Washington DC has become a sort of annual event for our club. Each year we find new ways to make it more educational, provide members with an opportunity to meet people working in our field, and to learn and practice networking skills.
Previous years have included a member guided monument tour, a visit to the Institute for the Study of War (and Peace), and tours of buildings such as the Pentagon and Capital. In addition we've had a chance to meet Augusta State alumni working in the city.
The dates of the trip this year are May 11-15
This year, we're going to be taking the Amtrak to Washington and staying in a Hostel.
For those that have never stayed in a hostel before, here is some information about what a hotel is (and isn't). Hint: Anything you saw in that movie - it's not (because we know Hollywood is always a completely accurate depiction of reality)
http://hiwashingtondc.orgFrom HI-DC
What is a hostel?
Hostels provide friendly, inexpensive overnight accommodations for travelers. Unlike hotel chains that tend to be isolating and often generic in what they offer, hostels foster meaningful, life-changing experiences through programs and cultural exploration.
All Hostelling International-USA (HI-USA) locations assure guests the utmost in quality standards including cleanliness, security and service. A key component to achieving this level of quality and value is our stringent, annual inspection to ensure compliance with our standards – both for the physical property and guest service. HI-USA is a 501(c)3 non-profit and our mission is: “To help all, especially the young, gain a greater understanding of the world and its people through hostelling.” We exist to foster cultural exchange that, ultimately, promotes peace between people from across the globe.
Accommodations are dormitory-style shared rooms with separate quarters for men and women. Some hostels provide co-ed rooms, as well. All hostels provide blankets and pillows. Most offer fully-equipped, self-service kitchens or cafeterias, dining areas, secure storage, and common rooms for relaxing and socializing with other travelers. Some have laundry facilities, travel libraries, and concierge service. There are a few that even have hot tubs, swimming pools, barbecues and an ocean at its front door! Most urban hostels have secure 24-hour access and are handicapped accessible.
What does Hostelling International-Washington, DC offer?
HI-Washington, DC (HI-DC) is a state-of-the-art hostel, located in the White House neighborhood of the capital city. We are just 8 blocks from the White House and the National Mall (home to world famous – and usually free – monuments, museums, and galleries), 3 blocks from the Metro, and 1 block from the bus stop and a taxi stand.
Written by Carrie:
Guidelines
- A Government-issued driver’s license or photo ID is required at check-in.
- HI-Washington DC is drug free, smoke free, and alcohol free. You are not to bring alcohol into the hostel at any time - they have the right to ask us to leave if we violate these rules.
- There are lockers provided in the rooms, these will hold a large duffel bag or small carry-on size luggage. Pack light. You must provide your own lock! There are large luggage storage facilities for an additional fee. Also, the lock needs to be slightly bigger than a luggage lock, slightly smaller than a school lock - it’s not a very wide hole to put the lock in, I ended up having a lock to big when I visited
- You will be provided a key card to enter/leave the hostel common areas as well as your room. DO NOT LOSE THIS.
- If you have friends/family in the DC area who want to visit, they are welcome to be with you in the lobby, and the common areas on the 2nd floor, but only people staying at the hostel are allowed in the sleeping areas (3rd floor and higher).
- You will be provided a receipt when we check in with your check in/check out date, room number and bed number. You need to have that on you AT ALL TIMES in the hostel. They could ask to see it if they question your being there. DO NOT LOSE THIS!
About staying in a hostel
Hostelling International is an international chain of hostels. In the US there are hostels in NYC (which I highly recommend - that place was crazy fun!), LA, Hawaii, Chicago, DC, Boston...etc. etc etc. There are even HI hostels in lesser travelled areas - like northern Minnesota (for camping and ice fishing?). Internationally there are HI hostels all over the place! From England to India, from Vietnam to Argentina! Anywhere in the world you want to go, there is an HI hostel nearby. There is a membership fee which gets you access to all the hostels, area discounts, and free travel insurance. Because we are travelling with a group, you won’t be asked to buy it. If you are interested though, you can get it at the front desk.
The biggest thing about hostelling is making sure you have the right mindset and expectations. If you are expecting anything like you get in a hotel you will be sorely disappointed, and will probably not have a good time.
