YHA wales closed for off season?

[1982john]

Trying to get some accommodation in November for mid wales. Checked 4 places and they all have nothing after next week in October.

Are they closed for winter?

[ajj]

I don't know if it's the reason, but the week after next (up to 5th November) is half term in some parts of Wales

[1982john]

I don't know if it's the reason, but the week after next (up to 5th November) is half term in some parts of Wales

If it was just for one week I could understand but theres no bookings perdio after next week. Its not actually wales. Its the very west of England. Shopshire / leominster. Found a couple of independant ones I can try but still seems odd to me.

[meic]

Are they closed for winter?

Yes quite a lot of them are, but not all.

[Neilo]

What about [url]elenydd‑hostels.co.uk[/url]

[Jon Lucas]

I suspect most of the Welsh YHs are run voluntarily, which is why they will be closed for the winter. I've just checked the YHA website and it looks like:

2 of the 4 hostels in the Brecon Beacons are open in November - Danywenallt and Brecon Beacons
None of the 6 in and around Pembrokeshire are open.
Of the 3 on the Gower, two are for groups only, the third, Port Eynon, strangely has just one day available in the middle of November (apart from the first two days).
Of the 2 along the coast north of Aberystwyth, Borth is closed but Kings also seems to have just day available during the middle of November.
In North Wales, it looks like about half of the hostels are open and generally have at least some availability.
Cardiff is, not surprisingly, open and available all month.

[meic]

None of the 6 in and around Pembrokeshire are open.

That may be how it looks.
However Manorbier is open all year. If it appears to be closed it is because it is (almost) fully booked already mostly through block bookings. If you look carefully you will find gaps still available for certain types of accommodation in its calendar.

Some of the hostels open for block bookings only in the winter months.

From 1st March to 31st October YHA Manorbier is open during weekends and school holidays for families and individual travellers. From Monday - Thursday the hostel is open for group bookings. Beds and rooms may become available three months prior to the travelling date so please check the website for more information. From 1st November until 28th February YHA Manorbier is open for group bookings and YHA Exclusive Hire.

In previous years I have stayed at Manorbier in dorm and room during that November-February period and a quick check shows some vacancies in January, so it isnt only for group bookings in that period which the above quote from the YHA may lead you to think.
With the smaller hostels it often is only for group bookings because otherwise the hostel is closed.

[Ivor Tingting]

Your better off staying in a BnB off season as they are generally much cheaper and you will get a decent night's sleep unlike in a YHA. You're even better off camping than staying at a YHA, all those ignorant shellfish noisy people waking you up through the night, shouting, stomping around, laughing, kids screeching, banging and slamming doors, drunks and snorers, and then there are the bag rustlers at 3:30am. Give YHA a miss if you value a good night's sleep.

[eileithyia]

I couldn't find any hostels to book in cornwall for the week I wanted in Sept, if that's any help.. no it probably isn't but any in the Newquay area were not available to book, seems to be general policy in YHA end of main season and hostels are turned over to RAH only. We went independant instead, had a great time and were with people who had no idea the YHA existed.... with the exception of one who had once used a YHA once and found the rules were draconian.
It just proved that YHA has taken themselves away from their original target audience and those that would have used them are now off using independants.
For what it is worth, my son and I had our room, though dormitory accommodation was also available, breakfast was included, kitchen was open until 10pm, but free tea and coffee was available at all times, everyone respected the keep quiet rules, the front door had a key code entry system, so no curfew hour, which was great when visiting family in the area...