Hostelling community welcomes Hyannis haven

“I enjoy hostelling for what it is — it’s eclectic and you get to interact with people,’’ said O’Donnell. “I traveled around the world for work for many years, and hotel rooms really get to be insanity. I started staying in hostels about 10 years ago, all over the US.’’

This particular hostel restores a link in a chain of Bay State locations managed by Hostelling International’s Eastern New England Council. A hostel on Route 28 in Hyannis closed because of unsafe conditions in 1994, leaving a void between Boston and the Outer Cape and the islands. A hostel in the hub of Cape Cod provides a jumping-off point for day trips to Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket, or a stopover on the way to Outer Cape posts in Eastham and Truro.

Lisa Miller manages the Hinckley Hostel; she was a student at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point when she discovered hosteling while she was studying abroad. She ended up converting her entire family.

“My family hostelled together in Alaska,’’ said Miller, 29, who has been with Hostelling International for five years. “My dad hung out in a big leather chair in the lobby of our hostel in Anchorage, just chatting with people all day.’’

The Hyannis site can house 40 guests, and includes free Internet access and kitchen privileges. The staff was organizing a barbecue for guests on the Saturday we stopped by, and its proximity to the ferries, beaches, a bus station, and Main Street make it easy to suggest activities and itineraries. A recent week’s offerings included $1 bowling night, free yoga sessions, a farmer’s market, outdoor concerts, and Cape Cod League baseball hosted by the Hyannis Hawks. Bikes can be rented through the Bike Zone nearby for $15 a day.

“So far, I’d say we have attracted a mix of half-and-half veterans and newcomers,’’ said Miller. “We get the backpackers who quickly find the grocery stores and come back and do their cooking. Then there are the people who are stunned to find out that breakfast is included in the rate. It’s a real ‘wow’ moment.’’