New Franklin, NC Hostel

[Ron Haven]

Friends,
Now you have a choice in Franklin, NC. Click on this link if you are on a Budget. We have bunks at $15 each per night per person. Call us for more details if needed. We also provide onsite laundry, wi-fi, bike rentals, snacks, fuel, guide books, maps and more.We have the same free 9am and 11am guest shuttles back to the trail heads at Winding Stair, Rock, and Wallace. Also around town at 4pm free for our guest just like Budget Inn and Sapphire Inn. If you call for a ride at other times, they will be a small shuttle fee.

[Old Hiker]

The bike rentals would be GREAT !! Depending, of course, on price. I hope you still have the shuttles in 2016 - I had an entertaining and very informative trip to and from the Trail. You were a great help.

I'm happy to see the single, private rooms as well. I kinda like quiet, alone time when sleeping.

Hope it's a success, Mr. Haven.

[Ron Haven]

The bike rentals would be GREAT !! Depending, of course, on price. I hope you still have the shuttles in 2016 - I had an entertaining and very informative trip to and from the Trail. You were a great help.

I'm happy to see the single, private rooms as well. I kinda like quiet, alone time when sleeping.

Hope it's a success, Mr. Haven.

Come by, I will help you any way I can..

[AT_Walker]

I stayed at Ron's place in both Hiawassee and Franklin on my current thru. Bargain prices and treated very well. Highly recommend.


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[Ron Haven]

I stayed at Ron's place in both Hiawassee and Franklin on my current thru. Bargain prices and treated very well. Highly recommend.


Follow me at:
2014nobo.wordpress.com

thanks for your business A T - Walker, good luck on the trail.

[DocMahns]

Will you still be open late in the season for us SOBO-ers?

[Trance]

Had a great time at the Sapphire Inn in 2013 with a bunch of hikers.... try the mexican place across the street too... it's great!

[slbirdnerd]

Yay! See you in June!

[Ron Haven]

Will you still be open late in the season for us SOBO-ers?

I will always find hikers a place to stay.....

[lonehiker]

If Mr. Haven is involved with a project/business, it will be well done.

[Ron Haven]

If Mr. Haven is involved with a project/business, it will be well done.

thanks Lone Hiker.

[gunner76]

Nice job thanks

[Ron Haven]

Nice job thanks

Thanks Gunner 76, so far everyone who has stayed likes it.

[Big Oz]

Haven, your hostel sounds nice.

[Ron Haven]

Had a great time at the Sapphire Inn in 2013 with a bunch of hikers.... try the mexican place across the street too... it's great!

Me and my family ate there today. Yes, Great Food !!!!!!

[DocMahns]

I will always find hikers a place to stay.....

Sounds awesome, look forward to meeting you guys!

[FarmerChef]

Planning to stop by in a few weeks on our section hike to finish south of the Smokies! Hoping to finally meet the legendary Ron Haven in person.

[ericmcdaniel]

Made it to Franklin today and didn't plan on staying in town overnight, just long enough to shower, do some laundry and resupply. Budget Inn was full and were told by the lady at the counter that the only shower possibility was across the street at the new hostel. We moseyed on over and paid $10 for two showers then watched the lady at the desk ask some of out friends who had a room there for $15 apiece if we could use their shower (the hostel's bunks and rooms were all taken). We took our showers and hung out for about 30 minutes outside the room with our friends quietly having a couple drinks with them and waiting for them to catch the shuttle from Ron. Lady behind desk comes to tell us there's "no hanging out allowed" and we assured her we weren't planning to sneak our way into a free bunk for the night, thinking that was the concern. Ron arrives with the shuttle and reiterates that unless you're a paying customer, you're not allowed to hang out with paying customers on his property (apparently this included the rooms themselves, something I've never encountered at a hotel anywhere). Mind you we weren't causing a public disturbance or anything. We were all tired from hiking anyway. He then offers to take us all to the buffet down the street and then to wal mart to resupply and back. We all go (a shuttle's worth of people). When he drops us at wal mart, he announces he'll be back to take everyone back to the hotel and hostel. Awesome. Then when he arrives, he refuses to let the two of us (who had committed the cardinal sin of "only" paying for a shower at his hostel and thinking it wouldn't be trespassing to spend thirty minutes with our fellow hikers) into the shuttle, and very publicly and embarrassingly threatens to "call the cops if I catch you on my property again." He then very begrudgingly allows us back onto the shuttle after we again assured him we had no intention of going anywhere near his hostel then makes a princely show of offering everyone else on the shuttle a ride anywhere they'd like in town. I'm not sure where he got such a wonderful reputation for "serving" the hiker community, but we didn't see any of that spirit on display today, just an obvious desire to wring as much as possible from all of us, and treating us like criminals who aren't to be trusted. I hope he's still following this thread and that anyone yet to hit Franklin thinks twice before patronizing his many businesses in town.


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[mrcoffeect]

seems to me you got your five dollars worth.

[Lone Wolf]

if i were ron i would not offer showers only. just stay and pay only. too many hikers over the years sneaking in their pals for showers and floor space