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With many of the properties up for sale being in prime locations for fans of the outdoors, could you be tempted into buying one?
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By stwhannah
Get the full story here:
https://singletrackmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/20-yha-hostels-up-for-sale/
I'll bet not many of them stay on as Franchised hostels.
Indeed, if the yha can't make enough on them to keep their charitable commitments going I can't see a franchisee managing it.
they've tried to sell Streatley a couple of times before; most recently just before covid.
The building was donated to the YHA on the basis it was to continue to be available to young people for holidays.
I'm quite surprised they're trying again, but I fear covid may have stopped a lot of the school parties. As - of course - has Brexit. It used to be heavily used by European kids all year.
I'm conflicted by this in that most of the YHAs I've stayed in over the last 40 years have been crap and staffed by borderline sociopaths .... but the idea that kids/young adults have somewhere cheap to go is still very noble. Sadly they're no longer cheap places to stay and haven't been for at least 10 years.
£850k for a building that big in Streatley? Bargain.
£850k for a building that big in Streatley?
Bargain
The covenants on the sale will be taking a lot more than that off the price. Of course fighting the enforcement of them is likely cheaper than getting them removed.
kids/young adults have somewhere cheap to go
I'm a YHA member and honestly you don't see many kids (except with families) or young adults. They might be better named Middle Class Hostels given the number of Audis / Mercs you often find parked. It probably hasn't helped that they've only done full rooms during covid and also there are a lot of other accommodation options that can be cheaper like Travelodge. They can regularly cost over £100/night for a family but one advantage they do have over many AirBnBs is you can book just one night.
Some choice locations up for sale there, and for less than I'd expected.
I’m conflicted by this in that most of the YHAs I’ve stayed in over the last 40 years have been crap and staffed by borderline sociopaths …. but the idea that kids/young adults have somewhere cheap to go is still very noble. Sadly they’re no longer cheap places to stay and haven’t been for at least 10 years.
YHA lost its way years ago, tried to become more corporate, tried to make more money - a lot of those old buildings cost a fortune to maintain and heat - and tried to lose it's old fuddy duddy cycle tourist image. At one point, I'm fairly sure there was a rule or at least an acceptance that you arrived by foot or bike.
Problem is now in the internet age you can find accommodation and book a room in seconds including places that would never show up in any tourist brochure or travel guide and they never got their heads around that. Covid didn't help obviously but their aim of block booking for schoolkids put a lot of people off as well.
I remember a group of us staying in the Ambleside hostel the night before the Fred Whitton (cos it was the only place that could accommodate about 8-10 of us from the cycle club) and we got zero sleep due to the place being overrun by hordes of [s]little shits[/s] delightful schoolchildren setting off the fire alarm and running along the corridors.
You're wrong about them no longer being cheap Elshal. I stayed at the Patterdale one (which is up for sale) 2 weeks ago and it cost me £15 a night. Beautiful location for a hostel that one. Shall we stw crowd fund to buy it and employ me to run it please. 😄
It is a shame that they wont be there any longer but not completely surprising. I tried to stay in one in the Easter holidays with my kids and it was cheaper to stay at the Premier inn down the road.
I echo the sentiments of many here. I love the principle of YHA. But... when we did have a young family and ££ were tighter, the cost for 3 of us it started to get too high travel lodge or similar where it was per room).
And also then once we'd got a dawgie (who was infinitely better behaved than many kids in YHAs) there was a no dog rule even with a sole-occupancy room. So camping it was, and the occasional travel lodge as they welcome well behaved pets, as do many AirBnBs
Another conflicted one here.
Through uni and the 90's I used Youth Hostels a lot. They were great - affordable and usually in nice places. Being able to cater for yourself was a winner.
Through the late 90s and 2000's we tried to use them - but fell foul of a few issues.
- a growing lack of self awareness such as one set of hillwalkers getting up at 5am and putting on the dorm lights as they had not packed the night before, or the time when a group of kids was running wild around a group of parents.
- prices increased. A lot. Particularly for a family of 5 we found self catering cheaper.
- struggling to book due to their popularity - seems in the 2000's a new generation discovered them.
- just a lack of comfort in some. Plastic mattresses, creaky beds, cold showers etc all wore thin, and we wondered if camping might be better.
I *do* think there is need for hostels - but I wonder if the old buildings that most have are so expensive to run, and building new low energy, smaller roomed and more flexible spaces might be economically and environmentally better.
I am speaking at an event with someone senior from YHA next week - I will ask her about it all and get her take.
I’ll bet not many of them stay on as Franchised hostels.
It does seem rather unlikely. I guess if they need cash quick and these are the profitable ones it could work but I somewhat doubt thats the case.
I've tried booking YHA hostels on and off lately but been thwarted every time either because the hostel is closed or it was fully booked, presumably by a group, it's a pity, and I'm sorry to see the network being dismantled through these sales, especially hostels outside the more popular national park areas, where YHAs might bring in a few folks locally, and certainly do help for those doing long distance walking or cycling, the latter actively now being promoted by CyclingUK (and other) off-road bike-packing routes such as KAW etc...
