Black Elephant Hostel

Absolutely blown away by our stay here - one night in Portland has left us desperate to come back for more! Warm and welcoming staff, perfect location, vibrant yet tasteful decor and modern facilities. Friendly for all folks with secure bedrooms and shared washrooms that are all self contained. Common kitchen and dining area well provisioned and maintained.

This is a FIRST-RATE HOSTEL!!! I have been fortunate to stay in other hostels around the world, which gives me the perspective to say that Black Elephant is the best I’ve seen. As far as location, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything of similar caliber for a similar rate. The beds are incredibly comfortable for someone with chronic back issues, and the rooms are fun and funky. The bathrooms are all well-maintained and clean. The showers appeared to have an endless supply of hot water when I showered at a peak time. I had to check in after desk hours, but the emails with instructions could not have been any clearer to follow (I write procedures regularly as part of my day job, so I can especially appreciate well-written guidance). The common area and kitchen are beautifully decorated with signs giving important info. I was able to sort out everything I needed to do with storing my food, setting up my WiFi connection, etc., without a single problem. Prior to my arrival, staff were lightning fast with email responses, which further confirmed that I’d made the right choice in staying here rather than some impersonal hotel that would cost double of the stay at Black Elephant. I will **definitely** stay here again for future Portland trips! I do have two points of **CONSTRUCTIVE** feedback that do not detract in the slightest from the stellar rating BE has earned: 1) food storage is only available in the fridge; it’d be nice to have a place to put non-refrigerated foods, and 2) something other than the super powerful peppermint hand soap would be nice just because it’s so strong.

This place is astoundingly wonderful. The decorations and interior design are super cozy, totally my cup of tea! They offer free coffee every morning and there’s a cute book corner in the lobby. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. Highly recommend if you wanna have a great stay in Portland ME!

Excellent way to stay and walk around Downtown Portland. Rooms and bathrooms are nice, well kept, and clean. The vibe is super chill and cute! If you are open to the community vibe of a Hostel - Def give this place a look!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A true gem in Portland! The Black Elephant Hostel is everything you’d want in a stay and more—artistic, spotless, and wonderfully managed. The staff are genuinely warm and welcoming, creating an atmosphere that’s both relaxed and engaging, and the location couldn't be better for exploring Portland. If you're looking for a comfortable, inspiring, and truly memorable place to stay, this is it.

At a base level, this hostel is safe, affordable, and clean. However, it is much more than that. My great experience with the staff started when I called ahead to ask a question about parking and continued when I checked in - everyone was warm and inviting and answered any questions I had. Everything from the dorm room to the super comfortable common area was cleaner and in better condition than many of the more-expensive hotel and AirBNB’s I have stayed in. The bedding was soft and warm. Was nice to have private bathrooms. Prime location and was easy to find a parking spot on the street on the weekend. Will definitely be back next time I’m in Portland.

Great spot to stay in the city! The staff were so nice & helpful. My fiancé and I stayed in the suite and it was nice and comfortable - plus a balcony which was lovely :) very walkable as well - we didn’t use our car the entire stay.

Everything I wanted it to be and more! Clean, warm, accessible, in a great location, at a great price! I stayed in one of the All Girls Dorm Rooms and it was perfect for what I needed. Huge kitchen, coffee and tea in the morning and access to many bathrooms that are both clean and private. I arrived after hours and received check in instruction to my email. Very easy to find. A lot of good street parking right next to the location. Easy walk to downtown bars and nightlife. Breakfast places one block away. Decorated beautifully. Eclectic, funky, functional. Highly recommend!

