£1.3 Million Pen-y-Pass Hostel Upgrade 28/08/2013

The Youth Hostel Association (YHA) charity is investing £1.3 million refurbishing its popular Snowdonia hostel, YHA Pen-y-Pass, as part of their on-going modernisation plans.

The hostel will close on 30th August 2013 and plans to re-open in March 2014, in time for the Easter holiday break.

The extensive refurbishment will double the existing accommodation for the many school groups and tourists that visit each year and it will bring the popular youth hostel in-line with the YHA’s modern service of en suite accommodation, private family rooms, a licensed restaurant and education facilities. The work will also create:

• New café and bar open to both residents and the general public, offering hot food and drinks as well as a selection of sandwiches to take away.
• New classroom with AV facilities.
• New self-catering kitchen facilities.
• Public WCs and showers for day walkers.

Many of the bedrooms will be reconfigured to offer a wider range of room sizes to better cater for individuals, couples, families and groups staying at the Youth Hostel.

A disabled access bedroom and 14 additional new bedrooms, 11 with en suite facilities, will be added, some in a currently disused barn onsite.

Once complete, the hostel will have 27 bedrooms, 16 of which will have en suite facilities, providing accommodation for 111 people.  

Ahead of the refurbishment, the hostel’s biomass boiler project has already been shortlisted in Hostelling International’s competition to reduce CO₂ emissions. If successful YHA Pen-y-Pass will win £25,000 towards the £167,000 cost of installing the special heating system which will reduce the hostel’s CO₂ emissions and fuel bills dramatically. Currently the Youth Hostel spends £21,000 on heating oil each year - the highest spend across the entire YHA (England & Wales) network.

Caroline White, Chief Executive of YHA (England and Wales) said: “YHA Pen-y-Pass welcomes thousands of young people every year giving everyone, whatever their backgrounds, the chance to enjoy educational and outdoor activities in this superb location. Our investment will help the Youth Hostel become even more financially sustainable, securing its future for many more generations of guests.”

The improvements have been made possible with generous contributions from the Welsh Government’s Tourism Investment Support Scheme (TISS) and Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA). The investment will help enable YHA Pen-y-Pass to become both environmentally and financially sustainable, securing its long-term future.

The investment in the Youth Hostel by the youth hostelling charity is part of YHA’s Capital Investment plan to create a world-class network of Youth Hostels in England and Wales. Earlier this year YHA (England and Wales) invested £10 million in six Youth Hostels – as well as creating a new Youth Hostel in the South Downs.  

The Charity, which has around 160 Youth Hostels throughout England and Wales, has worked hard to shed its former reputation of rickety bunk beds, sleeping bags, compulsory membership, chores and 1960s dormitories. More than £20 million has been invested in the network in recent years, helping create accommodation which is open to everyone with significant discounts for YHA members.

Commenting on the Capital Investment Plan and YHA’s public image change, Caroline White, said: “We’re continuing to invest in our hostels to make sure they continue to offer the great welcome and friendly stay of which we are rightly proud." 

“We want to make sure that we continue to have world class hostels in fantastic locations and to make sure that as many people as possible know about what a great time they can have when they stay with us.”

For further details of all Youth Hostels in England and Wales, or to make a booking, visit yha.org.uk

Topic: Pen-y-Pass Youth Hostel, YHA, Snowdonia Youth Hostel.

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