Bmorebunks Hostel in Baltimore — Hotel in Baltimore

I would give this place 1,000 stars if I could. I am shocked it doesn't have any reviews. My sister was stranded in Baltimore for the day/night waiting for her train in the morning. I stumbled on Bmorebunks by chance while looking for hotels near Penn Station on Google Maps. I found out this place was literally a 3 minute walk and extremely affordable, so I called the number provided and (the owner I believe?) Amslest was so helpful and genuinely seemed concerned and wanted to help when I told her the situation. She explained the process for the hostel since my sister and I have both never stayed in one. She let the host, Hugh, know she was coming. My sister could not find the place as she is not very tech savvy and was having a panic attack outside of the building. Hugh noticed her in the street and did not hesitate to go help her and calm her down. My sister did not have her debit card so they explained how I could book it online for her. Once Hugh told her what a hostel was all about she handed the phone to me and he explained everything about the hostel and how it worked to me to make me more comfortable about her stay. He also heard her situation and said he would personally make sure she was ready for her train in the morning. He also exchanged numbers with me to keep me updated and if he needed to get ahold of me regarding anything for the night. Once settled in, my sister was very anxious as she had never been to Baltimore and was literally stuck there. Hugh and the other host, whose name I did not catch, absolutely made her as comfortable as possible and eased a lot of the stress that she had. From the time she was there til the time she left they were all beyond helpful. On top of that, my sister said it was an absolutely beautiful hostel. She said everything was clean and modern but with that historical touch. She said the rooms were nice and the communal rec room was quiet and everyone was respectful of one another. With the rise in COVID cases she said she did not feel at risk of exposure in this hostel, even with it being shared spaces. They provided her with service you wouldn't find at a 5 star hotel. Hugh even texted her when she was on the train and asked her if she got the window seat she was telling him she wanted. Amslest was friendly from the second she answered the phone and was extremely understanding and helpful. Her willingness to help (even being in a completely different area might I add) and coordinate with Hugh to make sure my sister got situated did not go unnoticed. Without their help my sister would have ended up sleeping on a bench at Penn Station. I would hug them both if I could! I HIGHLY recommend this place to anyone visiting Baltimore. I might just visit Baltimore myself to experience the hospitality of this place and see what Baltimore...

It seems hosteling is a thing of the past. It wasn't that long ago there were many great hostels from coast to coast. Now they're hard to find and, when one finds one, it's not remotely what it once was. They're way more expensive and not nearly as nice or communal. It's sad to witness the slow death of a beloved institution.

Bmorebunks hostel isn't really a hostel in the old sense of the term. There aren't a flow of people coming into and leaving a cool place. The place is essentially just the basement of a row house. The bunks themselves are not comfortable. There's no communal space and it has almost no traffic. But it's saving grace is the guy who runs it. Hugh is an old hosteling dude and he really gets it. He goes far out of his way to try to make each person's stay a good one. He's one of the best hostel managers I've ever met and dare I say the best among those who didn't actually own the place. Keep in mind I'm 62 and have been a hosteler for 40+ years. I've probably stayed in hundreds of places. If that guy were put in charge of a place worthy of the title "Hostel", he'd make it very special.

One more thought on the City of Baltimore itself. I attended school at Johns Hopkins in the early to mid "80s. Baltimore is more upscale now, though it still has its share of slums. Unfortunately, the city has done what a lot of cities have done by making it very hard for tourists to find decent parking. When I attended Hopkins, it was free to park almost anywhere. Now, good luck finding any place where it's free to park for over two hours.

Perhaps city officials fail to realize that this makes Baltimore a far less desirable place to visit for those not traveling by plane or train. The food is good, there's lots to see, but plan to spend $25 a day just to park your car and good luck not getting a ticket anyway. It's complex to even figure out where it's allegedly okay to park and where it's not. Thought I had it figured out and got a $59 ticket anyway. On top of the $50 I probably spent to park over a few days. All of which leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I live on the west coast now and I'll be in no hurry to return...

Review

This is the last hostel-like space operating in Baltimore. It’s in a convenient location, with a shared kitchen with microwave, stovetop, kitchen ware & refrigerator. But it’s a misrepresentation to call this a hostel. The landlord is renting this as an apt & as a hostel concurrently. There are no private rooms. Though both long-term residents are nice, this creates tension, confusion & problems. The cost does not match what’s being offered. For $25/night this might be worth the hassle, for $50/night it is criminal!

This is a basement level apartment in a row house converted to a 2-bunk hostel with a kitchen/sitting room, a shared, 1-person, full bathroom & a laundry room. The door code I received by text didn’t work. A note on the back door offered a # to call. A friendly volunteer concierge came within 5 minutes to open the door. I was told the lock was broken & has been for some time. I would need someone to open it for me each time I went out. The concierge, one of two, full-time, live-in residents, is friendly, helpful, conversant & knowledgeable about the area. He receives free rent for this service. The other resident pays full though low-cost rent & is permanently installed in the shared sitting room. Neither knew to expect me. The floors, windows sills, kitchen & sink were dirty (dead bugs, hair, tp, dust). The TV is on day & night. Neither street-facing bedroom window in the women’s bunk locks, both have duct tape on them for closure. The absentee landlord has set up a system that is untenable. It is violation of tenant laws have have tenants, short or long-term, in a space with no secure...