I enjoyed an excellent stay at this friendly, clean, and wonderful hostel. I would be very happy to go back here again and the service is top notch. The kitchen is ample and there's everything that you need. You're close to the water and a lot of great restaurants. You can go to the grocery store nearby and grab food. Put in the communal fridge. Just call ahead and make arrangements with a parking lot like Simba. If you are bringing a car. There's only street 2 hour parking or 1 hour parking 9:00a.m. to 5:00 p.m. the garden is also really nice that they have available for people to sit in outside

Had an amazing stay Private room- Small, and I mean small with no ac but it's to be expected when staying at a place like this The hostel/hotel was immaculate- from the entrance to the main areas to the hallways to the room Staff was superb I only wish they had toiletries in the private room like other private room hostels have Also an ac! But- Highly suggested - 10 out of 10

LOVED this hostel. It is the BEST location, you seriously cannot beat it, especially with the insanely low prices. We were able to walk everywhere from the hostel in downtown Portland which was amazing because parking downtown isn't always the easiest. The staff is so friendly and gave us fun suggestions. They have coed rooms, single gender rooms, and private rooms. The place is so cute and I would definitely stay here again.

This is as good as it gets. When people hear "hostel," they usually think spartan accommodations and smelly backpackers. They usually think 20-something kids and zero privacy. When I was younger, I hosteled in Europe, and stayed in my share of spartan dorm-like places with aromatic kids from France and Germany. It was a great time. But I'm older now and somehow a few years ago I discovered that when travelling alone, a hostel is a really good choice. And it's not spartan or smelly, especially at the gorgeous new Black Elephant, a thoughtful, communal, eco-friendly space. It's cheaper (by a lot) and more social. Strangers talk to each other and join together to do things such as pup crawl or tour lighthouses. Black Elephant .... 1. Very clean beds. These beds are cleaner than most hotel beds I've stayed in. Seriously. The bedding (which is changed with each guest, not per night) is hotel quality. A sheet, a pillow, a duvet with cover, a blanket. Each bed has a corresponding locker (big enough for a suitcase and satchel) with lock and key provided. 2. Each guest is given a large bath towel on check-in. In addition, the housekeeping staff stocks the bathrooms daily with at least a half-dozen very clean very white hand-towels and bathmats. Liquid hand and body soaps are provided as well. 3. The place is spotless. The bathrooms are pristine. So are the bedrooms. The lobby closes between 11 and 3 each day and they spend the whole time cleaning. 4. If you want to cook or just need a place to drink a cup of coffee (provided free daily), the kitchen is high-end: marble counter tops, gas range, full sink. All kinds of tools, including a large lobster pot, should you get the urge to boil the local crustaceans. There's a large commercial fridge for shared use (with labelled bins for each guest). All of it is very clean. No freezer or ice but I think I'm probably the only one who noticed. 5. The communal area with sofas and chairs and tables and a gas fireplace and great wi-fi is funky and cool and beautiful (and clean). It's a good space to read or write. The owner has an amazing talent for design -- from the stained glass in the windows to the tile on the bathroom floors -- it's all gorgeous in a way that feeds the soul. Every bit of the place just feels good. 6. The location can't be beat. It's very very close to some really great bars, restaurants, and breweries (Duckfat, Eventide, Tomaso's, Honey Paw, Shipyard) (Portland was named Bon Appetit's restaurant city of 2018). It's an easy walk downtown or to the waterfront. Also veryvery close are the Food Coop for groceries and Rite Aid for toiletries and whatnot. 7. You can book direct (which is what I did) or through airbnb or booking.com. There are accommodation options, too, everything from all-female dorm style to a private room with a double-bed. Rumor has it there's even a tub for rent but I never got that far. The bathrooms are private and the showers are great! 8. They have a dog. He's calm and sweet and clean. I watched many travelers hug and snuggle him. He's like home-away-from-home therapy! 9. I've already booked my next visit.

