Homeless

Portland Hostel's search for space

by Theresa Flaherty

When Tim Westwig received a letter from the University of Southern Maine last winter informing him that, due to high demand for student housing, Hostelling International would no longer be able to use space at Portland Hall, the University's dorm on Congress Street, he was left to scramble for beds.

"Portland is a very key place for a hostel to be," says Westwig, director of operations for the Eastern New England Council of Hostelling International. "By losing it, we're hurting not just Portland, but that whole network." The Portland Hostel serves as a stopping point for people passing through to hostels farther up the coast in towns such as Searsport and Bar Harbor.

Hostelling International provides a worldwide network of inexpensive places to stay that are safe and clean. Members pay an annual fee and receive discounted overnight rates at 4500 hostels in 70 countries as well as local and national discounts ranging from car rentals to discounts on books and deli food.

The Portland Hostel, with 24-hour access, laundry, parking, and continental breakfast -- all for $16 a night -- was particularly popular. About 3000 people stayed at the hostel last summer.

Last month the organization established a relationship with the Oak Leaf Inn to provide discounted rates to hostel members. So far, a couple hundred members have stayed at the inn.

"We knew there was a void," says Kevin McQuinn, who, along with his brother, bought the Oak Leaf last September. The inn is making a portion of its beds available to hostel members for about $20 a night.

McQuinn is quick to point out the hotel, the oldest in Portland, is not a youth hostel. He describes it as "European-style," with many of the rooms sharing baths.

"We have no dreams of competing with [other types of hotels]," he says. "We're fitting a niche and we thought this was a good way to add variety."

Portland Hall was only available to the hostel from June to mid-August. McQuinn hopes to be able to extend the availability of hostel beds into October but is waiting to see how it goes.

"Certainly, I'd love to have a continuation," says McQuinn. "If there's a need and demand we'd be willing."

In the meantime, Westwig continues to search for a permanent home for the hostel. He says there are no leads as of yet.

"We're certainly hoping by next summer we'll have a space secured," says Westwig. "Portland is a really nice city in the summer."