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Chamounix Mansion Youth Hostel
Category: Hotels & Travel Hostels Hostels [Edit]
3250 Chamounix DrFairmount Park
Philadelphia, PA 19131
(215) 878-3676
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 8 am - 2 am
6 reviews for Chamounix Mansion Youth Hostel
6 reviews in English
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Review from Brian L.
7/29/2011
The hostel is not exactly what you expect when you are booking a night in a hostel. The location is not convenient to local attractions, but being in Fairmount Park is in itself a great place to be. The place is really nice... literally in an old mansion and the people running the place are equally as nice. My brother and I enjoyed our time thoroughly, especially considering that the other Philly Hostel discriminates against US citizens (Apple Hostel). If you dont have a car it might be a pain getting into the main part of the city. If you have the patience it's totally possible to take the bus though. The only downside is the lockout period which, while common at hostels, is never a welcome attribute. The area around the hostel is so nice that you might otherwise have wished that you could hang out at the hostel during the day and relax or read a book.
Strongly recommended to stay here though regardless. -
Review from Emily C.
Washington, DC
7/16/2010
This really is a gorgeous little hostel. The common spaces in the main building (a converted mansion) are filled with the sort of furniture I wouldn't even entertain the idea of buying at an antique store - because there'd be no way I could afford it.
I happened to be with someone who owns a car, a rarity for me, and under normal circumstances there is no way I'd be able to get to this place. But it is in the middle of the park, and oh so lush and green.
The kitchen is huge and well stocked with cooking tools etc. I cooked quite a few huge dinners here - we had a big group and never felt like we were overwhelming or taking the place over.
Our actual rooms were in the Carriage House, it was comfortable but a little drafty, and not nearly as pretty as the main house, y'know.... having previously housed either horses or cars I guess aesthetics weren't the main priority.
There was a nice common space also available in the upstairs of the carriage house too - great for meetings and down time.
Overall I'd definitely recommend it for groups - or folks who are craving a little more space, tranquility, and greenery than you'd find at the average hostel. -
Review from Panda P.
Philadelphia, PA
2/13/2008
This is the hostel to stay at if you have a car. It's easily the cleanest hostel I've ever stayed in, and being out in the middle of a park can be relaxing and quiet at night. If you don't have a car, the location can be inconvenient, to say the least. (see my review for the Bank Street Hostel)
The 12:00 curfews needs to be reconsidered. I'm sure they are doing this because of staffing issues and not some sort of old fashioned paternalistic hosteling ideal, but still...
The only other bad thing about this place is it tends to attract a number of youth groups from the area that hang out in the evenings and early mornings and have loud obnoxious conversations. I've stayed there twice and both times there were kids there in groups like this that were younger than your average hostelers (likely high schoolers), who didn't talk to anyone except those in their group, and seemed to think the kitchen was a perfectly normal place to be annoying at 8:00 am.
Overall, Philadelphia's best hostel, though this isn't saying much. -
Review from Katrina v.
San Jose, CA
11/9/2010
The people who run this place are nice, but sadly, as a hostel, this place is less than ideal. I agree with another reviewer's comment that this place would be better suited as a B&B.
This place is in the middle of nowhere--literally. It's in the middle of a park and is probably impossible to get to without a car. Even if you do have a car, it blows because parking in Philadelphia blows. What I have always liked about hostels is that they put you right in the middle of where all the action is in a town, but on the cheap...this place doesn't do that.
2AM curfew...no thanks! This was my first time staying at a hostel with a curfew, and it made me kind of stir crazy. Basically, you can't get out from 2AM-8AM for any reason, not even just to step out. Then, you get locked out from 11AM-4PM (it's better to be exploring Philly anyway, but still).
The beds have those cheap plastic mattress pad things and not actual mattresses...I was in an attic and that + the plastic mattress made me feel like an orphan :'( -
Review from Alexis K.
6/16/2009
Chamounix hostel should really be transformed into a bed and breakfast. It's a gorgeous mansion, meticulously kept and in the middle of nowhere. Although this is a weird comment, it's almost too nice to be a hostel.
The walk to the hostel is quite long. In the dark, for me at least, it isn't a great walk because of the quietness. I'm not sure about the safety of the area, but there isn't anything around at night.
The staff is nice and the rooms are clean. The bathrooms are impressively updated. However, due to the location, I will probably not stay there again. -
Review from Janet R.
Washington, DC
11/11/2009
Beautiful, quiet, spacious, friendly, and inexpensive, but you need at least a bike (with lights for biking at night!) to be comfortable with the location. It's spic and span, and has more common space than any hostel I've stayed in, so it's easy to meet people or to just do work quietly, whatever your preference. Usually I bike the 4 miles to downtown though a lush park along the river (beautiful!), but I think they also lend bikes for free. It's also possible to drive downtown, and hostel plus parking downtown is still cheaper than other options, including other hostels (where you have to pay for parking anyhow). The park where it's located is beautiful. There are riding stables next door and I've heard other guests talk about seeing deer. This is my favorite option for staying in Philadelphia, despite the distance from downtown. Kitchen is not the best (no granite countertops or Ikea furniture), but who uses more than the fridge + microwave, anyhow?
