11th Avenue Hotel and Hostel

The WORST hostel in Denver.
— Bed’s littered with bed bugs.
— Showers had no hot water, when asked the staff said «the building is 112 years old, what do you expect?», as if that is a solution.
— Staff incredibly rude, arguing with guests.
— This is a typical ‘halfway house’ style accommodation. Full of people living long term.
Oh, and you can’t use the parking attached to the building. You’ll have to pay up to $ 20 a day to park on the street.

I’ve stayed in cheap hostels before, but this one was by far my least favorite. I’m ok with staying somewhere with «no frills», but dirty rooms are a deal breaker. I had a private bathroom, and when I walked in there were random black hairs all over the shower. Absolutely disgusting. No ac so had to sleep with the window open. Unfortunately there was a super loud club next door, so after a long day of hiking couldn’t sleep until 2 am when the club closed.

I had an absolutely fantastic experience here. Affordable rates and a great location.
When we arrived they saw that my friend and I had signed up for a room that just had one bed and immediately offered to set us up in a room with a bunk bed for the same rate.
The room was great — this is obviously an old building, but the staff has done a great job keeping it clean and presentable. The bathrooms and showers were especially clean and seemed to be cleaned multiple times per day.

Ok here’s the low down: if you are a neat freak go somewhere else! It is however a great, inexpensive way to stay in a central area downtown where you can walk to cafes and bars etc. It’s a bit sketchy at night and there is no safe parking apart from expensive parking structures across the street or a block away.
We got the private room with private bath and it’s an ok room. Very old fashioned look, 90s TV and the blanket and pillows suck. It’s all polyester and the mattress is encased in plastic. Bed bug safe I guess. I hope…
I don’t feel confident that the pillow cases were fresh since I found hairs on them.Eek.
The best thing about the room is the old fashioned claw foot bath tub! I enjoyed a deep soak bubble bath dumping one of the two provided shampoo bottles into the water! Oh and they take a deposit for towels and the room key. Again, it’s a deposit, so you get the money back yo!

i definitely won’t be back. i doubt the sheets were washed in my room. my window did not close properly and it was freezing and the heat would not turn on. wifi barely worked. the most shocking part was i was late to check out, and they took it upon themselves to pack my belongings! absolutely a HUGE no-​no!
i guess you get what you pay for…

First the bad parts…
–Little to NO WIFI
–Random pee smells in random places (drawers, floor, sink)
–The sheets on the bed reeked like cigarette smoke
–Stains all over the floors
–Every time I try to use the rest room it’s clogged with a poop
–No heat (it’s in the 40’s and I was freezing)
–The sheets were dirty/​/​there was a long blonde hair in the bed. I do not have long or blonde hair… yikes!
–There were poop smears on one of the toilet seats I tried to use
–Tried to crack a window to get the smells out of the room but the only window options are closed or wide open
–A bunch of bad art hung poorly on the walls & no mirrors. why???
–There is either a ghost or rodent in the sink drain rattling like crazy
–There are a lot of «colorful» people that roam the halls & bum cigarettes or walk around pant less back & forth past my door…
Now the good…
–It’s probably less than a hotel???
–It’s in an okay area (as long as you aren’t a female alone at night)
–It’s near a little market, liquor store & sub shop (that is meh)
–One of the employees who works here is nice
–There is a café a few blocks away that gets WIFI if you really need it

After staying at the AAE for a second time I noticed on my credit card statement that there was a charge from AAE Hotels for almost $ 10 but also a charge from 11^th Ave Hotel for the nightly room rate (about $ 65).
Every time I’ve tried to call the 800 number for AAE I eventually get a recorded message that they are assisting other customers and I need to call back.
Granted $ 10 isn’t a lot — but why was it charged to my card? Why by AAE hotels and why was room charge listed as 11TH Ave Hotel?
I would recommend you check your credit card statement if you are paying with a credit card.

Non chalant customer service, sink dirty upon arrival and no blinds on windows, few examples of this place.

Jim and Frank clearly don’t know how to run a business. This place is unsafe. I was in a room when someone attempted to open the door at about 12 am. It is now 2.00 am and I am standing in the lobby waiting on Frank to show up because according to the hotel attendant they don’t have access to the cameras. I was sleeping and a male had a key to the room and walked right in. Do not stay at a hotel that’s dirty has poor management but also a place where you’re at risk. Do not stay at a place where if you leave your room your stuff is unsafe do to poor management. According to the attendant he has no idea how that person has a key. Unbelievable that someone would walk right into your room right !? I mean at first it was weird and I thought someone might have been drunk and accidentally tried opening the door. Unfortunately I am unaware if this person who opened my door walked in while I was asleep is in the right state of mind or not. The worst thing is that I’m still in the lobby and it’s been past 20 minutes and I still haven’t gotten my issue resolved.