When I travel, I def put way more budget into food than my bed. (I know someone out there prefer one away another). However, I will save all those fancy hotel/resort/SPA to my retirement years. Luckily, I found Black Elephant ! It was the first ever hostel in Portland, just established around one year ago. To my greatest surprise, besides the best location (a chic & hip safe neighborhood, you can basically walk anywhere) BlackElephant is definitely one of the best hostels (probably the top one) I have ever stayed. Everything is brand new, and the staff keep the public area and rooms very clean. The hostess - Heather, is a bad ass New England lady with tones of stories to share with ya, do check on its website to read more =) if you are a dog person, she got two adorable puppies - Scruffy and Frodo! Oh geeze, I wanna cuddle with them all night every night. The cost for my staying is around $40 per night, do Book directly via its own website, and read details on promotions (yes, they got Vet/Student/Show Discount.) or just simply call its front desk to figure out. Tips: I just go to my favorite local seafood market, grab the best quality and most fresh items then bring them back to BlackElephant, trust me, its kitchen is so well equipped that it basically got anything you need for a culinary adventure

We loved our stay here! My girlfriend and I stayed in the Kristofferson room - a private room with a full-size bed and a shared bathroom. For less than $100 on a Saturday night, it was much cheaper than anything in the rest of Portland. The location is great - blocks away from Shipyard brewery, Tomato's Canteen (went there for brunch AND late night food since it was the only place still serving food at 1am), and Eventide Oyster Co. (a MUST for oyster lovers!). We loved the funky decor at the hostel! The staff was kind and helpful and the common area was spacious and inviting. This place had only been open for two weeks when we stayed there but we'll definitely return next time we're visiting Portland!

LOVED our stay!! Perfect location, close to downtown, and the place was incredible. Really friendly staff, and the decor was so quirky and fun. Plus, free coffee in the morning I would recommend to anyone coming to Portland!

Excellent place. That coffee is excellent. Changed my life. So did that cat mug. Wow that cat mug so precious. Great workers. They lent me an iron! Clean, warm, cozy, cute, pretty. Even my southern stubborn mother would stay here!!! I had an aggressive sleeper roommate who liked deep breaths for people who came in late but hey it's a hostel so enjoy your time and the people you meet. Don't be aggressive. Be thankful for the people who travel like you. Also don't shine your reader light in my eyes. It breaks my heart. God bless lobster for bringing us together. I was so happy staying here.

Love this place (love hostels and micro-hotels in general) My teenage son and I stayed in the Buddy Room, bunk beds with enough room for our luggage. The staff were super cool at check-in with nothing but genuine kindness and helpfulness. I appreciated them walking us to our room, showing us everything along the way - the community kitchen and fridge, the garden area, the bathrooms and explaining everything along the route while they waited to check to make sure our cards worked on our room door. The atmosphere and decor are a super cool vibe where we just felt completely welcome and at home. There isn't guaranteed parking but we were able to score street parking directly outside the hotel for the night. This place is convenient for walkers as we roamed around the downtown areas afternoon and night. There is something so comfortable about a smaller hotel where you feel people want you there instead of a corporate stuffy one where you're a number. I highly recommend to others and would definitely come back here again alone, with a single kid, double kids or with the whole entire family. Seriously - it's cool, give it a chance.

Such a perfect example of the ideal hostel - welcoming, community-oriented, centrally located, very safe, and immaculately CLEAN (which is of serious importance when staying in a hostel). As the only hostel in Portland ME, I can say this (new-ish) establishment will be extremely popular in the coming years. The employees are very friendly - engaging you in conversation and offering tips on where to eat/shop/drink. They were happy to give me an extra blanket when I anticipated the potential of being cold in the middle of the night in January (though, they kept the rooms nice and toasty)! There were tons of bathrooms throughout the place, so I never had to wait. Overnight street parking was easy to find, and the restaurants/bars were a 5-10 minute walk. They have lockers with keys (for free in your room), so no need to bring your own lock! Whether you want to hang out the entire evening in the living room/kitchen, or just have a place to rest your head after a long night out in the city, this hostel is the best you could ask for! (The only down-side I can think of is that the living room might get crowded in the more popular months. It was a perfect amount of space for the weekend I was staying, but they certainly were not booked solid.)

We had the absolute best time during our stay here. The staff and other guests are so friendly and hospitable. The sense of community after only one night here was unlike any other hostel or Airbnb experience. Would recommend the Black Elephant Hostel to anyone open to a comfortable humanistic stay.

This is a new hostel in Portland but it doesn't feel that way at all. My friend and I stayed in a female-only room for six people that also had its own private bathroom. Beds are comfy and they provide you with a towel. The best aspects in my opinion though are the location, the decor, and the staff. Highly recommend if you're staying in Portland!

