An updated perspective on hostels: beyond sticky dorms and non-stop parties
If your main experience or assumption about hostels is uncomfortable mattresses full of bedbugs, never ending parties, drunk people at all hours and weird looks thrown at anyone beyond the age of 25, we’d like to make our case for an updated view of what it means to hostel travel.
We have been staying in a huge number of hostels on four different continents and can confidently say that this is not all that hostels can be. We have also been unlucky with dirty or uncomfortable hostels, as can be the case with any type of accommodation. But in the end, our hostel experiences have made us ever stronger advocates for hostel travel, even as we have moved through different phases of life and different expectations, because we have realised that the beauty of hostels lies specifically in their unique personalities that cater to all sorts of travellers.
We have had our fair share of staying in very inexpensive party hostels where the main activity is a pub crawl or drinking games with other travellers, and some of our fondest travel memories have been made in those. However, we acknowledge that this is not everyone’s preferred way to travel nor is it the focus of every trip, and fortunately, hostels are not limited to this stereotype.
In our 8+ years of travel, we have stayed among others in:
A luxury hostel in Thailand that provides the cleanliness and quietness of a hotel, with common areas ideal for remote work, me-time or networking
A surf hostel in Guatemala that provides surf lessons, daily social events, high-quality beds and an outdoor common area to hang out, work, or socialise
A cosy hostel in Ecuador with a very friendly and home-like atmosphere, where visitors quickly became a sort of quirky family quilted together by being in the same place at the same time
A basic hostel in Iceland with large and simple dorms but a kind atmosphere, space for either socialising or enjoying one’s own company in the common area
A city hostel in Milan with small dorms that allowed for a quiet place to reset between walks around the city, and weekly social events in the common area for those interested in connecting with fellow travellers
[Insert other examples of hostels we have stayed at that are not party-hostels per se]
Each of these hostels has broadened our perspective on what a hostel can be, and made us fall in love with hostel travel even more because they have shown us that what is at the core of hostel travel is not necessarily booze, discomfort and plain toast for breakfast. The beauty of hostels lies in the space they provide for connection, their unique character, and the accessibility in comparison to hotel prices. It goes without saying that the price of a hostel will often tell something about the quality of the facilities and service you get, but most times a hostel is still clearly more affordable than a hotel room because of shared living space, while it can reach the same or higher level of cosiness and comfort, and the added element of connecting with other travellers. Sometimes the social element in itself is enough to make us book a private room in a hostel rather than a hotel room: for a similar price, you can get the privacy of your own space, and the fun of meeting others in common areas.
So - before saying that you are too old for hostels or simply that you don’t enjoy them, we’d like to invite you to broaden your image of hostels a bit, and think about whether you might enjoy a hostel different to the type you’ve experienced or that you imagine. As passionate travellers and hostel lovers, we would have missed out on so many amazing places if we’d ruled hostels out of our itinerary, and we don’t want you to miss them either because of an outdated image of dirty party hostels (without shame for those who enjoy a party hostel - again, they still have their place and time for us too!).
If, after all this, you know that you prefer another form of accommodation, we’re totally with you! Everyone has different preferences and needs, and hostels are not for everyone. However, if we’ve made you think about what specifically it is that you like or don’t like in your accommodation while travelling, hopefully this will have helped you next time you’re scouting for one, whatever it may be!
If you want to read all about how to travel in hostels, we have written a whole guide for you based on our experiences, which you can read here. If you still have questions or need help after reading it, don’t hesitate to comment below or message us on social media at @taivaltravel - we’d love to help you!