So yes, alas it's a Premier Inn for me and my son in Buxton in a week's time, as opposed to a YHA, which I would have preferred for our pootle around the White Peak.
I’ll bet not many of them stay on as Franchised hostels.
Skiddaw House, which was up for sale last year, has a clause in its deeds that it must remain as a hostel until 2027.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/nov/19/skiddaw-house-market-for-sale-lake-district
There's probably a load of hassle with some of those properties to go through if a change of use is sought (like conversion to a private mansion) and the fact that the article says preference will be given to people prepared to continue them as hostels seems to reflect at least a desire to maintain the status quo. Although maybe it'd be doable to run it as a hostel for a year or so then close due to "lack of demand" or something and seek change of use...?
To also add: there are some private hostels and most campsites rammed with guests and making a profit. I am puzzled how an organisation such as YHA cannot make hostels like Hathersage, Minehead, Patterdale etc pay...
Blimey, more than a couple of beauties in there. Eyam & Hathersage close to "home" (once), but yes probably a fortune to heat and / or modernise so half a million would be a starting point.
Indeed, if the yha can’t make enough on them to keep their charitable commitments going I can’t see a franchisee managing it.
SYHA closed a number of hostels a long time ago, some of them are run quite successfully as backpackers hostels. They are generally a bit scruffier, and the staff are young dreamers rather than grumpy outdoors people - but the right hostel in the right location can make it work. Energy costs must be crippling them now though. Still they seem to have high occupancy levels.
They aren't cheap for a family, especially as their child protection rules will stop young kids sharing with strangers, but for a solo traveller actually they are still a good option.
I suppose the YHA network has always been in a state of flux, have a look at this long list of long forgotten hostels:
The Atherton's could buy Corris - it's only about 5-10 minutes away.
Ahhhh some happy memories. Stayed in LOADS of youth hostels in the 80 growing up. Fond memories of all of them.
Really surprised to to Patterdale on that list.
Ahhhh some happy memories. Stayed in LOADS of youth hostels in the 80 growing up. Fond memories of all of them.
I've still got a few of the old Tim Woodcock "MTB touring" books - Lakeland Loop, Coast-to-Coast off road etc - and in the back, scribbled in pencil, are the prices of the various hostels. £6 a night type stuff. That was mid 90's.
Definitely some fond memories but from mid 2000's onwards stays became more miss than hit. I don't think they ever got that balance of "basic accommodation for the tired and weary traveller" vs "some actually decent accommodation for the more discerning person". Seemed to be prices of the latter but standards of the former.
Like others have said Hathersage should have no trouble making money.
But a selling price of £500,000 for 42 beds in that location suggests it needs a lot of work to bring up to date.
I was assistant warden at Eyam in about 91. The decor is still the same as when I was there (and it was dated even then)..
They were great
No they weren't. They were always shit, we just didn't know any better.
They were always shit, we just didn’t know any better.
Anyone remember the "doing chores" part of it where each room would be allocated a task to do in the morning before you were allowed to check out?
Yeah, that one wore thin pretty quickly...
Stayed in lots of yhas and worked in one (Wilderhope Manor) for a summer.
They are good and cheap for couples but for families they dont make sense- plenty of cheaper options.
I would like to see a network of hostels along walking/ cycling routes, that makes sense. A family staying in one for a one off stay? There are loads of better options.
Saying that I had a great time hostelling through Europe in my 20s.
The YHA sold off three in mid Wales quite a few years ago - Dolgoch, Tyn-y-Cornel and another (name eludes me right now). The first two there were taken on by a bunch of enthusiasts who formed the Elenydd Hostels Trust, and have run them pretty successfully ever since. But it's a big commitment for the trustees, and there's a fair amount of organisation and some quite big costs in bringing the accom up to scratch, and maintaining the properties and their access tracks. Dolgoch at the time was still lit by gaslights, as I recall.
From what people above are saying, it sounds like many of the ones on the current list would involve similar levels of ongoing expenditure. Eeek. Good luck to whoever takes them on.
Patterdale was always a good shout for a weekend in Glenridding and the Big H . 5 mins walk for the White Lion .. heres hoping on 6 numbers on the Euros and it would be mine . My worried would be the state of repair
Make sense to do some housekeeping.
Staffing was also an issue when we stayed in the lakes last year.
There are a few of the Pennine Way standards on the list...may cause some complications!
As a parent with 8 and 13 yr old daughters, YHAs have been great for us as a family. Areas such as the lakes really lack reasonably priced family accommodation - it’s all b&bs which are expensive and awkward or holiday cottages which are overkill. YHA (pre Covid) offered them the freedom to make friends and develop independence.
They are blooming expensive now though I agree. I think that’s the reason the carparks are full of Audis - where else do you stay for an active family break?
We wanted to stay at Robin Hoods Bay recently and couldn’t get in at all, so ended up in a Haven Caravan which was substantially cheaper!
YHAs and SYHAs have been awesome for us as a family. Travel lodges and Premier Inns allow a max of 2 kids per room, so if you have 3 kids you need 2 rooms. Also the ability to self cater makes a trip a lot more affordable than needing to eat out.
