Laura Glesby Photo
Paul Hammer offers his pitch.
Paul Hammer has stayed in hostels across the globe, from Greece to Philadelphia to Mexico. He now hopes to open one himself, a bit closer to home in New Haven.
Hammer pitched an idea to found a hostel in Wooster Square to the Downtown-Wooster Square Community Management Team on Tuesday night. He said he’s still in the preliminary stages of planning the hostel, but wanted to keep the community informed and hear input before moving ahead.
Hammer once served on the board of American Youth Hostels (also known as Hostelling International USA). This experience caused him to realize that travelers could benefit from a hostel in New Haven.
“I’ve been thinking of this in the back of my mind for 40 years,” he said. Now that he’s semi-retired, he has the time to pursue the business opportunity.
Hammer explained to the Community Management Team that a goal of the hostel would be to provide “inexpensive accommodation for travelers.”
A hostel would suit New Haven because the city is both a transportation hub and home to several universities and colleges, he said.
New Haven currently has no hostels, according to Hammer. “Our competition is couch surfing and AirBnb.”
Hostels are different from staying in someone’s living room or renting someone’s apartment because they specifically set out to welcome and guide travelers to the city, he said.
Hammer said the diversity of guests would also set a hostel apart. “It’s so refreshing to sit down with people from Australia, and Japan, and all over the world,” he said after the meeting. “It’s a way of opening your eyes to the world.”
An avid cyclist, Hammer served as the president of the Connecticut Bicycle Coalition, and he has volunteered with the Bradley Street Bicycle Co-op. He said he hopes to incorporate his love of cycling into the hostel, perhaps by offering rental bikes.
The Downtown-Wooster Square Community Management Team.
After the presentation, Cordalie Benoit asked about the number of guests that would stay in each room.
Hammer replied that he would need to do research on the market for hostelers wanting to stay in New Haven before determining how large the hostel would be.
“With the increased need for affordable housing, how do you feel about taking housing off the market?” asked Onyeka Obiocha.
Hammer said that “in my dreams,” he would like to open a combined housing and hostel business, which would provide affordable housing. “I don’t know if that’s practical, though,” he said.
“Why Wooster Square?” asked Mona Berman.
Hammer hangs out after the meeting.
Hammer answered that Wooster Square is only one potential location for the hostel, but that the neighborhood would be ideal because of its proximity to Downtown and Union Station.
Later, Berman said she would like to hear more information about the hostel, as plans solidify, before she forms an opinion. She stressed that the hostel should fit in with the neighborhood.
“If it’s on Wooster Street, it would be a very different thing than if it were on Chapel Street,” she said.
At this stage, Hammer is looking for investors. He is also working with Diana Nastri of GRL Realtors to find a property for the hostel.
I would love a hostel in Wooster Square! I welcome all visitors. I hosteled in Europe. There is a hostel in MV.