‘We all live under the same sun!’
The Samesun we know today began in 1995 as the dream child of Craig Kelley and Jeff Gusdal fresh off their own travels through Australia, New Zealand and Europe. Craig and Jeff had experienced the highs and lows of backpacking themselves and wanted to bring the benefits of independent hostels that they had enjoyed to travellers in their home country of Canada. Realizing that Canada lacked the same network of hostels they had experience abroad, Craig and Jeff opened the first Samesun hostel on Kelowna’s Bernard Avenue with a modest 18 beds. Expansion happened quickly over the next several years with a custom built hostel in Kelowna, new hostels throughout the Rocky Mountains, Banff, Vancouver, and most recently, a hostel in Venice Beach, California!
Samesun has come a long way from the first 18 beds to now offering hundreds of beds in 6 hostels in Kelowna, Vancouver, Banff, Silver Star, Revelstoke, and Venice Beach. Not to mention the addition of the Beaver bars in Vancouver and Banff, the best place to get cheap food and drinks and meet fellow backpackers.
Samesun has always been devoted to being a network of hostels that is run and staffed by backpackers for backpackers. They are more than just an affordable place to stay; they are a home away from home. A place where you can make new friends, get travel advice or inspiration, participate in local activities and party harder than you ever thought possible. More than anything, the Samesun Nation is a community of likeminded travelers from all over the world. Whether you find us in the hostel common room or enjoying a Beaver beer in the bar, our staff and guests are always ready to share their stories with a new face or, even better, make new stories to share with the next new arrival and jealous friends back home.
The name Samesun refers to the idea that we “all live under the same sun”. It is important to the Samesun Team that we live by that fact by striving to leave the world better than we found it, and to create an environment where people are appreciated for themselves regardless of where they come from.
