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The NYC HI hostel on Amsterdam Avenue, formerly the Association Residence Nursing Home | |
Abbreviation | HI USA |
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Formation | 1934 |
Founder | Monroe and Isabel Smith |
Type | Youth organization |
Legal status | Nonprofit |
Purpose | Youth hostels offer inexpensive temporary accommodations for travelers. |
Headquarters | Silver Spring, Maryland |
Region served | United States |
Parent organization | Hostelling International |
Budget | ≈ $18 million (2012 revenue) |
Website | hiusa |
Hostelling International USA (HI USA), also known as American Youth Hostels, Inc. (AYH), is a nonprofit organization that operates youth hostels and runs programs around those hostels. It is the official United States affiliate of Hostelling International (HI), also known as the International Youth Hostel Federation. It is incorporated as a not-for-profit organization, with its headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. [1]
During a trip to Europe, Monroe and Isabel Smith learned of Hostelling after meeting Richard Schirrman, founder of the concept of youth hostels. [2] The first American youth hostel was opened in Northfield, Massachusetts, in 1934 by Monroe and Isabel Smith, and American Youth Hostels was born. [3] According to the AYH Knapsack, a series of pamphlets published by American Youth Hostels, their mission was to "“To help all, especially young people, to a greater knowledge, understanding, and love of the world by providing for them Youth Hostels, bicycle trails, and foot paths in America, and by assisting them in their travels here and abroad.” [3]
Within a year, a network of more than 30 hostels was operating throughout New England. [4] Franklin D. Roosevelt was named honorary president of AYH in 1936, and endorsed the organization by saying, “This was the best education I ever had, far better than schools.” Josephine and Frank Duveneck opened Hidden Villa, California's first youth hostel in 1937 in a rural setting with hiking trails 35 miles (56 km) south of San Francisco. [5] In 1947 a preaching Quaker minister, Leslie "Barry" Barret and his wife, Winnifred, turned a rundown New England farm into a rustic retreat center and youth hostel and called it Friendly Crossways. [6] Like Hidden Villa, Friendly Crossways attracted groups promoting peace and social justice. When Hidden Villa dropped out of the HI-USA system in 2010, Friendly Crossways became the longest continually operating hostel in the US. [7]
After World War II, international youth travel was embraced by governments as a way of encouraging interaction and understanding, and avoiding future conflict. John D. Rockefeller incorporated AYH as a nonprofit organization in 1948 after joining AYH as president. [2]
Public awareness and hostel use increased in the 1960s and 1970s as student travel became more widespread. New hostel facility standards, management training and more consistent operating policies improved the quality of the hostel stay. AYH also sponsored self-supported bicycle tours with overnights at its hostels to such places as the Midwest and Canadian Rockies. In the mid- to late-1960s, the New York chapter staged the "3 a.m. ride" through New York City. Riders began to assemble in Washington Square, around 1 a.m. and at 3, began to ride the deserted streets of Manhattan. Around dawn, the riders took the Staten Island ferry and ended the ride at a beach on Staten Island.
The 1980s marked a decade a growth for American Youth Hostels. Major association hostels were opened in Boston, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Seattle and Washington, DC. In 1986, AYH approved its first strategic plan which affirmed the importance of AYH hostels in major cities, as well as membership growth and hostel based programming. Both hostel overnights and membership grew throughout the decade.
The growth continued in hostel overnights throughout the 1990s. IYHF positioned the international movement for growth in the mid 1990s with the adoption of a common name and logo, and new quality standards for its more than 4,500 hostels. As the U.S. affiliate of IYHF, AYH embraced "Hostelling International" and the blue triangle and adopted a more focused hostel quality program, becoming HI USA.
By the early 2000s, HI USA made quality a priority and steadily closed hostels over the next decade that didn’t meet the highest of standards. The number of hostels went from 136 in 2001 to 53 in 2012. However, hostel overnights have remained strong. In fact, in 2012, HI USA hosted as many overnights across as its 53 hostels as it did in 2003 when it had 103 hostels.
During the slimming down of hostels, a new focus for HI USA took hold. In 2008, the council model of governance - whereby 26 councils oversaw the majority of hostel operations – was questioned as the most effective model for moving forward. After several years of intensive research, debate, and discussion, the councils voted on June 11, 2011, to dissolve their entities into one unified, national organization, as a way to combine assets and resources to become a stronger organization. [8] By 2012, the 14 councils became part of the unified organization by year’s end and HI USA had 53 hostels in its network.
The flagship residence of the American Youth Hostels in the United States is in New York City, located in a landmark building designed by noted architect Richard Morris Hunt. This popular hostel occupies the entire east blockfront of Amsterdam Avenue between 103rd and 104th Streets within the Frederick Douglass Houses superblock in Manhattan. Other locations currently include: [9]
As of March 2024, the board of directors had the following members: [10]
Montara is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 2,833 at the 2020 census. Nearby communities include Moss Beach and Princeton-by-the-Sea.
