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For a lot of people, the thought of staying in a hostel can be a terrifying idea. The idea that you will be sleeping with up to 7, or even 9, other people in one room is just lunacy. The average North American doesn’t even know what a hostel is or how they differ from hotels. The ones that do are really split into two major groups. Those that have travelled and stayed in a hostel, and those that have seen the movie “Hostel”.
Now although I love me a good kill-shack joke, the significantly vast majority of hostels are not fronts for a conglomerate wanting to sell you to the highest bidder for murderous purposes. By no means will I promise that there are none because who knows, but if we are making that argument I have one name for you. Dr. Henry Howard Holmes. Owner of the murder hotel in Chicago back in 1893.
Now that I am done absolutely mortifying you, and assuring you will never again travel, let’s talk about why hostels can be a better option than hotels.
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7. Free Wi-fi
To a lot of people, especially North Americans, this sounds ludicrous. A hotel without free Wi-Fi? Why would that even exist? Alas! I assure you that in many places in the world there are still hotels that either don’t have Wi-Fi, have Wi-Fi for a price or have a pay-per-hour system.
Most, if not all, hostels will have a free Wi-Fi system in place. Sometimes it will be for the common areas, sometimes for the entire building. Most will have it in some capacity, as it is normally a must-have for the people who end up staying there.
6. Variety in Room Options
In your average hotel, you will usually have two options. A room with 1 bed, or a room with 2 beds. Please note that I stated the average hotel. Not your fancy 3 room setups. Those are currently out of our price range. Nor do I speak of the murder hotels with the secret passages or weird amounts of rooms and beds. I’m talking about your normal, everyday, ordinary hotel.
Hostels have more variety. Although most will still have your single and double rooms, they also will have 4-bed, 6-bed, and 8-bed dormitories. Some will even have 10 or 12-bed dorms! Now, I know you are worried about your stuff with others in the room, but most hotels supply lockers or some sort of lockable compartment. Just make sure to bring your own locks. This significantly reduces the cost for each person and ties nicely into our next point!
5. Hostels are Significantly More Social
Whether you end up in a normal hostel, a party hostel, or what I like to call the “factory” hostels, there is one thing that will not change at all; hostels are significantly more social than hotels. Whether you’re in the everyday common areas or the dorms, there is usually always someone willing to have a good conversation. Just don’t try to chat someone up who is sleeping. That’s a good way to end up like the guys in the movie.
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Although there are always people around if you want to talk, that doesn’t mean that you have to be social if you don’t want to. People are normally respectful enough to know when you don’t want to be bothered and will leave you alone. Not to mention that with the amount of different common areas, there are in some hostels you can almost always find a quiet place to work, read or whatever it is you want to do. Just don’t be the loner who never speaks with anyone.
4. Stories and Travel Advice from Travellers rather than Tourists
After you come out from your deep seclusion and start getting to know some people, you will learn a lot. The myriad of backpackers, travel bloggers, and other digital nomads that stay in these places have a wealth of knowledge and stories to tell. The ordinary crowds that occupy the hostel scene are those of the nomadic and the adventurous.
Khaki’s wearing Joe who “sounds hideous” may be able to tell you the best time to go to local places for the best rates. Hostel owner Mr. Bates may be able to tell you some interesting local legends and myths about some lesser-known places. Tiny Tim may tell you about the time he went scuba diving through the mines, wartime hideouts and underground church in Kőbánya, Budapest. There is a myriad of different stories and advice you can get from the people you meet along the way.
3. They are Cheaper than Hotels.
As was mentioned earlier, hostels have an interesting dynamic. Instead of having only single or double rooms, hostels can have rooms with multiple beds. Anywhere up to 12-room dormitories with lockers for your stuff. With every additional bed in the room, there is a decrease in the price to make it more affordable.
2. They are Normally Far Homier than the Alternative.
There are three “main types” of hostel (In reality there are many types of hostel). You have the normal hostel, the party hostel, and the “factory” hostel. The “factory” is more of a place where they want to pack in as many people in and out as fast as possible. The owners don’t really care for the guests or employees, and never really visit the places themselves. These places tend to be painted a special colour to hide stains on the walls; plus they tend to have grumpy employees who can’t or won’t do anything about any problems that may arise. They tend to be larger buildings with significantly more rooms to capitalize on the maximum number of people possible.
The party hostels are as they sound. Mostly young ladies and gentlemen on spring break, or a gap year, getting in as much life as they can before going off to university.
These guys can either have the factory feel with the larger buildings with numerous beds; or can have the feel of the normal hostel that is a lot homier and more comfortable. You can tell these hostels by the parties that are ongoing almost every single night. Note that there are some ways that these three types of hostels can overlap.
The third is your normal hostel. These are by far the most abundant. These are normally super comfortable and cozy. The owner is usually there daily, if not living there. It almost feels as if you’re being welcomed into someone’s home even if the owner isn’t around regularly. The staff are super friendly and love being there just as much as the guests. Sometimes these are in house-like buildings, sometimes they are in wacky areas. This is where things get split into a lot of different subcategories. It can be hard to differentiate, especially if it’s your first time.
1. Each Hostel is Unique in Some Way
Whether it’s a factory, party, or normal hostel, each one is unique in different ways. Whether it is as simple as their keys or interiors or as big as what it is located within, there are interesting, if sometimes subtle, differences. Unlike the big chain hotels which almost always look the same, no matter if you’re in England, China or America, no two hostels will look the same. Not even if owned by the same person.
Some of my favourite examples would include The Jumbostay, a hostel inside a Boeing 747, located in Stockholm, Sweden; Urban house in Copenhagen, which boasts its own in-house tattoo parlour; Caveland in Santorini, which is located in an 18th-century winery; and so many more. There are so many cool options when it comes to hostels.
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In Conclusion:
There are so many reasons to pick a good hostel. That by no means says that hotels are never a good option. We have devised a rating system for both hostels and hotels, after all. Yet I would argue that when it comes down to it hostels are the better option. Here are 7 reasons why:
5. Hostels are Significantly More Social
4. Stories and Travel Advice from Travellers rather than Tourists
3. They are Cheaper than Hotels
2. They are Normally Far Homier than the Alternative
1. Each Hostel is Unique in Some Way
Do you have any cool, weird, or scary experiences in hostels? Tell us about it down below!
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