Sarah G.
Yelp
TLDR: great location, clean, nice beds. Yes, the cubbies are hot. Not super affordable considering it's a hostel but it's Jackson and everything is expensive.
Amazing location! Right across from the visitor center in Jackson and only a short walk to all the shops/restaurants. I found it to be very clean. I'm hyper-cautious of bed bugs so I always thoroughly inspect mattresses and bedding anywhere I stay, and the bedding/mattress were very clean. We were there two nights and we saw a team of cleaners come in and clean all the spaces.
We saw people of all ages and from all over! All the guests were friendly and respectful. I wish we would have had more time to spend in the hostel, I'm sure we would have made some new friends!
Tip#1: the entrance is hard to find. It's downstairs on the East side of the building (the side facing the visitor center which is across the street). The building itself had a broken sign on the same side and was painted a dark color (not sure if it was navy or black). But before you lug all your stuff down the stairs, check in at the attached Anvil hotel. (May vary seasonally, we went off-season in mid-September.)
Tip #2: they do NOT offer parking! There is a garage about a 10 minute walk away, or you can try to find street parking anywhere outside of downtown. During the day, you can leave your car in the visitor center parking but not overnight. Most street parking is free but limited to two hours until 6 and then you can park there overnight. In other words, you can park any time after 4 pm and leave your car all night. We were able to park on Mercill, which is the next street down to the North of the hostel (about a block walk).
Tip # 3: the reservation includes a locker with a combination lock you set yourself. The locker is a good size, about half standing height, but fairly wide and deep. I was able to fit my 24" hard-sided suitcase (exactly dimensions below), good size backpack, coat and purse in the locker. They have a table near the locker hall where you can set your suitcase to sort through it. However, the locker hall has a lot of traffic and it was kind of a pain having to get in and out of the locker all the time. I recommend planning ahead and packing what you need each day in separate bags or packing cubes so you can just grab and go. Also, pack a separate bag for anything you want to sleep with in your bed cubby (air pods or ear plugs, lotion, water bottle, medicine, etc.).
Exact suitcase dimensions: 17.7" W x 10.6" D x 25.98" H (standing on wheels)
Tip #3: it is super easy to accidentally reset your combination lock on the lockers! I did it and I saw it happen to others. If you do, just head up to the desk in the Anvil hotel and the staff will come help you reset it. BUT, to avoid this, remember not to scramble the combination when the handle is in the "up" position (turned to the left). As long as your combination is set when you turn the handle down (to the right), it should remain as you set it. Then, once the handle is turned to the right, you can then scramble the numbers so it doesn't show your code.
Tip #4: they provide several private, locking shower rooms which include a toilet, sink, hand soap, shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Not a lot of floor space, no counter space in the shower rooms, and only one hook for hanging things, so you don't want to take too much in there. They also have a shared sink/counter space area outside of the hall with the shower rooms.
Tip #5: they provide towels! The towels are in the drawer under your bed cubby that has the same number as your assigned bed cubby. You can also set a combination lock and use the drawer to store your own stuff, but about half the drawers are under the ladders and kind of hard to get in and out of.
Tip #6: with the curtains closed, the cubbies aren't too noisy, but there is some noise transfer. If you're a light sleeper, I recommend bringing ear plugs or air pods.
Tip #7: as other reviews have mentioned, the cubbies do get hot. This was true even in mid-September when the outside temperature was lower. They do provide a fan in the cubby but you can't really aim it down at yourself. I think it is because the cubbies are pretty well insulated so they retain heat. (Insulation =better sound proofing, so it is a win some/lose some situation). It seemed to get hotter the longer I was in it. If you sleep hot (like me), plan accordingly. I brought a cooling blanket, which helped. They do have outlets in the cubby if you want to bring an additional fan. And/or sleep in your summer/light-weight pjs.
Tip #8: they do not have microwaves, coffee pots, washers or dryers. There are several cafes within walking distance for coffee/food. I know there was a laundromat coming into Jackson but it would not be walking distance. I don't know if there was one closer.
I enjoyed my stay at Cache House and would stay again!