NotSo Hostel's manager reflects on success

The NotSo Hostel has been featured in the New York Times, USA Today, Time Out New York, The Post and Courier and The City Paper in the past two years. We never know when a reviewer from the Lonely Planet is coming or just how connected our visitors are to the media.

This weekend we were prepared for the 15-person film crew that came from Florida, Georgia and both the Carolinas to make a sizzle reel for a new television series called "Hostel Hunters" for the Discovery Channel. The lobby of the hostel at 156 Spring St. turned into a television set over the course of an hour. Stage lighting, microphones, two cameras, a makeup artist and hired talent surrounded the front desk, and the television series began to roll.

I'm not even sure whom to thank for all this great publicity. The producer, Aaron Blomberg, said friends of his stayed at the hostel earlier this year and really enjoyed it. Hearing about their experience inspired him with the idea for the TV series. So to those travelers who came and spread the word about the NotSo Hostel, thank you.

People have asked me why so many media sources are reaching out to feature the hostel. I think it's not one thing in particular, but hundreds of little things we do at the hostel every day that make it a memorable experience. Yes, we could cut costs and save money by buying cheap coffee, but instead we grind a fresh cup of organic, fair-trade coffee every morning. All the sheets are washed with biodegradable soap, all the cleaning supplies are nontoxic and we have communal kitchens, porches and a lobby with no working television to foster community space for travelers. All of life is in the details.

My philosophy for running the hostel is inspired by "The Golden Present" by Swami Satchidananda. He says, "It is competitive in the business world; and unfortunately or fortunately all the gimmicks seem to be paying off. If people come to realize that you are running an honest business, certainly they will come to you more. After some time, the truth comes out. Business should be done with service in mind."

We could charge guests for using the Internet, for the private parking downtown or for the free breakfast we serve every morning (with Nutella and organic peanut butter), but we choose not to. I believe traveling and staying in a clean, safe, affordable hostel is an important life experience. Being immersed in a different culture can change your life and way you relate to the world. Everyone should have the opportunity to do that regardless of his or her finances.

But the thing that really makes the NotSo Hostel such an amazing place is the staff that runs it: Kendall Snead, Nicole Ponton, Sarah Bandy and Stephanie Underhill. Without these ladies, the hostel would not be the clean, welcoming, well-intentioned place that it is. If your life's work is your passion, you will always succeed.