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Arts & Entertainment

Bunk bed, anyone? New hostel in Deep Ellum offers cheap rooms and interesting cocktails

Deep Ellum is many things, but is it European? The addition of a hostel, appropriately called Deep Ellum Hostel, might give the longtime music neighborhood some Euro flair.

Inside, at the bar, the Spanish tapas restaurant and lounge called Izkina is serving a cocktail that might also turn some heads: a drink with ice that's half red wine, half Coke. The Kalimotxo cocktail is popular in Spain -- but decidedly uncommon here.

Imagine soda with a red wine aftertaste. Or red wine with some pick-me-up fizz. Even if you don't think you want cheap red wine on ice, the drink actually tastes pleasant, like Cherry Coke or sangria.

Collin Ballard has been trying to open Deep Ellum Hostel for more than two years.
Collin Ballard has been trying to open Deep Ellum Hostel for more than two years.(Jae S. Lee / Staff Photographer)

The hostel is owned by Collin Ballard, and he's been working for an incredible 29 months to open an a less expensive alternative to a hotel in Deep Ellum. Cities all over the world have hostels, but before this one in Deep Ellum opened, the closest hostel to Dallas was in Irving.

Prices range from $30 to $40, and there are nine dorm-room-style, shared rooms with bunk beds and lockers. The hostel also has five private rooms (with typical hotel accommodations), with prices ranging from $120 to $200.

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The hostel is housed in a building that's over 100 years old and functioned as an auto repair shop for decades. After extensive remodeling and a 2,000-foot addition on the top floor, the venue still shows off some of the original wooden ceilings and exposed brick walls.

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With its earth-tone colors and rough textures, the vibe inside feels Southwestern. But order that wine-cola cocktail and reserve a bunk bed, and you might just be transported to Europe.

Here's what the hostel in Dallas looks like: