Historic hostel, hotels keep some funk in Jackson Hole
After Erik Warner acquired the Anvil Hotel in downtown Jackson, he chose to renovate the vintage hotel rather than razing the structures and rebuilding on the property. BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE
Tucked underneath the boutique Anvil Hotel is the Cache House, a hostel that offers travelers a rare perk in Jackson Hole — an affordable stay.
The location served as a hostel as far back as at least the 1970s, owner Erik Warner explains as he gives a tour through the brightly lit, updated space. On this day, staff are gathered in the communal area for training, focused on making guests feel welcome. But typically, visitors share the comfy area where they can trade travel tips and stories.
Creating an attractive, affordable space is by design.
Decades earlier, when Warner first came out to work in Jackson during summer breaks from college, his friends and family would ask to come visit. Even then it was a splurge.
When he was a kid, his mom would say, “I would like to come out and see you,” Warner recalled. He was working three jobs — at the Anvil Hotel, Nani’s restaurant and Spring Creek Resort — and wanted to treat his mom. But ultimately, all he could tell her was that “it’s very expensive.”