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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 19, 2005 Ashland Hostel closes till ’06 for remodeling The business has provided low-cost rooms for travelers since 1981 By JOHN DARLING for the Mail Tribune ASHLAND — Amid rumors about the closing of the Ashland Hostel — a favorite, affordable stop for travelers in the last 25 years — the new owners issued assurances that the shutdown is only temporary and it will reopen next summer after remodeling. Owners Pennie Rose and Andreanna Jovan, who bought the hostel in August 2004, will upgrade plumbing, showers, wiring, doors and other features of the 98-year old Craftsman house in order to gain accreditation of Hostelling International USA and increase business, said Jovan. "We absolutely are going to keep it a hostel," Jovan said. "We will rejuvenate it, make it better and safer and have a grand reopening on its 25th anniversary about the middle of next summer. We love the concept and philosophy of hostelling and that’s why we are committed to improving it and keeping it going." Staff and guests were given notice Tuesday that they must be out in 60 days — mid-October, she said. "Ashland really needs a hostel to support travelers," said staff member Michelle Griswold, 22, who will get an apartment with a fellow hostel employee. "It’s home away from home for a lot of people and we become like family. This hostel is in a perfect location because it’s a nightmare to drive in town and people can easily walk anywhere from here." Advertisement The sturdy, olive-green structure at the corner of North Main and Bush streets has gone through five owners since it was made a hostel in 1981, said Jennifer Bacon of Ashland, who sold the home last year. "It fills a huge need in Ashland and not just for young people. Travelers of all ages stay there," said Bacon. It is a registry (contact) point for many hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail just east of Ashland, she added. One guest, Joseph Hyman, 42, of Portland, who just got a job here, said he needed the hostel now, while he looks for an apartment. "Every place else is very expensive, like $70 a day," he said. The hostel holds as many as 50 guests. It features a dining room, laundry, bike rental, common room, free Internet and movies and dorms for men and women — with fees of $21 a night or $50 for a family room, considerably lower than any motel in the area. Jovan said the fees will remain the same. Hostelling International USA promotes and networks with 4,000 hostels in 60 countries, according to its Web site at www.hiusa.org . John Darling is a free-lance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s