What is a Hostel?

In a hostel guests rent a bed (sometimes a bunk bed) in a dormitory and they share common bathroom, kitchen, and lounge rooms. Private rooms are also often available if you prefer your own privacy. The main benefits of hostels are the low costs of the accommodation compared to alternatives such as hotels and also you get to meet other travellers from all over the world.

Hostels are usually less formal and less expensive than hotels. They are most frequently used by young travellers. In the past many hostels imposed age limits, but today it's more common for hostels to accept guests of all ages. Despite the openness of modern hostels, the majority of guests are traditionally and overwhelmingly between the ages of 18 and 26.

Hostels provide opportunity for multicultural enlightenment. There is more interaction between guests than in traditional hotels, and many hostels provide activities to their guests for free or at low cost. There are some potential drawbacks to using hostels, although most are the same as drawbacks that you could find at many hotels. Theft can be a problem since guests share a common living space, but this can be prevented by locking belongings up. Most hostels offer some sort of system for safely storing your valuables, and many offer private lockers. However, for the greater part, travellers are equally concerned for the well-being of their own belongings that theft of other people's belongings rarely takes place.

One potential drawback to staying in hostels is difficulty sleeping because of noise, whether from snoring or someone returning to the room late in the evening. For this reason, some hostels associations fix times for last admission and lights out.

Despite their low price and somewhat bad reputation, many hostels are of a high standard and have great facilities for people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy.

The Industry

The budget travel sector, such as backpackers, gap year travelers and also families wanting multi-location holidays, has boomed in the last few years and is driven to a large extent by word-of-mouth recommendation.

With competition in the industry