Many of us love to travel, and, as a rule, everyone tries to save money: on travel, on food, on accommodation. It seems to me that those who love to visit new places have already heard more than once about this now popular way of accommodation.
Let's figure out what a hostel is, determine how it differs from, say, a hotel or a rented apartment, and also highlight a list of its advantages and disadvantages.
What is a hostel? General concept
If we translate the word "hostel" from English, we get a "hostel". Surprised? Yes, in principle, everything is correct. Indeed, it is with this word that inexpensive housing can be called, the owners of which can offer only a corner for one or several nights, clean bedding, a shower and a light breakfast.
By the way, the presence of both hot and cold water in hostels is required. Also, in most places you will also be fed breakfast, which is included in the price, but it is better to find out from the manager in advance when checking in or booking.
Keep in mind that the hostel is usually equipped with a shared kitchen, so there are no problems with self-cooking.
You should not hope that here the rules are much more loyal than in a hotel. Sometimes the guests are simply amazed at the cleanliness of all rooms without exception, and strict rules can discipline even the most malicious violators of order. For example, arriving after midnight is prohibited, and in some hostels guests cannot be indoors after 11 am. Why? The fact is that at this time, staying becomes impossible, because all toilet facilities are closed, and the staff exposes them to the most severe sanitary treatment.
The rooms here are of three types:
- individual;
- designed for guests of the same sex;
- mixed.
Although in large cities there are round-the-clock hotels of this kind, provincial ones in most cases are closed at night.
Registration takes place twice a day: in the morning at 8-11 hours and in the evening at 17-23 hours. In general, today in the world there are approximately 4.5 thousand such institutions. Why so much? What is the motivation for the host before opening the hostel? It turns out that this type of accommodation is much more financially beneficial than, for example, a hotel, both for guests and owners.
Types of hostels
In Europe, mainly two types of such institutions are distinguished.
The first is designed for a long stay. It accommodates certain categories of the population: from nurses and students of local universities to drug addicts, homeless people and people awaiting trial. This view is essentially an analogue of the usual student dormitories, rehabilitation centers and shelters.
The second is a kind of simplified version of a small hotel. The owners offer tourists or business trip rooms for short-term rental.
As you yourself understand, these two types are so dramatically different from each other that it is recommended to be extremely careful when searching for and booking such a habitat.
What is a hostel: its advantages and disadvantages
First, let's talk about winning moments.
- Of course, one of the main advantages of this type of accommodation is its price. Sometimes it is ten times lower than the cost of staying in any of the hotels in the city.
- In addition, staying at the hostel, you get an additional opportunity to meet other travelers, as a rule, from all over the world, make new friends, share experiences and experiences. Throughout the world, hostels are places of youth gathering, and communication here takes place in a more friendly and informal atmosphere than, for example, in a high-class hotel.
- The services offered by the staff are aimed at providing guests with the maximum level of comfort. Typically, the room has a laundry room, equipped kitchen, hot shower, Internet access, as well as discounts on sightseeing and excursions.
- The staff working in such hotels are happy to suggest places to visit for those who wish to have fun and relax both in the daytime and at night.
Unfortunately, you can’t get away from the shortcomings:
- In the first place, of course, mass thefts. True, in some modern hostels there are reliable left-luggage offices, in which for an additional fee you can leave money and especially valuable personal belongings without any problems.
- The lack of so-called personal space. You will have to put up with the fact that other people will be near you: some of them snore at night, someone can even lead a nocturnal lifestyle, listening to music, eating or working on a computer until the morning.
- Some of the special discomfort creates the need to use a shared shower and toilet.
So, in general terms, we were able to find out what a hostel is. Now the choice is yours. Staying in an institution of this type, you will definitely have to give preference to one thing: either monetary savings, or the presence of personal space.