This was my first time EVER staying in a youth hostel and I did it because there was no reasonable priced place to stay in Bozeman. I am so happy that I did elect to stay, as I was able to spend multiple days at the Museum of the Rockies and in the parks around town.
I was switched to the 4-bed women’s dorm and it was a very pleasant experience. I met many young women who were staying for short or longer stays, working in Bozeman or waiting for the bus to their summer work in Yellowstone. I was definitely the ‘grandmother’ of the facility, but after the first day I did not feel out-of-place. The staff are all young and helpful, respectful and interesting in their own right.
The place is cleaned daily, so it is like a home with a lot of family members: it will be spotless right after cleaning, but needing cleaning again after several hours of many people living in the facility. I was contented with the cleanliness. As an older person, I was happy that breakfast was available until 11am, as some mornings I am slower than others. But the beds were a bit harder than I like, so if you require a soft mattress you will not be happy here. However, I found that by the time I left after 5 nights, I had adjusted to the harder mattress and was getting very good rest. This is a YOUTH hostel, so I did not expect anything different. I did find that the quiet time (llama - 8am) was enforced and that it was very quiet, almost without exception. There was construction overhead (a temporary issue) during my time and I even got used to that after a few nights in. I loved that the hostel was not only downtown, but also that it was in the basement so that the nights were quite cool. With all 4 beds occupied, however, the women’s dorm did get very warm; fans are provided, which really helped.
If you cannot afford to pay the high rates of Bozeman, MT, do not decide you cannot travel there: I definitely recommend you try this hostel, even if it is your very first time in one! Travel with love in your heart and all will be well.