Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available. Hostels are generally cheaper for both the operator and the occupants; many hostels have long-term residents whom they employ as desk clerks or housekeeping staff in exchange for free accommodation.
In a few countries, such as the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, India, and Australia, the word hostel sometimes also refers to establishments providing longer-term accommodation (often to specific classes of clientele such as nurses, students, drug addicts, or court defendants on bail) where the hostels are sometimes run by Housing Associations and charities. In the rest of the world, the word hostel refers only to properties offering shared accommodation to travellers or backpackers.
Within the 'traveller' category, another distinction can be drawn between hostels which are members of Hostelling International (HI), a UK-based, non-profit organization encouraging outdoor activities and cultural exchange for the young (formerly the IYHA), and independently operated hostels. Hostels for travellers are sometimes called backpackers' hostels, particularly in Australia and New Zealand (often abbreviated to just "backpackers").
There are several differences between hostels and hotels, including:
# Hostels tend to be budget-oriented; rates are considerably lower, and many hostels have programs to share books, DVDs and other items. # For those who prefer an informal environment, hostels do not usually have the same level of formality as hotels. # For those who prefer to socialize with their fellow guests, hostels usually have more common areas and opportunities to socialize. The dormitory aspect of hostels also increases the social factor. # Hostels are generally self-catering.
Theft can be a problem, since guests may share a common living space, but this can be avoided by securing guests' belongings. Most hostels offer some sort of system for safely storing valuables, and an increasing number of hostels offer private lockers.
Noise can make sleeping difficult on occasions, whether from snoring, sexual activity, someone either returning late or leaving early or the proximity of so many people. This can be mitigated by carrying earplugs.
The quality of such places has also improved dramatically. While a few hostels do still insist on a curfew, daytime lockouts, and/or require occupants to do chores, this is becoming a rare exception rather than the rule, as hostels adapt to meet the changing expectations of guests.
Some HI Youth Hostels cater more to school-aged children (sometimes through school trips) and parents with their children, whereas others are more for travellers intent on learning new cultures. However, while the exploration of different cultures and places is emphasized in many hostels, particularly in cities or popular tourist destinations, there are still many hostels providing accommodation for outdoor pursuits such as hillwalking, climbing and bicycle touring; these are often small friendly hostels retaining much of the original vision and often provide valuable access to more remote regions.
Despite their name, in most countries membership is not limited to youth.
The term "youth" is less often used with these properties. These non-HI hostels are often called "backpackers' hostels". Unlike a hotel chain where everything is standardized, these hostels can be very diverse, typically not requiring a membership card.
As the hostel industry evolves, independent hostels and HI hostels are becoming more similar, with the word "backpackers" also now applying to many Hostelling International hostels.
The phrase "boutique hostel" is an often-arbitrary marketing term typically used to describe intimate, luxurious or quirky hostel environments. The term has started to lose meaning because the facilities of many "boutique hostels" are often no different from hostels that aren't referred to with that label. Also, marketers and online booking websites sometimes include boutique hotels in lists of "boutique hostels," further diluting any specific meaning of the phrase.
The development of independent backpackers hostels is a strong business model, with some cities reporting a higher average income per room for hostels than hotels. For example, in the city of Honolulu, Hawaii, upscale hotels are reportedly making $141 to $173 per room, while hostel rooms in the same city can bring in as much as $200 per night. Even during the 2008 economic crisis, many hostels are reporting increased occupancy numbers in a time when hotel bookings are down.
Though in the past, hostels have been seen as low-quality accommodation for less wealthy travellers, at least one Australian study has shown that backpackers (who typically stay at hostels) spend more than non-backpackers, due to their longer stays. Backpackers make up as much as 10% of international visitors in Australia. In New Zealand, backpackers hostels had a 13.5% share of accommodation guest/nights in 2007.
The findings of the 2010 study included:
According to the Youth Travel Accommodation's Annual Survey one of the main reasons for a relatively strong performance of the hostel sector is the tendency for operators to innovate and adapt their products to suit market conditions. The fact that hostel operators could generally sustain business levels through the downturn was one of the main reasons why overall average bed rates for 2009 rose by more than 3% compared with 2008.
History of hostels, (in German)
Category:Adventure travel Category:Backpacking Category:Hotel types
bs:Prenoćište cs:Hostel de:Herberge et:Hostel es:Albergue juvenil fa:شبانهروزی (مکان) ko:호스텔 hi:पथचारी आन्दोलन it:Ostello he:אכסניה pl:Hostel pt:Hostel ro:Hostel ru:Хостел simple:Hostel sk:Hostel fi:Hostelli tr:Hostel uk:Гостел zh:青年旅舍This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
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