A hostel only in name.
This place has many rooms, which is not a good thing when you call yourself a hostel and all you have is one small fridge, a microwave, a small griddle, a double sink, and a handful of dishes and silverware hanging out in a drying dish. I mean, we chose hostels to save our own money by cooking our own food. Don’t expect to do that here.
It’s a non smoking establishment, which would be great, except they have the smoking area right out back where ¼ of the rooms end up filling up with cigarette smoke. «Close the window,» you say. Well, we would have, except there is no air system in the rooms. In fact, your air system is a fan to blow the cool air in, and in the case of the back rooms, draw in cigarette smoke and ash… yes, ash. It made it’s way all the way up into my water glass.
The beautiful twinkly lights also left our room nice and bright all night, since our blinds only went half way down the window… really guys?!
The place looks clean enough. There was soap residue on the sink, not to cleaned very well. And I did see a cockroach scurry under the bathroom door where the tile meets the carpet. I put down some eucalyptus oil on the tile and he didn’t come back.
And showers were another issue. Your shower temperature is determined by how many people are flushing toilets or running water. It’s a nice yo-​yo or scalding hot, to icy cold in seconds, going back and forth for the whole duration of your shower.
I will give it this, it is located in the heart of Denver, so everything is close.

This place was an absolute dump! The carpet needs to be taken up and repaired. It’s stained and damp looking. The communal shower area was nasty and people should be ashamed of themselves for leaving their empty and dirty shower products thrown everywhere. What is the problem with people flushing the toilet?! Everything was so bad that I will leave without taking a shower. It was gross.
I also experience some pretty bad allergy related symptoms. I became stuffy each time I walked into the hotel. I’m not sure if it was from the carpets or from the environment not being cleanly.
The staff at check-​in was not helpful or informative when it came to parking (many of the parking lots do not allow you to park after hours). The door on my room (private room) does not close properly, which is not safe. I also don’t understand why we were charged $ 5 for a room key. I know this place is cheap and rated a $ but what did/​does my money pay if not a key for with this stay?! You could probably get better accommodations at a Motel 8.
I would never advise anyone to stay here. Be warned, the only thing that’s great about this place is its location. What a horrible experience!

If you are used to the privileged life of the first world than this ISN’T a place for you. It’s in a historic building in the heart of downtown Denver. After waiting about 10 mins to get our reservation all figured out due to a computer crash, we still got a big room for $ 65 a night. Be sure to bring a laptop, towels, stereo but all in all it’s a little noisy and has no AC but it’s defiantly an experience. Would recommend to a savvy traveler.

11^th Avenue Hostel is still establishing itself as a travellers hostel, and seems to be in an awkward in-​between phase. Mostly inhabited by semi-​permanent «guests» being noticeably high on more than just the stellar recreational marijuana available in Denver. The staff were pretty friendly, cooking facilities are minimal, but is the cheapest option for travellers looking for dorms. Cute building and in a great location for visiting museums and eating great food.

First the good: location is great, especially if you plan to visit the art museum or colorado history museum. I was easily within walking distance of food, beverage, and recreation. Price is fair. Parking was easy-​$ 5 per entry in the recommended lot. Friendly staff.
The meh: there is definitely a lot of character, and characters, here. I could describe it as rustic or old, homey or noisy, sleepy or shabby, and they’d all be accurate. This is a place to sleep and keep your stuff.
The bad: the room temp is controlled by a window. If it’s cold outside, you’re going to melt or freeze. I felt icky walking barefoot in the shower, bring shower sandals. The water tastes like iron, and the beds are covered in plastic.
I’d stay in the private room again if I was traveling solo.

Not bad. Good for the price. Stayed about 4 days here and was overall happy. We had some issues with making our reservation (tried online, by phone, in person, by phone again, and finally finished up in person), but it all worked out. Road noise got a little loud and no curtains so bring ear plugs and eye mask.
Clean. Variety of room types. Safe. Good location — an easy walk to the heart of Denver. NOTE — towels are $ 3 so just bring your own (I always do, makes life easier). Laundry is $ 1.25 wash, $.75 dry.
If you have a car and don’t plan on moving it much then use the car lot across the street ($ 5) each time you enter. If you plan on using your car then park in the residential parking overnight. Look for the signs that say 2hr parking 8am-​6pm. Then as long as you move your car before 10am you are good to go. Finding a spot can be a challenge, but worth it in my opinion.
Good price for a good comfortable stay. Recommend.

You guys are a bunch of vaginas. This place isn’t even that bad. They have people who clean every room, every day. I have not seen ONE BUG. Imagine that. No bed bugs, no roaches. If you are looking for a cheap and clean place to rest your head, this place is perfect.
Tomorrow ends my week stay here at the 11^th ave hostel.
Staff has been friendly. One guy tried to call me a cab. The cab never showed. I have been using the apps called lyft and über so I don’t have that issue again.
The lobby and community area is clean. There are vending machines and also areas to cook food. No stove though. Just a microwave and toaster oven. There’s a small fridge. Can’t fit much in there. But Tony’s market is a block down on Broadway if you take a left coming out of the hostel. Right beside the hostel before Tony’s is a carry out with food as well!
I stayed in the 4 bed female dorm. It has a bathroom with a shower/​bathtub. Housekeeping cleans the bathroom and bedrooms everyday. We also have a dinette and small tv. Everyone gets a locker with a lock to put your things away. There’s also a little refrigerator but it isn’t very cold.
This week I have only had 5 different ladies come and go in my room, so it has been very quiet. Everyone is respectful. I leave my bags out when I leave and am not worried.
It does seem that people live here long term, but noting abnormal happens. You pass people in the hallway with a smile and go about your day.
They are also doing some remodeling.
My reasons for a star deduction:
Wifi sucks
No stove
Fridge is small in community room
Fridge isn’t cold in bedroom
Taxi cab incident
Guy at the front asked me where I work, which I thought was completely rude and personal
Housekeeper woke me up to move a few things out of her way, she was weird.
The mattresses suck after a while

