In The Market For A Hostel? Burlington's Is For Sale.
Sharp-eyed readers of the Seven Days classifieds may have noticed an intriguing tidbit in the Jan. 25 and Feb. 1 listings: Two years after opening in the Queen City, the Burlington Hostel is for sale.
Former Seven Days writer Lauren Ober spent a night at the hostel in 2010, shortly after Brian and Olga Dalmer opened the 48-bed dorm at the corner of Main and South Champlain. The couple moved up from Connecticut to open the hostel, touting the city's lack of affordable hotel beds as the perfect opening for a new business.
Now, says Brian Dalmer when reached by telephone in Arkansas, the couple is looking into selling because they may not be in Burlington much longer. Dalmer wouldn't say more on the subject, but says the possible sale boils down to personal circumstance and not the business itself.
Dalmer wouldn't say whether there he's gotten any offers but emphatically added, "It's not going to close." With reservations already on the books for May, he says and his wife will be returning to Burlington to reopen after the scheduled winter hiatus "unless something changes."
The sales listing touted a "fully operational" and "profitable" business with a prime location, furnishings and 48 beds. With that many beds, Dalmer says it's likely the hostel will never be fully booked.
"We should be able to handle all that Burlington throws at us," Dalmer says.
The listing also says that revenue at the hostel increased 85 percent in the second year of business. Dalmer says the business turned a profit last year (though he wouldn't say how much), and anticipates another strong year this season.
"The business should do really well," he says. He chuckles. "If it were to sell, we’d probably kick ourselves two years from now."
Any takers?
Photo by Matthew Thorsen.
