Sweet Peas Hostel, Asheville, NC

The website link (just click on the post title) is so comprehensive I think I'll save the pictures I took and spare you the poor iPhone camera quality and the spur of the moment excited clicking away.

Almost on a whim I stuck my head into the new Lexington Avenue Brewery as they were preparing for their grand opening and asked about the attached hostel. Heads popped up from their planning and meetings and I was directed around the block and assured that Sweet Peas had now been open for a couple of weeks.  Few people inside seemed to know much about the hostel which seems to me one of the dangers I'll face opening my hostel.  Locals need to know and be involved. Buzz needs to get around.

We walked around the block to Rankin Ave and rang the callbox. A pleasant voice came over the waves, and when I told her that I was interested in checking out the hostel a friendly "come on back" was paired with the door unlocking.

We walked down a very freshly renovated hallway which was only an appropriate foreshadowing of the pristine Ikea-esque interior of the hostel. Sarah Porter and her counterpart were just sorting thru end of the day tasks, but Sarah took time to show me around the space she's been working on for months now.

Sweet Peas has only been open since mid-December 2009, but it's been in the works for months if not years in various stages of development.  Sarah's been onboard since fall, living in her small private Manager's quarters, prepping the space for guests. 

Sarah pads around the 4000 square foot space answering all my questions with barefeet and an apron with two big pockets.  She becomes my idol, just from these two facts.  She's stayed at three or four hostels, but was offered this job out of the blue and recognized the potential and jumped at it. She's learning as she goes as is the customary response I've gotten from all hostel owners/managers thus far. 

This road trip is aimed at my generating a business plan, but business plans seems to be off in the distance from most people's minds and jumping in feet first is the way to go.  Interesting perspective, I'll take it under advisement.

Sweet Peas is bright and shiny with no dings in anything yet. I look forward to visiting again and staying for a time when the gears have been worked a little, the engine tested and all of the plates eaten off of with comaraderie to warm the already inviting space.