Found this spot on air bnb, so extremely happy with everything about it! Super clean, so cute and unique, friendly staff (Sam we loved you!) & everything was so smooth and easy. We will definitely be returning. Thank you!

Incredible Hostel! I booked this on a whim last minute because I didn't really know my travel plans and I didn't want to spend a fortune on a major hotel in town. I am so glad I found this hostel and decided to book it. It's so cute, clean and comfortable. Honestly, one of the biggest fears I had about picking the hostel was that I chose a bedroom without a bathroom attached. I was shocked to learn though how many bathrooms they have available and they all are incredibly clean with giant showers attached to them. Finding an open bathroom was not an issue once throughout my stay. Seriously, it was perfect. The boys dorm room I stayed in was awesome. The beds were clean, comfortable and even though I had a top bunk, I slept so well. Everyone is friendly but also respectful of when you want to sleep or want to be alone. The common room area on the ground floor is really the best hangout spot. They've got couches, lounges and a dining room table with lots of seating. It's great to meet other people staying and a perfect opportunity to find people to explore the city with. On my last day there I met two australians traveling and the three of us went to a Portland Sea Dogs baseball game for $10. Lastly, the staff, they were amazing. They were always cheerful and helpful and had great advice for things to do in town. I highly recommend staying here, you won't regret it! I know I'll be coming back next time I am in town.

This place was so clean, in the perfect location in Portland. Walking distance to everything. The owner is great and super helpful with everything including parking and eating recommendations. The best bang for your buck if you want a quiet place to sleep and don't want to spend $400 at the Marriott down the street.

Such a fabulous hostel! It is in a great location. Duckfat and Eventide Oyster Company are a block away. Easy walking distance. All of the rooms are very clean. Cool wallpaper in every room. The staff are friendly and welcoming.

Poor Management with framework for great hostel. Pros: Love the atmosphere, colors, design. Reasonable price. Cons: Cleanliness. "We thoroughly sanitize all the bathrooms on Wednesday" was the managers excuse to why our "ensuite" private bathroom wasn't cleaned prior to our arrival. "Was there anything Heinous," she asked me with exasperation after I attempted to explain the condition it was left in. You're kidding me right?!? The left over tampon, shower towels, hair in shower, cigarette carton, and make up in sink that I cleaned myself seemed heinous enough to me Last amazing quote from management, " Well there isn't anything I can do, I've been working 24 hrs a day, 3 months straight." An earnest apology for the bathroom not being cleaned would have been plenty. Rooms: Shower door is not wide enough to keep water out. Poor Communication This place has a future, hopefully things will improve with management and it will be a hip new establishment in Portland!

Basically every 5-star review here is legit. All other hostels in the world should strive to be like this place. Extremely clean. Chill garden area outside. Staff is super nice and helpful. Vibe is really awesome. Right where you want to be in such a heady town that is Portland, Maine. Seagulls are chirping outside and you can walk right into town in like 2 minutes. They even had parking for $10 a night. I'd stay here again next visit.

Don't let the word Hostel shy you away from this great place! This place was very clean, had the friendliest staff, the coolest designed rooms and is just a great choice overall! A group of 6 of us stayed in our own private room and even though bathrooms were in the hallway, there were 3 on just our floor and they were private and very clean! You cannot beat the location or the price! They had a variety of different sized rooms so you could stay 6 to a room or just 2 to a room. You cannot go wrong choosing the black elephant hostel and i wish more cities would have similar places!

Nicest hostel I've ever stayed in. Super clean, comfy beds, nice staff, & everything looks brand new & fresh. Location is amazing & next to any activity & yummy restaurant you'd want to try. You won't be disappointed!

great place! great location downtown. we walked everywhere. lots of restaurants and shops nearby. the staff was super helpful and friendly. and the room was exactly what we needed for the night, clean and cozy. bathrooms were clean and wonderful. the murals were amazing. great playful wall paper too!