7 Reasons to Stay in a Hostel

Seven Reasons to Stay in Hostels

by Sharon Miller

To those in the know, hostels can be great places to stay during a v The courtyard of the hostel in Oia on Santorini is enough of a reason to stay. acation. Unfortunately to the rest of the world, the word hostel brings with it a whole slew of derogatory connotations. Due to the common term “youth hostel,” older travelers tend to think hostels are only for people under the age of 25. This is not true. Except for a few hostel in the South of Germany, most hostel accept guests of all ages.

Unfortunately, a few bad hostels have ruined the reputation of all hostels worldwide. We have all heard stories of the hostel with bed bugs, or other creatures, or the hostel where people were robbed or worse. In most countries, especially in Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand, hostels pride themselves on their cleanliness and safety. The hostels of these rumors are, more often than not, the exception to the rule.

Therefore, without further ado, I give you seven reasons to try staying in hostels, if only once for the experience.

Price. There is no better reason to stay at a hostel than the incredibly cheap prices. A person traveling on their own can find a bed to sleep in for a fraction of the cost of a regular hotel or motel. This is also true of families or friends traveling together. For what it would cost for one double bed in a hotel room, a family of five could stay in a dormitory style hostel room. True, you may have to share your sleeping quarters with total strangers, but there are benefits to that, as we will discuss below.
Exposure to different cultures. It is not unusual to have 10 or more people sleeping in the same room of a hostel. And, it is not unusual to have five or more languages being spoken in that same room. Unless you hide under your covers all day long (which most hostels won’t let you do) you will eventually be forced to speak to someone from a different country. It is this encounter that makes traveling so magical. Just by speaking to this person, you will discover a wealth of information, not only about where they are from, but about where they have been, and you will have the chance to share your adventures as well.
Making Friends. This is especially important for single travelers. Traveling the world on your own can get lonely. But at a hostel, there are always new friends waiting to be discovered. Some are lone travelers like yourself; others are groups of people who happen to speak the same language. Whatever the reason, staying at a hostel together will create an instant bond that can last a lifetime, or just long enough to explore the new city or town. Staying at a hotel, in your own room, with a concierge and a bellhop, it would be almost impossible to strike up a conversation with a fellow guest long enough to invite them to go sightseeing with you, but at a hostel, it is almost expected. If you are too shy to talk o someone first, just hang around in the lobby or in the common room for a few minutes and someone is bound to come and speak to you.
Common Areas/Bar. Not all, but most hostels have a small bar and common area inside. Not only are these great places for meeting new friends, these are great places to sit down, kick up your feet and relax, without the stress of having to make your way home after dark. The hostel bar is the place you will meet the true travelers, the people who have left their home country and loved the new place so much that they have decided to stay. They are the people who trade working as the hostel bartender for a bed to sleep in and a very small weekly stipend. They are the people who have been at that destination so long, that it is more interesting to them to sit in the bar and meet the new travelers, than it is to go sightseeing in the city. These are important people to meet. Not only can they become your best friend for a few days, they can also become your tour guide, taking you to the best, off-the-beaten-path spots in that town.
Knowledge. The owners of the hostel, or at least the people working the front desk (as well as the bar regulars) have a wealth of knowledge that would be difficult to find even in the tourist center. They will know the best places to eat, go shopping, hiking or biking. They will know the cheapest places to rent bikes and cars or buy bus, plane, train or boat tickets. They will know the best times to visit the most popular tourist sites, when those sites are open and closed, and how to get discounts or skip the long lines. They may even be able to provide information on your next destination and possibly get you deals on your accommodations there.
Kitchen. Most hostels have a common, fully equipped kitchen. For those looking to save a few bucks, this is especially important. It is much cheaper to buy a few things from the local market and cook it in the hostel kitchen, than to go out to eat every night. Perishable items can be kept in the refrigerator, as long as you label it with your name and date. And quite often, the kitchen will have a free-for-all shelf, where past travelers have left extra bags of pasta, peanut butter, and other non-perishable foods for new travelers to use. If you are traveling on your own, try recruiting a few of your new found friends to make a sort of potluck dinner. What better way to get to know people than cooking a cheap meal while enjoying a few bottles of wine together.
Accommodations. Although some would argue that you would never find as luxurious accommodations at a hostel as you would in a hotel, well, they would most likely be right. Nevertheless, the accommodations are not as sparse as you may think. Although most hostels are equipped with twin bunk beds, they can actually be quiet comfortable. Also, most hostels provide you with all the fresh, clean linens you need, as well as a soft pillow and duvet. The type of bathrooms you will find vary from hostel to hostel, but all will have plenty of places for you to shower, brush your teeth and take care of any other business. A bed and a bathroom, what more does any traveler really need?

The adventure of staying in a hostel is something everybody should experience at least once in their life. It will broaden your horizons, introduce you to new cultures and new people and at the very least, make you much more appreciative of those five-star hotels.

**All Photos by Don Miller

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