Friday, November 14, 1997
Hostel hospitality
A diverse group of travellers are attracted to Los Angeles’
youth hostels for their affordability, ambient atmosphere and
promise of life experiencesBy Sam Toussi
Daily Bruin Contributor
Sunday in Philadelphia: stay in a nice youth hostel. Clean
bathrooms, nice bed, good people, good security.
Monday in Cleveland: stay in a youth hostel. Filthy, need to
wear boots in shower, man passed out in elevator, seemingly as a
result of an overdose. Nobody cares. He just rides up and down
until the manager sees him and calls the hospital.
These two hypothetical places seem to have nothing in common.
That is, except for their purpose.
For years, youth hostels have accommodated young people looking
to travel and expand their sphere of knowledge. The area around
UCLA is no exception to that rule. Los Angeles provides a vast
cross-section of different hostels, housing various nationalities
and ethnic groups.
"It allows young people to see the world with their own eyes
without prejudice or stereotypes," says Fernando Bautista, a
front-desk clerk for the American Youth Hostel on 2nd Street in
Santa Monica.
Another benefit of these youth hostels is the cost. Usually,
hostels cost about $15-$20 a day compared with motels and hotels
that charge anywhere between $50-$200 a night.
There is a trade-off here, though. Some hostels are not the
cleanest of places. Some hostels in New York and Europe are so
filthy, it would be impossible to feel comfortable standing on the
shower floor in the bathroom.
Yet, there are many hostels around the world that defy that
image. One of those is the American Youth Hostel, a division of
Hostelling International. The American Youth Hostel puts many other
hostels to shame.
The hostel has a study, a lounge and lush furniture in front of
a huge fireplace. And it is so clean and well-kept that it makes
Sproul Hall look like a condemned apartment building.
"This is really top-of-the-line," says Joe Haroushe, a
49-year-old man who has stayed in hostels all over the world since
1964. "Facility wise, cleanliness, security, this (the American
Youth Hostel) is one of the best hostels I’ve ever stayed at."
A main reason why Hostelling International maintains a high
standard is that it is a chain. Most hostels that have high
standards are chains while the private hostels are often less
desirable.
"A lot of people who stay here go to other hostels in the L.A.
area," Bautista says. "A lot of them come back because the private
hostel they stayed was so bad. They’ve got some real horror
stories."
But it is all a matter of what the traveler wants. Along with
the cleanliness of the chain hostels come strict alcohol and drug
policies. At the American Youth Hostel, any guests found with
alcohol or drugs are immediately asked to leave.
"It’s a matter of safety," says Bautista. "It keeps a situation
from developing. You want to prevent a problem, and one drink
usually leads to another, and then everything gets out of
hand."
Some of the youths at these hostels miss the drugs and alcohol
they would like to party with but also understand the need for
security.
"Yeah, it’s a little sterile," says Noah Rubenstein, 26, a
native of Australia staying at the American Youth Hostel. "They
should have a certain area for drinking or something. But
security-wise, it’s really good."
Meanwhile, at some private hostels, alcohol and drugs run
rampant, and the security system is mainly based on screaming for
help.
"It’s like a 24-hour party," says 24-year-old Jonathan Neblett,
who is staying at the Banana Bungalo in Hollywood. "The people here
are great, the drugs are great. What else could you ask for?"
Though illegal drugs are sometimes easily accessible in private
youth hostels, those familiar with the hostel circuit are quick to
downplay the influence of drugs in hostels across America.
"Nobody wants hostels to get a reputation for being drug havens
because we don’t want anybody conservative to start cracking down
on us," says Banana Bungalo guest Jody Watkins, 20.
Nobody wants that less than Watkins, who has been traveling by
hostels since she ran away from home when she was 17. She has
become somewhat of an expert in the field since.
"Truth be told, nobody comes here for the drugs or because it’s
like a party," Watkins says. "People come here because they don’t
have a lot of money and they want a place to stay."
Hostels all have that in common. They all offer drifters,
backpackers, artists and young foreigners a chance to experience
everything across America.
Jonathan Neblett, a writer of short stories and poems, has been
traveling from hostel to hostel for half a year.
"I never went to college," Neblett says. "This is my education,
to go cross country and see all kinds of different people. You can
learn something from anyone. People come and go from these places,
and so I meet a lot of people. My frame of reference for my writing
gets good."
For people like Neblett, however, the benefits of loose
restrictions and low prices far outweigh the negligible cleanliness
in many hostels.
"The chances of me getting really rich are slim," Neblett says.
"Sure I’d like a place with marble floors and a down bed and a
pristine bathroom that only I use, but while there’s nothing in my
pockets but lint, it’s a great way to have fun and learn new
things, too."
Some of those who travel from hostel to hostel are not as
hopeful. For these people, youth hostels act as refuges, a place of
tolerance. Rose Kozlov, 21, is only staying at a private hostel in
Hollywood while her application to a drug rehabilitation clinic is
reviewed.
"I was a heroin addict while I was in high school," Kozlov says.
"I was clean for about six months after I checked into a clinic in
Minnesota, but I relapsed in Boston."
For many in Kozlov’s situation, the road to recovery can turn
into a catch-22.
"A lot of clinics don’t want me because they know I went into
one and relapsed," Kozlov says. "I’d be homeless right now if it
weren’t for these hostels."
Another frequenter of hostels, "Andy," (he preferred to not have
his real name used in this article.) was diagnosed as being HIV
positive a year ago. He left his home in Trenton, New Jersey, when
he was diagnosed and began to travel across the country with no
particular destination in mind.
"I just couldn’t believe it," "Andy" says. "I guess it’s a
cliché to say I never thought it would happen to me, but I
guess that’s true. I just wander now from city to city, see
different places, you know. The hostels are great because you’ve
got a lot of open-minded people here."
Still, youth hostels are not synonymous with drugs, HIV and
desperation. For the most part, most people who frequent youth
hostels are travelers, young people exploring the world.
And even within the hostels, young people get to explore the
world because hostels have some very diverse populations.
"We get people from everywhere, from every nation in Europe, to
South America and Africa," Bautista says. "We get Japanese kids who
have never seen a black person; we get South Americans who have
never seen a Korean person."
In fact, there is such a high percentage of foreigners at these
youth hostels, that when asked if he would do an interview for the
Daily Bruin, Geoff Reese, 19, replied, "Why? I’m just an
American."
But perhaps Reese fails to see the point. In these hostels, it
doesn’t matter where you’re from. Only where you’re going.
The American Youth Hostel is located on 2nd Street in Santa
Monica. Call 393-3413 for more information. The Banana Bungalo is
located at 2775 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. Call (213) 851-1129 for
more information.
HELEN ASIANIAN
Two people lounge comfortably in the eating area of a youth
hostel.HELEN ASIANIAN
A lone couple enjoys a poignant moment together in a hostel.