Why You Stay in A Hostel in Your Next Trip
What’s the first word that comes to mind when you hear the word “Hostel“?
Nasty? Dirty? Scary? Sketchy? Most likely one of these words.
Understandable. Hostels haven’t been depicted very well in the media. Especially in the US, since there aren’t as prevalent here. Hostels have come a long way within recent years. There are so many clean & safe hostels that provide one-of-a-kind experiences for an exceptionally low price – allowing you to put that money towards more travel in the future.
What is a Hostel?
According to the Dictionary, a Hostel is an establishment that provides inexpensive food and lodging for a specific group of people, such as students, workers, or travelers.
Basically, a Hostel is a budget accommodation option for travelers. You could be sharing a ‘dorm’ and bathroom with several people.
What are the main benefits of staying in a hostel?
Staying at a hostel is preferred by those less concerned with accommodation and more interested in building authentic connections. When managing a hostel, it’s essential to design inviting common spaces where people can meet regardless of whether they’re staying in a private or shared room.
It’s Super Easy To Meet People
Sure, hotels are nice but if you’re traveling by yourself, they can get pretty lonely. One of the good things about hostels is there are usually people around. Strike up a conversation with your roommates—ask them where they’re from, where they’re traveling and how long they’ll be staying. It’s also easy to meet people in the hostel’s common areas or at meal times when you’re all in and around the kitchen. You’ll realize right away you have things in common with many of your fellow travelers and might end up making plans to go to the beach, out for drinks or to travel together if you’re both heading in the same direction. You never know so don’t be shy, keep an open mind and just go for it.
It’s cheap accommodation
Business accommodation is one of the most costly aspects of travel. With inflation running rampant and budgets tightening up, an affordable hostel stay will make whoever is in charge of your finances sigh with relief. (…and If you’re a startup founder, that sigh of relief might just be your own.) Staying in a hostel can save you money in three different ways:
1) The longer you stay, the cheaper the nightly rate gets. For long stays, the savings can be significant compared to the fixed night prices of hotels.
2) As you don’t have to eat in restaurants every day, you can save good money by doing your grocery shopping and cooking your own meals in the kitchen.
3) A perk of staying in a hostel is that they are normally conveniently located. Often B2B hostels are set up in the city center but they can also be in remote locations near working sites, in nature, or close to the airport. Save time and money on transportation by choosing your hostel in an area that suits you best.
Pro tip: Maybe sharing a room with others isn’t your thing but you want to have the city hostel experience. No problem! Many hostels offer private bedrooms these days. Some even come with en-suite bathrooms. These rooms provide more privacy for individuals, couples, or small groups. Take note they can book up quickly so if you want to book a hostel for your next business trip accommodation and want the convenience of your own lock and key, secure your spot in advance.
Eco-Friendly
According to HostelWorld Group, 65% of hostel travelers are more likely to stay in eco-friendly accommodations than five years ago. Unlike other forms of lodging, hostels are more environmentally friendly because they use less electricity, gas, and water. For example, rather than turning lights in four separate hotel rooms, only one light is needed in a hostel for four people.
You can make friends
Hostels offer a great way to make friends, especially if you are prepared to share a dorm with new people. Usually, you have the option of a mixed dorm, a same-sex dorm, and, sometimes, private rooms. Everyone is generally really friendly when staying in a hostel because they are all open to meeting new people. There is a real positive and friendly feeling when staying in a hostel, with a lot of people sharing their stories or playing cards together and such.
Social Events in Hostels
If small talk isn’t your strong suit, most hostels offer plenty of social events to help ease the friend-making process. Whether the icebreaker is food, drinks, games, or movies, these events make stepping into the community of a new hostel an easy task.
A lot of hostels offer these social events for free. It all depends on the destination. In Portugal and Spain, every hostel in which I stayed offered happy hours with cheap or free drinks at some point. Others had free tapas.
Movie nights are also common and a great way to comfortably meet new people without the pressure of maintaining conversation for very long. I have even stayed in hostels that have cooking classes. Whether you’re a trained chef or a total novice, this is one of the most enjoyable ways to meet other travelers in a hostel.
The staff is helpful and mostly local
