to check in by 10pm, no problem i was there at quarter of and a couple nice people showed me around and took my money, said to register in the morning. Great! I’m in the music industry so went out to walk in/​out of a few clubs to see some of the places i’ve been talking to about bookings. Had one drink, out til 2am, went back to the hostel where 5 germans were snoring teutonic and I joined the chorus. Alls well! Until morning.
At 7:30 i’m rudely awakened by a grey haired woman who wanted to know if i’d mind registering. i said i would! i’m (wait for it) SLEEPING! (um, thats why i’m here). she insisted and said i had to get up and register, because some people run off. i said YOU’VE ALREADY GOT MY MONEY! which was news to her so she went away. For an hour.
at 8:30 she slammed the door open (all germans gone, just me «sleeping»), came bashing through with a vacuum, singing. i asked if she could not see that i was SLEEPING?! she suggested that i expected too much, that i should pay $ 50 for a hotel, i said BS the reason people go to hostels like this is to pay $ 20 to SLEEP! supposedly, i had until noon, and had planned to sleep from 2−10am. she said i should «cry to your momma» about it (um, yes, instead of me peacefully sleeping this really happened) and i said no, I’d Unilocal about it, at which point she offered me $ 5 back. I said no, i just want to be LEFT ALONE TO SLEEP! but she kept at me so i hit the showers and took off. and true to my word, here i am:
If you like SLEEP, and peace from a really nasty and sadistic woman (why in the world would this ogre get into hospitality??) find another place!

Run by a lovely hippie holdover desert rat, this hostel is your typical bunks in a large room affair. Decent enough AC to keep you alive and comfortable (even cold) over night. Ridiculously great kitchen (I had to change my boxers after seeing the range) and amazing table for large group meals.
As far as hostels go there isn’t much to complain about.
Except the bunk beds. They’re frighteningly creaky. One strong earthquake and you’ve got squished hostelers.
Walking distance to downtown, a handful of decent bars and a punk venue.
Makes me happy.
The many hostel (the movie) accouterments lying about are a bit terrifying — crowbar, saw, hatchet
. The torture porn possibilities are endless!
Fortunately our group left with all of our fingers and toes.