I haven’t stayed in a YH for about 7yrs the last ones I went to were Glen Nevis and Grinton Lodge. Both were nice and still cheaper than other local accommodation
To be honest though I can see why the Howarth one is going . Howarth used to be a nice ish place but now it’s not somewhere I would want to stay as it’s morphing in to part of Keighley
Stayed in a few of these on various bike adventures when I was 15 and also on my first year at university. Pretty sure we also used them for geology field trips. From that list I remember Clun Mill being rather charming and Corris was just bonkers.
MrsMC and our youngest are having a midweek break at one one of the Welsh hostels this week, and are at the York one on Saturday night as it was the cheapest accommodation they could find.
Both booked well in advance mind.
Also conflicted, such a great concept but delivered poorly in many places, and the age and style of buildings in some places doesn’t help
No they weren’t. They were always shit, we just didn’t know any better.
They were par for the course back in the day. From 90s onwards, standards starting rising and they never adapted....
thought this might be of interest:
seeking your hostelling memories too!
They were par for the course back in the day. From 90s onwards, standards starting rising and they never adapted….
I think this is a reasonable view.
We didn't have things like camping pods / shepherds huts etc, which often deliver privacy and low cost.
Hotels chains such as Premier Inn and Travelodge have transformed the cost of accommodation and 'everywhere is the same' approach.
AirBnB has massively altered the self catering market.
It is a very different world.
Your other points I agree with - the accommodation market is just very different from, say, 20 years ago. But not sure about this
camping pods / shepherds huts etc, which often deliver privacy and low cost.
Whenever I've seen them advertised they've always been more expensive than a mid-range hotel, and less flexible (usually >1 night minimum stay), presumably because of the novelty of sleeping in a shed.
presumably because of the novelty of sleeping in a shed.
I assumed it was the rustic feeling of no running water
We didn’t have things like camping pods / shepherds huts etc, which often deliver privacy and low cost.
Hotels chains such as Premier Inn and Travelodge have transformed the cost of accommodation and ‘everywhere is the same’ approach.
AirBnB has massively altered the self catering market.
It is a very different world.
it is and we have loads more choice now of places to stay and it's so much easier and quicker to search and book ...
but, cheap, simple, sociable accommodation for outdoorsy types I'd have thought might see some resurgence post-covid when more folks got out and about walking and cycling and especially exploring and enjoying our fantastic countryside, and those of us that were already doing this really appreciated it so much more when we were 'allowed back out' to play?
the likes of 'new' off-road routes like KAW could have provided some of the hostels a bike-packing lifeline, especially if they offered chance to camp on site (like some hostels used to).
I guess wee'll see if any get taken up as independents...
We didn’t have things like camping pods / shepherds huts etc, which often deliver privacy and low cost.
I think it’s absolutely been the case that demand has expected more privacy, but of course YHA have been doing that by partitioning many of the larger dorms into to smaller rooms. I recall some branching out into Yurts etc some years ago too - however consistently this seemed to lead to more facilities, thus higher cost, thus killing their USP of cheap, basic accommodation for travellers. The other inescapable issue was the move to whole hostel hire - many hostels you simply couldn’t book a bed, or a room, anymore (often a precursor to them saying that a bed occupancy rate was too low to keep open)
Hotels chains such as Premier Inn and Travelodge have transformed the cost of accommodation and ‘everywhere is the same’ approach.
Except YHA deliberately shifted their model towards provision of city centre accommodation in 2005/6 (changing their constitution to do so) and taking on about £35 million in debt in the process - claiming that this would generate more profits and support the rural estate (many of which were gifted to them in the first place). Thing is, from the outset that put them in direct competition with Premier Inn, Travelodge & Holiday Inn etc. (who simply don’t operate in those rural areas), again, loss of their USP.
What seems to be remarkable is that with just 150ish hostels, they have 825 employees (525FTE) - Which seems like a lot considering how many are restricted opening/rent a hostel, so you have to wonder what they are doing.
This makes me sad.
I spent the 90s and early 2000s hosteling: Going away on the bike for a night, a week, or even months, staying in hostels as I explored.
To me the main benefit was the sociability - meeting other like-minded people in the kitchen or lounge and chatting away into the night.
I think this disappeared in the early 2000s as often I was the only hosteler not going out for a meal. I solved this by getting married and having kids. I still string the occasional tour together, but this is getting more difficult with every year.
It makes me sad too. I used hostels loads in the 80s and then when I had younger kids. They were good because they were there to support the sort of journeys and stuff I was doing. They weren’t all posh like hotels and b&bs where you kind of had to be clean, you could dry stuff, cook, hang out in the evening and meet nice people.
But for me they worked best when they were well spaced out along routes you wanted to take, had beds when you needed them (weren’t always booked up) and preferably when you just turned up. The simple ones were the best.
I feel that they started to lose their purpose when most of the visitors were car based and using the hostels as a single centre base; like a cheap hotel, so it was hard to book and you couldn’t just turn up. I guess it was inevitable given the change in people’s habits and demands. If they were still like they used to be I’d use them more now, but it all seems more complicated than it used to. I think I have replaced them by camping more.