HI-Shuswap Lake, Squilax General Store and Hostel

Awesome location, totally worth a stay! The accomodations are placed in a beautiful garden right next to the lake. Sitting by the campfire at night and canoeing on Shuswap lake are recommended. Also don't miss the homemade breakfast. I will certainly come back as soon as time permits.

A wonderful place to stay, it's a little oasis. The hostel has a vintage and eclectic esthetic with a mix of a woodsy lifestyle. The cabooses are fun to stay in and hearing the trains in the distance brings the experience full circle. The property is right on the water which makes it lovely for an afternoon jump in on a hot summer day. You must stay for the morning pancakes made by the lovely owner Blair. Using her secret batter recipe and fresh locals fruit they make for best pancakes on the Shuswap. Without a doubt would stay here again.

Really cute hostel. Definitely a quirky fun space to be in. Really Wonderful owner. If you are used to staying in hostels in this one will be very pleasant place to be. There are a few discomforts but if You have stayed in hostels then it won’t be a surprise.

We stayed while traveling with our three kids from Banff to Vancouver. It is a beautiful place. The host is very friendly and helpful. In the morning the kids had a stroll with the lama and we had fantastic fruit pancakes. The place is very idyllic and it is a special experience to sleep in a caboose. Can definitely recommend trying when you are in the area.

Simple and cozy!Train style room is unforgettable!Nice service of all!Delicious breakfast: fruit pancake and hot mint chocolate!Free canoeing is a wonderful experience.We will go back to Hi-Shuswap!

I am baffled that so many people have reviewed this place well. I've stayed in some pretty basic hostels all over the world but this one is properly dirty and smells rather funky as well. Stayed in the main house and nearly bailed out at bedtime.Has some interesting artefacts around the place and is in a great lakeside spot, so plenty of potential, but would not recommend in its current state.

I loved this place! The owner is very kind and she will help you with everything all the while taking covid precautions seriously. Her pancake breakfast was stellar and me and my brother had an amazing time renting out a caboose for 2 nights.

Blair, the owner/manager, was very accommodating...even though I needed a place at the last minute. My car broke down up a forest service road, and after finding a space for me at the hostel, she helped me with all the arrangements so that I could get my vehicle back and to my destination in time for school. She is very knowledgeable and knows the area.Hostel is on the lakeside, with access to the lake. There's space for parking, a few private rooms, some dorms converted from cabooses, and an area for tents. It's got an old school feel to the place. Quite affordable (private room was $42 with hostel international membership...$52 without it). For $5 you get all-you-can-eat, homemade pancakes (with fruit in them) and either coffee/hot choco./tea for breakfast. Friendly staff!Thanks!!

This has been my favourite store since I was just little. Every time I am coming through town we stop here, to have a look or get a snack for the road. There’s a bat sanctuary here and I love that the owner cares about nature and wildlife. I’ve heard the hostel is good too, but I’ve never stopped in.

Caboose or Cabust?! I hate giving one-star reviews, but have little choice in this matter.Our recent stay at this hostel was ... hostile. We arrived earlier than expected (4:30pm with check-in time of 5:00pm), and the view from the road suggested that the building was abandoned. So my wife and I walked down the driveway to see if anyone was there. We saw a few cars, but no people, so we decided to wait and walk along the beach.After killing some time we walked back up to the property and the owner started yelling at us as if we were trespassing. We explained that we were booked to stay for a few nights, but she kept yelling at us saying that we shouldn't be walking on the grounds without permission. It was both humiliating and the most unwelcoming greeting I've experienced at any accommodation.After a very awkward check-in process where the owner was clearly terrified of COVID (over-the-top measures), we settled into our caboose. I'm sure at one point this was a very quaint and rustic experience, but these accommodations are very old and run-down. The mattresses have hard plastic covers, the bed sheets don't fit, and there is an over-whelming odour of recycled tires from the flooring. The chairs provided are worn out as are most of the fixtures.Oh, and the owner decided to have friends over for a private party with live music, so not very peaceful of a retreat. After one restless night, we got the hell out of there, never to return.