Zenith Basecamp — Hotel in Duluth

I hardly ever leave reviews, and I do not want to bring the star rating down on a very young business that is still working out the kinks as I think there is a lot of lovely intention in this place, but I did experience some issues while staying here that I wish I would have known about before booking. I hope others can find this helpful. I have stayed in many hostels worldwide, including private rooms, bunkrooms, and mattress rooms. There is a bit of confusion here in the online language. These rooms are built to look like private rooms but the walls go up to about 1 foot below the ceiling and then are covered in wooden slats with large spaces in between that are filled in with what seems to be a paper-like screen. Think sound proofing about on the same level as a bathroom stall. This would not be a problem if it was well-communicated/there was ample signage on-premise/there were people on-premise enforcing quiet hours, but because 1. There is the illusion of private rooms and it is not just a bunk room or mattress room where the other guests would simply self-enforce quiet hours for sleeping time (especially since this is a hostel geared towards folks doing outdoor activities) and 2. Many people do not read their information emails other guests do not adhere to quiet hours. The man to one side of us was incredibly loud upon his arrival around midnight (then snored louder with each breath and we could hear him like he was in bed with us), and the two women on our other side who had been out to a concert beforehand rolled in loud as can be at 1 am and stayed up and loudly partied until 2 or 3 in the morning, even after multiple attempts at asking them to quiet down. To me, especially when the ownership clearly poured a lot of money and intention into this concept, having the rooms appear private with a full opening at the top is a very bizarre design flaw. The second issue that we had was communication from the numbers that you are to text in case of any issues, as there is not staff there around the clock. We had a parking issue (someone took our reserved spot) so we reached out about that to no response. We also had our digital key stop working the morning before checkout so were stuck outside quite early in the morning while we were packing up. We called and texted the number provided to try to get back in to get our dog so we could get on the road, and ended up having to wait almost an hour for someone to exit so we could get back inside and had our day's plans delayed. I still have not heard back from anyone. All of that said, the place was extremely clean, well-appointed, comfortable, and very charming. These however were two pretty big issues for us that I do hope see some improvement as the business gets...

Stayed one night and was able to get a reasonably priced rate during a big event weekend in Duluth (Tall Ships).

Great location within walking distance of some notable restaurants/breweries (ex. Duluth Grill, Ursa Minor).

I stayed in the Gooseberry room on the main level. Very clean, quiet, and nice A/C. Clean bathroom right next door, and a kitchenette nearby with a small fridge, sink, and Keurig to make coffee/cocoa (FYI- bring your own K-cups).

The staff was very friendly and responded quickly via text to my questions/help I needed during my stay.

I enjoyed the cocktail bar (Altitude) and shop (Free Air) inside the building— friendly staff at each spot. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that you get a discount at the shop if you’re staying at the hostel.

Only pain point I ran into was parking by the building when I arrived to unload my car. It’s a 15 minute parking spot (plus one handicapped spot, IIRC). It was full when I arrived, so I had to park in my designated spot across the street and had to make a few trips back and forth to get my stuff into my room. It would be nice to have more than one door/spot on the building to unload/pick up from, but due to its size/layout, I’m not sure if that’s possible.

Also a big call out, for anyone looking to stay here— your smartphone is your key into your room/the building after hours. Be mindful of this so you can avoid getting locked out (ex. carry a phone charger). If this could be a concern/problem, this might not be the best place for you to stay.

In conclusion— I would definitely book another stay here in the future. Until next...

Pleasant stay and nice location. The check-in seemed confusing at first but worked really well, and overall, I felt secure and safe. Enjoyed the communal spaces of the hostel. Shower/restrooms were spacious and clean. The rooms were clean and comfy as well.

The kitchenette area was a nice addition. I do wish there was maybe a sign on where to put my dishes to dry, and how they're cleaned. The plates seemed more on the cheaper side and seemed to hold onto grime and grease. I could see signs of use and how some weren't washed so thoroughly, so I made sure to wash mine quite thoroughly for the next guests who may use them. The mugs were sturdy and nice though.

Pillows and beds were comfortable and made for a good sleep after a long day of walking. Sheets were nice and clean. The comforters were a little rough. I had brought my own blanket, so I used that instead.

Overall, enjoyed the vibes the Basecamp brought. The ambience it gave off felt fresh, new, welcoming, and ready for adventure. Enjoyed it for the price as well. Great stay overall! Would definitely come again solo or...