VERY TOXIC AND UNWELCOME ENVIRONMENT. IF YOU CAN CHOOSE TO GO ELSEWHERE, DO SO!
If it were possible to give this place less than one star, I would. I have been staying here for almost 2 months out of necessity. So, I feel that my opinion is pretty valid and important considering how long I have been staying here.
First of all, the owner Jim and his lapdog Frank are disrespectful. They do not treat the residents downstairs like human beings. I have previously been homeless myself. The residents in the beds downstairs, from my understanding, are homeless. I do not appreciate the fact that they are treated like sub-​human. It is completely unprofessional and awful. Also, they don’t even let someone warm up in the doorway if they are stuck out in the cold. They have no sympathy or respect for people of a lower economic class. I have heard their attitude and actions described as «prison-​like».
Also, I would highly recommend against this place if you are queer (especially if you are very open and/​or obvious about being queer/​LGBTQ). Frank will make snide comments about that, if not to your face, behind your back. (I am very close to an employee that works here, so I know about some of the things that go on that some people do not know.)
Just for reference, Frank is the middle age guy that is almost always working at the front desk. He is usually pissy and grumpy about something, and doesn’t seem to know how to hide that while he is working. I have smiled at him as I walked in the door, and he just looked back at me with a sour expression on his face. He also gets this messed up satisfaction from kicking people out. He sits back there and watches the surveillance all the time. From my perspective, he is immature, disrespectful, rude, controlling, and very very off-​putting.
There is also a housekeeper who is not very friendly.
Oh, I can’t forget to mention this: BEDBUGS. And the housekeeper I mentioned above made a big fuss about us switching rooms until they took care of the bedbug problem.
Their website makes them seem like a pretty nice little hotel. NO. They are pretentious. The owner wants to get Hilton/​Sheraton-​quality guests in here, but that is really never going to happen. He needs to aim for a more middle-​of-​the-​road customer base. If he continues being so picky about who is able to stay here, and treating people of lower economic class like shit, this place is going to crumble underneath him. They already have a «work order» sign on the corner of their window outside for not finishing drywall and things like that.
Oh, also: The internet is NOT good. They are lying to you if they tell you otherwise.
TL;DR: If you are able to, find somewhere else to stay in Denver. TRUST ME.

I stayed here recently on my trip through Denver and enjoyed my time here. The staff was friendly and helpful. There was some renovation going on during my stay which was a little noisy in the mornings but all in all it was a good stay for the price.
It was centrally located to downtown Denver, walking distance to the art museum, the Capital, and many bars, restaurants and clubs with plenty of public parking. The guest were nice and respected everyone’s personal space and belongings. I never once felt unsafe on or near the property.
You do get what you pay for, and in this case you get a 100 year old building. One that creaks and cracks and has a personality all its own. Despite its age the staff is doing a good job of upkeep. During my stay there was some renovation going on to one of the rooms which was a little noisy but not too bad.
I will most definitely be staying here on my next visit to Denver.

As someone else said, «you get what you paid for». And I paid $ 48 for a room with a CLEAN bathroom, HOT water, CLEAN room, comfortable bed. Was it fabulous, no. But I wasn’t looking for fabulous, it’s a good clean hostel, well worth the amount. One staff member was a little «tart», but all the others were really helpful and courteous. If you want fabulous, there is a Four Seasons in town. I personally spent my money on lots of beer and food instead during the GABF. I’ll be back here when I am in Denver.
Thank you for your time.

Don’t stay here. Its a total shit hole.
As soon as we walked in, the «manager» behind the counter was rude to myself and my friend along with the people in front of us in line and behind us in line.
The room was awful and insanely hot, no A/​C at all, fans in the hall ways only. The hall wall was probably ten degrees colder than the rooms are. The room had two electrical outlets and neither of them worked. After opening the window the room cooled down a bit but it was over 85 degrees at 1:30 am. I got a horrible night sleep in this horrible room.
There are people there that were clearly using drugs, not marijuana, I mean hardcore drugs. The bathrooms were gross and uninviting.
I booked the room for two nights and after the first night, there was no way I’d stay another night. I went down and asked for a refund for the second night and the girls at the front counter (the only friendly people working there) were visibly afraid to ask the manager for approval for the refund.
What type of business operates like this? Our room was 45 dollars a night, staying at a motel 6 was 52, do yourself a favor and spend the extra ten dollars for power outlets that work, working air conditioning, an environment free of elderly heroin users and a rude manager.
I wish I could give this place zero stars, it was the worst travel experience I’ve ever had.