The Zen

My husband and I visited Gainesville with our 8 month old and could not have asked for a more beautiful, peaceful, and welcoming place to stay. What a change from our first visit here a few years ago! The entire upstairs has been renovated under new management. The courtyard is gorgeous. The residents were respectful, friendly and accommodating. There is definitely a co-op feel to the premises, with various renovations and works of art always in progress. Group meditation was offered every day at 6pm, though we did not get a chance to join in. Overall, we were very impressed with the progress that has been made in just a couple of years. We recommend it to anyone looking for a unique, artsy and affordable experience.

Beautiful courtyard with great paintings, plants, and small pond. Really friendly and helpful staff and residents who helped me make great connections in Gainesville. Very clean and peaceful. Well-equipped kitchen. I loved my stay and look forward to going back.

The Zen Hostel is wonderful! It is a combination of two large two-story houses and then there is an additional tree house. The grounds are serene with a variety of plants, both edible and ornamental. They provide the front porch of one of the houses for people who smoke cigarettes to gather on. I stayed in the women's dorm. It was very large with three single beds spaced far apart. There are 3 or 4 kitchens, one is set aside for meat, one for vegetarian, and one for vegan cooking. They also have a number of bathrooms, so there was not a wait in the morning to grab a shower. All of the other travelers that I met while I was there were very friendly, and they were more than welcome to show me around the downtown area. Cindy, the host, is extremely friendly, warm, and welcoming!

Stayed there in the summer of 2017. No issues with unsavory characters running about. If you are looking for a lively, social hostel experience, this is not it. This is a more quiet, empty place, where you can rest and think. There was air conditioning in our dorm room, and I had no trouble sleeping. There is no air conditioning in other parts of the hostel, so it gets quite hot, if you are the heat-sensitive type. Washing machine and dryer. The kitchen is vegan, and I didn't want to offend anyone by preparing my freeze-dried meal there that had meat in it, so decided to walk to town. The hostel is basically one block off the main area of downtown, so no lack of restaurants. It was not crowded, but maybe it is when the university is in session. If I recall, the shared room (with 1 other person) was $25 or so. wi-fi available.

Not safe place. It's okay place to stay as hold over to catch bus out of town because it's cheap. It is down the street from bus station with a lot of homeless and drug addicts walking around. They allow a lot of them stay for few nights in the dorms. There are rats in the walls and ceiling that crawl at night. Not very peaceful place. Zen name is misleading. Very dirty kitchen and bathrooms. Sheets are super cheap. Picture make the place look okay but it's disgustingly dirty.

Welcoming and peaceful. A true gem in Gainesville. They have a vegan kitchen and a vegetarian kitchen where you can store and prepare your own food. Beautifully down to earth and unpretentious. Thank you for so gracefully welcoming travelers.

After reading the reviews I was leery so had to check in person before staying here. Don't know what the "zen center is like but the Hostel is nothing more than a flop house for druggies. Does the city regulate this place? Women alone, heck anyone alone might be robbed or worse. An obese woman in shorts and a dirty tank top came out of a room after a guy crashed in the "meditation" room summoned her. I couldn't leave quick enough! Again ,I wonder if the city regulates this. What a shame there isn't a REAL Hostel in Gainesville rather then this dump