What it’s Like to run a Rural Hostel
There are many different types of hostels. From party and chill hostels to adventure hostels and wellness hostels, travelers can find just about anything when it comes to booking a hostel. But for someone who wants to start a hostel, there can be a decision to make: rural or urban?
For this series, we spoke with a handful of hostel owners, both those who run rural hostels and those who run urban hostels, to get a better understanding of what it’s like to run the different types of hostels, and how there are unique pros and cons to each setup.
Dave Cook, who owns Barndoor Hostel in Rumney, New Hampshire, touched on some of the challenges and rewards of operating a hostel in a small town like Rumney. Barndoor Hostel, which sits on 9 acres of land in the town of Rumney, caters to all travelers but especially the outdoorsy type and the adventurers. While the hostel has been able to identify and target its specific type of travelers, it’s sometimes the things that happen outside the hostel that can make things difficult.
“When you run a business in a town of 1,400 people, you’re a big influence on the town. We see more than 1,400 people often,” said Cook. “In a city environment, you can live on the fringe a little bit more. In rural towns, there might only be three other businesses, and then all of a sudden you’re 25% of everyone’s attention.”
That extra attention, as Cook pointed out, means that as a business owner, there is more of a concentrated focus on you as an individual, which can mean being more aware of how you carry yourself on a day-to-day basis and also managing the politics of a smaller community. But at the end of the day, the hostel can become a hub of community on its own, and the main focus for any owner is the guest experience. From a traveler’s standpoint, Cook acknowledged some of the things that he and his staff do at the hostel to make guests feel comfortable, since even though they’re likely seeking out an adventurous activity or an extreme sport, they also need to feel at ease when they arrive.
“When you’re in a city, people are used to the movement and the motion and the chaos. But if you’re traveling to some rural destination, even if you’re there for adventure, subconsciously, you want the relaxation, the nature, the calmness,” said Cook. “So reflecting that into your space is very important.”
To achieve that, Cook pointed out some things that they do at Barndoor to create a welcoming environment. Making your space feel like home, he said, is one thing that they lean on. Specifically, creating good sensory experiences for people, such as having good music that is appropriate, making sure that the place smells good, and that things look in order and fit the aesthetic of the experience they came for.
“There’s no better feeling than coming home after traveling. People just want comfort. If you make your place that, they’re relieved to get there, and that releases people’s tensions and fears,” said Cook.
While there are things that hostel owners can do to set the vibe for their travelers, being located in a more remote area versus a more urban area can also create more challenges when it comes to staffing, since people who work and volunteer in hostels might be drawn more to the amenities of a city and want to have a variety of options when it comes to their day-to-day life.
“Being in a small town already limits your applicant pool for staffing. In a city hostel, you basically have an infinite number of applicants who want to go to XYZ city,” said Cook. “When you’re rural, you need those people to already like where you are.”
Haley Gowland, who owns CoHo Hostel in Conway, New Hampshire, also talked about the challenges of building a staff in a more rural area, which may have less draw than a major city.
“Especially if they’re younger or don’t have a car, it can be tricky,” said Gowland. “You have to have a strong sense of self and stability and resiliency to be alone, and if there’s discomfort there, you need to be able to work through that.”
While the CoHo Hostel is located in a town of almost 10,000 people, with shops and businesses in close proximity, Gowland acknowledged that there are points where a staff member might be alone. Whereas in a city environment, there is an abundance of things to do and a variety of ways to get around, being in a more remote or rural area means finding ways to entertain yourself during downtime.
On the flip side, Gowland pointed out how heavily she and her team emphasize team culture at the hostel as a way to maintain positive morale and prevent staff members from feeling isolated in a more rural area.
“We really work to make sure that they know they’re respected and that we want them to be comfortable and happy here,” said Gowland. That approach, Gowland said, has led to high retention rates amongst staff, and she even pointed out how many staff have come back to work at the hostel even if it’s later down the road.
“Word spreads, and people apply for that reason. They feel they have autonomy in this place. That’s become our greatest asset, and it comes from setting the culture,” said Gowland. By putting that first, as Gowland said, it creates a buy-in from the staff. “It comes from the top, and if we treat people well, it all works from there.”
Since a hostel that is more exposed to the elements, like CoHo and Barndoor, requires dealing with more yardwork and outdoor maintenance than a city hostel, having volunteers or staff who actually enjoy doing chores like shoveling snow or weeding can be tricky, but as Gowland said, it only takes having one or two staff members who are up for the task to keep things balanced within the staff. Understanding people's strengths and communicating that, she said, is important and helps keep everyone on staff happy.
