Rusty Railway Hostel

Definitely a scam and a creepy one. Owner Conor «Scooter» McLaughlin runs an illegal, unlicensed, unauthorized «hostel» in his foul-​smelling home, and is a control freak who acts like he’s going to hold you hostage if you decide not to stay there based on feeling creeped out. He admitted he’s never had a downtown location and floods the internet with fake Austin hostel listings, such as the nonexistent «Beehive Hostel», «The Earthship Hostel», and «The Budget Backpacker’s Hostel» in hopes of steering unsuspecting travelers to his home so they can pay him to stay there. Dishonest. Stay away from this strange character’s shady operation at all cost, despite how desperate you may be to find affordable lodging in the area. It’s south, not central at all, far from downtown Austin, and off bus lines, while noisy trains run by all hours of day and night. His house was filthy, unkempt, and had a putrid stench. «Scooter» kept insisting he’s a «fun host, terrific dancer, and an honest bootleg proprietor». I left there feeling very uncomfortable. He also admitted to posting his own fake internet reviews in an attempt to improve his bad reviews, as he claims «licensed hostels use unfair tactics» against him, «such as licenses». Scoot past all the drama and avoid this bait-​and-​switch. Some of his fake hostel listings include:
* Rusty Railway Hostel
* Earthship Hostel
* Beehive Hostel
* Budget Backpackers Hostel

It’s an okay hostel. Not the cleanest, but not as bad as I have seen. The host is a bit odd. Breakfast is late morning which did not work for me. FYI — he will offer you food at other times but after you start to eat it you he charges you for it. Did not feel unsafe there, so that was a plus. It’s a cheap, fairly comfy bed with free parking, and decent access to bus lines. Had fridge space and a kitchen. Would consider staying again if I needed to travel on a budget to Austin.

Unique is certainly how I’d describe it. This was my first hostel experience and for as much time as I was around, it was money well spent because I used it only to sleep and shower. I came in late each night and left early each morning.
Here’s a tip– bring ear plugs. That freight train sounds like it runs right through the place– it’s actually about 30 feet away. A couple times a night. They are also good for any noisy hostel mates you might have.
And shower shoes. Bring shower shoes. While the water is super hot, who knows what’s in that tub.
The beds aren’t super comfortable, but they are better than sleeping on a park bench.
Scooter is an interesting guy. He serves breakfast, free of charge, at 11 am every morning. Which I guess is ok if you can manage to sleep that late. I was never around so I can’t comment on the food.
If all you’re looking for is a cheap place to crash, this will work. But if you’re looking for a cheap place to crash that is close to the downtown nightlife, this isn’t it.

From what I hear this guy is a real creep. It’s funny. I was going to stay here, but a friend suggested I shouldn’t. He stayed here and didn’t like it.
And on my way to Austin I met a couple who just described this «scootor» character as a total creep. I looked him up online. He looked harmless.
I made up my mind not to stay here and I’m really glad I didn’t.
I Chose HI Austin hostel && Two girls staying there both told me he was an alright dude, but kind of sketchy &both decided not to stay there also. SO, from what people told me, this guy is a sketchy creep. I’ll pass! oh and he isn’t gay. ladies beware!

It’s a tossup. On one hand Scooter is rad. He operates off the grid. He fosters community and has a pretty awesome setup in the burbs of Austin. The downsides are kind of major though. During SX he charges upwards of $ 60/​night for a dorm room! This includes a killer brunch and dinner if you’re around however. The second issue is equally major– and that’s the location. Rusty is located about 5 miles south of Austin downtown. Between walking to the bus, waiting for the bus, taking the bus and so on– you’re looking at an hour on average. At night an hour and a half is pretty normal since the buses run every 30 minutes. This pretty much sucks cause once you leave the hostel– that’s it– you gotta rally until your feet give up. It makes for super long days and can break your spirit if you forget something crucial back at the hostel. All in all I changed my flight cause I was just over paying an arm and a leg and spending 2 – 3 hours going to and fro on the Austin Pub Trans System. I must emphasize again though– just how rad Scooter is– good vibes, super into community, and a great cook!

More like the rusty nail– tetanus is probably the least of what you’d worry about contracting here.
Disclaimer: I had every intention of staying here but after meeting the owner and doing a walk through quickly decided that the best interest of my health and well being to move on.
You have to meet at a coffee shop and then follow scooter to the hostel (shady), then he makes you follow him and take out cash (getting shadier), then you roll up to the ‘hostel’ which is a townhouse in a suburban neighborhood. There were no other guests, the house smelled weird, and when we told him we would get back to him he spent 10 minutes convincing us that we should stay there bc we seemed ‘indie’ and shouldn’t go to the more mainstream places.
I’m a huge supporter of legitimate local businesses with some character but this place was the seediest. See: Four days later and I still feel creeped out from the whole experience.
Avoid this place.

We booked Beehive hostel which was located in downtown Austin and the owner Scooter said he would pick us up at the airport for 15 dollars. He said they had no reception and it was the only way to stay. And, cash only. He showed up 15 minutes late and while driving there proceeds to tell us he moved the hostel and it is no longer located downtown. It was almost midnight so we had no other option.
The hostel was way down south outside of town a located two feet from train tracks. Trains came through every hour or so and was so loud and close enough to shake the house. It was awful.
I will say Scooter was a nice guy, but we got scammed. He should have mentioned the new location when I confirmed with him a week prior.
Needless to say we only paid for one night and left the next morning. The public bus was a 20 minute walk and the bus took about 20 minutes.
We were misled and the whole point of staying in a hostel is to be in a good location.
Don’t stay here, the location is awful and the hourly trains will keep you up all night.

Scooter, an amazing host, runs the non-​corporate (how fitting!) hostel in Austin. Rooms range from $ 25/​night up — but remember, this is a hostel, so more than 2 – 3 in a room.
Americans have this odd need to have their own private rooms and bathrooms, but if you’re only going to be there at night, why? There are lockers if you want to put some valuables away and a full kitchen if you want to make something instead of going out.
And my favorite part of «hostel travel»? The new friends I always make. Other people, traveling on a budget, who are more interested in new experiences and new friends rather than a four-​star hotel.
The location is a 15-​minute bus ride into downtown on 3 different (and nearby!) buslines. Scooter also offers an express checkin where he picks you up from Amtrak, Grayhound, or Bergstrom, for $ 12.
Simply call or text the number listed and he will tell you what is up.