Staying in a hostel is a lot like staying in a dorm. Each room has 6 bunk beds, you will be assigned a bed. Since we are travelling as a group, they will try to keep us together, however it’s not a guarantee. The rooms are not co-ed. It will be all females in a room, all males in another. There is one male and one female bathroom on each floor. Each bathroom has three shower stalls. Keep in mind, there are ideal times to try to shower and less ideal times. Though, I didn’t find the wait too long at HI-DC (if you ever stay at HI-NYC, plan your showers ahead!). Also, HI-DC (like all HI hostels) is a non profit organization. Which means there is not a lot of staff, mostly volunteers, so the cleaning crew is sparse. So, be mindful and clean up after your self. Leave common areas the way you would want to come into them! In other words, ladies, if you shed in the shower - take your hair with you and throw it away, would you want to get in after a girl to all her hair in the drain?
The hostel will provide linens for the beds, however, you might find it more comfortable to bring your own blanket, or popular among hostelers is something called a sleep sheet. This is like a sleeping bag made out of two sheets. This way you don’t have to use the hostel sheets. They sell for 20-60 on Amazon. Silk is the lightest weight, easiest to carry. You can not bring a sleeping bag. The hostels don’t allow them because it is too easy for bugs to hitchhike on them.
It is very important to lock your valuables: jewelery, electronics, etc. Bring as few as possible. Clothes, soaps/shampoos, hair brushes, shoes, etc generally are left alone. If you have a nice outfit to hang, generally you’re able to hang it on the bunk somewhere. When I am lucky enough to have the bottom bunk, I slide shoes and clothes under my bed, so there is more room in the locker for important stuff.
There are extra lockers for purchase downstairs, but if you get into them in the middle of the day, you have to pay the fee again to lock it back up. I used them in NYC when we had a late flight, I store my luggage in it after check out until we left for home.
DO NOT OVER PACK! Staying in a hotel is not like staying a hotel! There are no drawers to put clothes in, or closets to store things! You have your bed, and a locker. That’s it.
Tip: You may be sharing a room with other people not in the club, if we arrive back late, you don’t want to disturb sleeping people by rummaging through your things. I learned this trick (the hard way) at the HI-NYC location: lock up your valuables, before you leave for the day put the things you need for the evening such as shampoo, pajamas, etc...on your bed, where you can easily find them in the dark!
Remember: There are 5 other people in your room and you don’t know exactly when they’ll be coming and going. Do not leave things in the middle of the floor. At HI-NYC, someone had a huge suitcase in the middle of the floor, when we came back at 3 am, we all nearly tripped over it and hurt ourselves.
Quiet hours at the hostel are 11pm-7am daily and they are very strict about this. Make phone calls and use computers in the common areas. Have conversations in the hall (in hushed tones) or take it down to a common area. There will be plenty of night-owls hanging out at the pool table or the TV room if you’re not ready to make your way to bed yet. The rooms are for sleeping. TVs are downstairs. There is Free Wi-Fi in the hostel. There is also computer stations for a small fee ($0.05/minute).
Breakfast is provided 7:30-9:30am. It is a small breakfast: several types of cereal, bagels, muffins, orange juice and fruit. You have to wash your own dishes anytime you use any of the kitchen’s dishes. There are areas to store your own food (supermarket up the street) and community spices/condiments if you want to cook something.
What the Hostel Provides
- 24 hour front desk service and security
- No curfew, no lock-out
- Free in-room lockers (provide your own lock), linens, and towels
- Free continental breakfast
- Free wi-fi
- Pool table, books, puzzles, games
- Common room with couches, Internet stations, information center
- TV room
- Fully-equipped, self-service kitchen area
- Laundry facilities
- Luggage storage (additional fee)
- Organized tours, movie nights, and other programs (i.e barhopping) - free of charge
Overall, a hostel is a safe, fun alternative to traditional hotels. They provide an opportunity to meet fellow travellers from around the world and provide planned activities that you can partake in. They are a considerably less expensive alternative to hotels which frees up money to do other things!
