CamelBackpackers Hostel

This place is the definition of an oasis in the desert. It is clean, the staff is polite and accommodating, and for the price per night, you will think you have found home. I went from freak out mode when I didn’t have a place to stay, to thanking the powers that be for putting me on the path to this hostel. I can’t think of anything bad to say.
They have games inside and out if you get bored, and art supplies and guitars if you’re inclined. Being your own food or take from the communal food shelf in the fridge from others. Breakfast included and all you can drink coffee. Sold!

Absolutely wonderful experience. This was the first time I ever stayed at a hostel and I absolutely loved it. I don’t even know where to begin! The staff was utterly friendly and helpful. They also offered several events planned for the hostel such as FREE trips to local attractions and group outings to restaurants, parks and bars. In short, if you get the chance, STAY AT THIS HOSTEL!
The bedding was comfortable and clean with linens provided, as well as a personal reading light and fan for each person. Private bathrooms were clean and well maintained with towels provided. The only downside is that the place had 2 bathrooms, so with many guests, lines began to form in the morning and evening, but only during peak hours.
The breakfast was great! Cereal, although the choices were limited to honey nut Cheerios, raisin bran crunch, as well as toast, PB&J, and eggs. They also offer plenty of storage for food and help keep your personal food items labeled.
They offer large loads of laundry to be cleaned for $ 5 each. The hostel also offers locks for the lockers in the room for only $ 5 the duration of your stay, and $ 5 for bicycle rentals. The hostel is also in a great location in the city– close to public transportation, gas stations, and dining options. It is also in a very safe neighborhood and the building is well secured. This place made my stay very memorable and enjoyable and I would go back in a heartbeat. Excellent, excellent experience.

On behalf of Brian W. — The staff and accommodations were amazing. Could not have asked for a better experience in a hostel.

Camelbackpackers is a really fantastic place filled with friendly, welcoming people. I had a busy weekend and unfortunately couldn’t take full advantage of the hospitality, but the common room was often full of people hanging out, cooking, and playing games. The rooms were clean and I appreciated having access to a full kitchen, laundry, towels, lockers, books, a computer, and more. It’s close to downtown and they seemed to be on the pulse of events and activities going on in the Phoenix area. Definitely the best hostel I’ve ever stayed in! And for $ 25 a night it’s unbeatable.

Great accommodations and friendly staff!

Great place to stay in Phoenix! Super helpful staff, perfectly organized but still comfy and charming. Huge garden, nice rooms and yummy breakfast! Don’t hesitate, just go there — you won’t regret it!

i don’t have any other experience with hostels to put this in context, but this can’t be what most hostels are like. i was pretty nervous about staying in a hostel — i really value privacy — but this place is pretty amazing. i would definitely stay here again.

OMG. This is NOT a hostel. It’s a home away from. This is like visiting a really cool friend’s house. Will always come here when backpacking thru the valley.

This hostel hands down is the best hostel I’ve stayed in. Staff and owners are brilliant. The atmosphere is chilled and homely. Also a short bike ride or walk into downtown for some brilliant food and quirky shops. (can hire bikes for 24 hours for only $ 5!!!) The hostel is also exceptionally clean, never seen such clean floors and kitchen tops but never seen anyone cleaning, like cleaning fairies. Best place highly recommend it.

In my experience, staying at hostels has always been good, as in, the place is clean and the staff are nice, but it wasn’t until I came to Camel Backpackers did I realize that staying at hostels can actually be amazing.
From the get-​go, I knew the Camel Backpackers was going to be a special place. As I stepped into the door, I was greeted with a big friendly smile from Sue and she said «put your stuff down, would you like to have some water?» And of course, after a 2 hour ride on the plane, 1 hour ride on the tram/​bus, not to mention getting off at the wrong stop and backtracking to the hostel, I really needed a glass of water. In the kitchen, one of the girls staying at the hostel was cooking dinner for the house and she immediately offered me to have some. Sue then explained to me everything I needed to know about the hostel and afterwards I easily started talking to the other guests as everyone was really nice. That’s another thing, this hostel can only host about 20 people, so you can really get to know people and not get lost in the crowd.
I stayed here for 3 nights, and everyday, Amber and Colin was at the hostel (they live right next door). It was really nice because they make sure things are taken care of, not to mention they are fun to hang out with. Along with the rest of the guests at the hostel, we played card games, board games, danced to music, drank beers, sang karaōke, walked to downtown, talked about anything and everything. You just feel like you are at home with family and friends. If I didn’t have to go back to work, I would’ve definitely stayed longer. Did I mention the beautiful neighborhood right behind the hostel and walking distance to a park/​swimming pool? Definitely a huge bonus.
«So what about cleanliness?» you might ask. I have to admit, I get a little OCD about cleanliness, and I definitely lower my standards when i travel. But let me assure you, the Camel Backpackers is not just clean, it even exceeded my expectations. I really appreciate the thought that was put into this hostel to make sure that the guests are comfortable. The bathroom is always spotless, and that’s a huge deal for me. There are little hand towels in the bathroom, changed constantly, so you’re not drying your hands on used towels. In the dorms, everyone has a little fan next to their beds, and of course, it’s very clean as well. In the kitchen, there are rarely ever any dishes in the sink as the guests always made sure they clean up after themselves. The counter, the dinning table, the coffee table, and the floor, always spotless.
This is hands down my best hostel experience, The owner Amber, and the rest of the team really went above and beyond to make sure of that. The thing is, they’re not trying to impress me, they’re simply trying to share an experience of what they believe traveling is all about. I highly recommend everyone to stay at the Camel Bakcpackers, now if only there’s a hostel like this everywhere I travel…

I had some really cool conversations in this hostel.
And it has excellent amenities.
First hostel with nice countertops I’ve ever seen.
It is probably physically the nicest hostel I’ve ever stayed in.
Phoenix seems like a pretty laid back place.
As one of the hostel workers put it «We hang out a lot here.»
I didn’t really talk with Amber but her and her friends were around and definitely very social and friendly.
This hostel would totally work for you if you like chilling out in the sun and/​or drinking. Actually, it would probably even be cool for a hostelling staycation.
Things relatively near here:
–A gas station
–A Chipotle (burritos, etc.)
–Zoe’s (grilled pimento cheese, spinach rolls– this stuff was good)
–The little bar the hostel peeps seem to like hanging out at.
Things near but sort of far unless you have a car:
–Safeway (groceries)
–CVS (pharmacy things)
Things I did while I was here:
–Desert Botantical Garden (gorgeous!)
–Musical Instrument Museum (coolest museum I’ve been to in my life!)
–Shopped at Mercado Mexico (Mexican imports)
–Shopped at House of Rice (Japanese imports, origami paper and pan-​asian food supplies)
Things I can’t comment on:
–Public transport; I didn’t take it and rented a car at my friend’s suggestion, since I wanted to visit the PHX suburbs.
Things I can comment on:
–I didn’t fall off the top bunk. And generally prefer them since, idk, didn’t everyone want top bunk as a kid? But, these bunks have no guard rails.
Weird shit that isn’t really directly relate to the hostel:
–There were a *lot* of guys here. Maybe it was just my week or whatever. But, seriously backpacking ladies come and even this dynamic out!
Guys on backpacking trails are often only looking for two things «alcohol and easy american women» as two guys in this hostel just so happened to tell me quite freely. But, ugh. Bored dudes in the desert, no bueno.
So, in short, facilities gorgeous. But, probably not the right place or week for me.
I guess I wonder what the general demographic is that makes it down to Phoenix.
The city itself was a pretty cool sprawling mass though. Definitely growing and «new».