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A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory sleeping 4–20 people, with shared use of a lounge and usually a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or shared bathrooms. Private rooms may also be available. Hostels are popular forms of lodging for backpackers, however very few impose age limits, so hostels are an option for travellers of all ages and styles. The benefits of hostels include lower costs and opportunities to meet people from different places, find travel partners, and share travel experiences. Some hostels, such as in India or Hostelling International, cater to a niche market of travelers. Different hostels can be known for offering different experiences. For example, one hostel might feature in-house social gatherings such as movie nights or communal dinners, another might feature local tours, one might be known for its parties, and another might have a quieter place to relax in serenity, or be located on the beach. Newer hostels focus on a more trendy design, some of which are on par with boutique hotels. Some may cater to older digital nomads, global nomads, and perpetual travelers who prefer slightly more upmarket private rooms or a quieter atmosphere. Hostels may also differentiate themselves by being environmentally friendly ecohostels. In countries where wages are lower, the cost of staying at a hostel may be similar to staying in a budget hotel.
Hostelling International (HI) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation working with UNESCO and the World Tourism Organisation UNWTO. Formerly known as the International Youth Hostel Federation, Hostelling International has 60 member associations operating over 2,650 hostels around the world.
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Fort Mason, in San Francisco, California is a former United States Army post located in the northern Marina District, alongside San Francisco Bay. Fort Mason served as an Army post for more than 100 years, initially as a coastal defense site and subsequently as a military port facility. During World War II, it was the principal port for the Pacific campaign.
Road Scholar is an American not-for-profit organization that provides educational travel programs primarily geared toward older adults. The organization is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. From its founding in 1975 until 2010, Road Scholar was known as Elderhostel. Road Scholar offers study tours throughout the United States and Canada and in approximately 150 other countries.
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The TD Five Boro Bike Tour is an annual recreational cycling event in New York City organized by Bike New York. It is a charity event to fund Bike New York's education programs. Conducted on the first Sunday of May, the 40-mile (64 km) ride has over 32,000 riders. The route takes riders through all five of New York's boroughs and across five major bridges. The entire route, including bridges and expressways which normally prohibit cyclists, is closed to automobile traffic for the ride.
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Hostelling International Canada is an organization providing youth hostel accommodation in Canada. It is a member of the Hostelling International federation.
Monroe William Smith and his wife Isabel Bacheler Smith founded American Youth Hostels in 1934. Monroe was a former Boy Scout executive and Isabel an art teacher when the young couple founded the hostels in Northfield, Massachusetts. Monroe also founded Youth Argosy, an organization intended to "provide travel opportunities for worthy young people of slender means" and resigned his directorship of American Youth Hostels in 1949. After a promising start, Youth Argosy went bankrupt in 1951, largely due to a new Civil Aeronautics Board regulation aimed at small charter groups.
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Youth Argosy was an organization with tax exempt status for educational and charitable purposes which was dedicated to helping students travel internationally. It was incorporated on May 11, 1948 by Monroe and Isabel Smith who also founded American Youth Hostels. Monroe Smith, a Boy Scout executive, resigned his position with American Youth Hostels in 1949 to focus his efforts on Youth Argosy. He described the goal of Youth Argosy as to "provide travel opportunities for worthy young people of slender means that they may enjoy the benefits of foreign study and travel, that they may engage in reconstruction work, and other helpful projects and that they may make worldwide friendships regardless of race, color and creed." An age restriction was not imposed; the organization considered a student anyone seeking knowledge.
Chamounix is a historic home located in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Federal-style house was built in 1802 by George Plumsted who was a wealthy Philadelphia merchant, then enlarged to nearly double its original size by subsequent owners after 1853. Chamounix is a 2½-story stuccoed stone dwelling measuring 45 feet (14 m) long and 47 feet (14 m) deep, featuring a hipped roof with dormers and a porch on three sides with decorative iron supports. The house served as a country retreat until it was appropriated by the state via eminent domain in 1869 to become a part of Fairmount Park, from which time it was used in various ways including as a boarding house, a restaurant, and a refreshment stand. After years of neglect and then fire damage, the Fairmount Park Commission decided to demolish Chamounix; however, a committee of the former American Youth Hostels successfully petitioned to save it and, since 1964, it has served as an international youth hostel.
The German Youth Hostel Association or DJH is a non-profit registered organization. It was founded in 1919 to provide affordable and safe accommodation for travellers, especially schools, youth groups and individuals across Germany. Today, with 438 youth hostels, it caters to schools, youth groups and are also open to anyone else seeking an alternative to hotels like families, backpackers, business travellers, etc. Through the state (Bundesland) associations, it is the representative of the 438 youth hostels in Germany and thus the largest member of the international youth association, Hostelling International (HI). The headquarters has its seat in Detmold, it operates through 14 state associations and 178 local and county volunteer associations. It has about 2.38 million members.
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