Hostels

Hostels are becoming increasingly popular worldwidetimes for last admission and lights out. Despite their low
and this article highlights this and explains briefly whyprice and somewhat bad reputation, many hostels are
this is the case. Hostels have long been the “dirty”of a high standard and have great facilities for people
word in the hotel and travel industry, but times areof all ages and backgrounds to enjoy.
certainly changing for the better as the public realiseThe IndustryThe budget travel sector, such as
more and more that hostels and youth hostels are abackpackers, gap year travelers and also families
viable means of accommodation when they travelwanting multi-location holidays, has boomed in the last
around the globe.few years and is driven to a large extent by
What is a Hostel? In a hostel guests rent a bedword-of-mouth recommendation.
(sometimes a bunk bed) in a dormitory and they shareWith competition in the industry “hotting up” and
common bathroom, kitchen, and lounge rooms. Privatewith millions of customers each and every year
rooms are also often available if you prefer your ownchoosing cheaper, cost-effective accommodation, the
privacy. The main benefits of hostels are the lowstandard and reputation of these places are
costs of the accommodation compared to alternativesever-increasing.
such as hotels and also you get to meet otherThe major hostel booking companies also have ratings
travellers from all over the world. Hostels are usuallysystems which, not only helps customers to choose
less formal and less expensive than hotels. They arethe right accommodation, but also helps to push hostel
most frequently used by young travellers. In the pastowners to do more to satisfy their customers as their
many hostels imposed age limits, but today it's moreratings directly affect how much business they will
common for hostels to accept guests of all ages.receive from these booking sites.
Despite the openness of modern hostels, the majorityThe most popular hostel destinations are: London,
of guests are traditionally and overwhelmingly betweenSydney, Rome, Amsterdam and New York and no
the ages of 18 and 26. Hostels provide opportunity formatter where in the world you are travelling to, you will
multicultural enlightenment. There is more interactionfind a selection of great accommodation to suit both
between guests than in traditional hotels, and manyyour taste and your budget.
hostels provide activities to their guests for free or atDespite the arrival of budget hotel chains such as
low cost. There are some potential drawbacks toTravellodge, Ibis and Jury’s Inns, backpackers
using hostels, although most are the same asstill prefer to stay in hostels due to factors such as
drawbacks that you could find at many hotels. Theftatmosphere, fun and the social experience of meeting
can be a problem since guests share a common livingother backpackers.
space, but this can be prevented by locking belongingsThe hostel industry, once considered a “cottage
up. Most hostels offer some sort of system for safelyindustry” has now grown rapidly with the entry of
storing your valuables, and many offer private lockers.new players opening deluxe hostel chains including The
However, for the greater part, travellers are equallyGenerator Hostel in London.
concerned for the well-being of their own belongingsEven if you had never heard of hostels before, the
that theft of other people's belongings rarely takesarrival of the new blockbuster horror film entitled
place. One potential drawback to staying in hostels isHostel, directed by Eli Roth and starring Jay
difficulty sleeping because of noise, whether fromHernandez, will no doubt help to advertise the industry,
snoring or someone returning to the room late in thedespite the nature of the film.
evening. For this reason, some hostels associations fix