Hostels around the World
Welcome to 2020 where 30,000 odd hostels inhabiting this planet serve a varied range of travellers. Hostels form an indispensable part of affordable travel, and provide an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, create shared experiences and memories on the road. The standard features of a hostel include shared rooms, social spaces, communal bathrooms, security lockers and a dining area. While traditional hostels may offer additional conveniences like laundry services, libraries, and bars (hic!), the vibe of the hostel usually defines what experience a traveller will take away.
You can usually tell a hostel-type through website descriptions, guest reviews, geographical location (it is unlikely to find a party hostel adjacent to the airport), or by probing activities they offer (scuba, yoga, etc). Let’s face it, you may even base it on what your annoying best friend bragged about on their trip to Vietnam (the one time that lazy soul got off the couch!). From hipster hostels to hippie ones and designer hostels to party ones, we can’t pick a favourite. Let’s unpack a few examples we love!
Party Hostel — Untz Untz and Jaeger bombs
Party hostels are directed at backpackers who want to experience the city’s nightlife during the PM and historical sites in the AM. You’ll often find a bar or a pub built into a party hostel (usually with a cute bartender!). Hostel activities generally revolve around pub-crawls, nightlife-based group outings, curfew free existence and a lively social environment. It is quite easy to identify a party hostel through photos on booking platforms and descriptions on their website.
Themed Hostels — Too cool for School
Giant hammocks, robots, capsules, igloos and more… Yeah, you read that right! Hostels are continually evolving to push boundaries and prove that they are the coolest, eccentric and freak-ish kid on the block. Travellers all over the world seek unforgettable experiences by staying in hostels with unique themes and distinctive design features.
Lifestyle Hostels — Reconnecting with Purpose
These hostels are built for the soulful traveller and offer an immersive experience into a ‘lifestyle’.
Adventure Hostel — Take the leap!
For some travellers seeking something beyond sightseeing and a light break away from the office, the adventure hostels aim to push you out of your comfort zone. Adrenaline-inducing thrills like cliff jumping, spelunking, and winter sport-related antics are some examples of what action-packed hostels represent.
Hippie Hostel — Never trust the Man, man!
Backpackers looking for simplicity and peaceful communal co-existence may find what they are looking for in a hippie hostel. For these soul searching travellers looking for a chance to reconnect with themselves and participate in an organic lifestyle, a hippie hostel is the perfect getaway!
Luxury/Boutique Hostel — Crème de la Crème
A Luxury hostel goes by many names — premium, high-end, boutique, upscale, etc. The luxury-seeking explorers can be treated to a memorable experience by an amalgamation of hotel luxury and hostel sociability.
Design Hostels and Chain Hostel — The disruptors
Design hostels are unique, one a kind that makes a lasting impression. Every little detail counts and you can be sure that these little details are truly appreciated by guests and never go unnoticed!
Hostel chains work to create “destination demand” in the areas they operate in, benefitting many of the smaller businesses around them by increasing marketing demand. Travellers perceive hostel chains to provide standardized, safe, comfortable, modern living facilities. Chain hostels operate with a top-end marketing team, investor-backed funding, C-level management, and strong social media presence. The Generator, launched in 1997, is an ideal example of a design chain hostel that offers affordable amenities and unforgettable experiences for travellers, no matter who or where they are!
Flashpacker Hostels — Welcome digital nomads
The recent emergence of a new breed of backpackers- The flashpackers (tech-savvy & gadget-heavy backpackers with a liberal budget) has created a distinct demand. Fast Wi-Fi is the Holy Grail, but one can expect to modern aesthetic rooms, personal sockets and lights along with a workspace.
Homely & Cosy Hostels — Home away from Home
The snuggest hostel-type around, it shines on a social level! These spaces are designed to feel like a house rather than paid accommodation. Apart from a functional kitchen, a living room and maybe even a relaxing garden make the hostel feel like a home. Warm, friendly faces populate these are smaller stay-homes and their carefree environment. Some exciting experiences are communal cooking to dish out a ‘family-dinners’, treasure hunts and movie nights.
Convenience Hostel — Easy In, Easy Out
Convenience hostels are usually well connected to local transport and are located close to travel hubs — airports, train stations, etc. As the name suggests, the priority for the user is convenience, and this hostel-type caters to this demand.
Cheap hostel — A trip on a college student budget is already expensive
Although hostels are considered affordable, there is a subset within called cheap hostels! These hostels are explicitly designed for students and those on a shoe-string budget. They usually boast of the lowest prices in town and provide the basics — a bed sans linen and breakfast. While generally located far from the city centre, they are well connected by public transport.
Traditional Youth Hostels — The OG’s
The ethos of the humble youth hostel has stayed faithful to its original focus of providing cheap and social accommodation. They provide beds in big dorms and have huge communal areas. They don’t always deal with backpackers but offer an easy-going and warm atmosphere. They work well for families as they are usually child-friendly by offering activities such as game rooms and movie nights. A lot of them have maintained their historical status are still located in schoolhouse buildings.
While a lot of hostels hold their niche, you also mind find hybrid hostels out there waiting to be discovered. You may find a flashpacker hostel, with a warm homely feel or a lifestyle hostel designed for the adventurous. While each hostel is unique, hostel folk across the spectrum aim to provide memorable encounters for all their travellers based on price, location, social interactions and diverse experiences.
