I’m old in terms of hostel life, 34 this year means I’m an hostel Goldie oldie, gone are my 18 yr old days of constant drinking and parting and sleeping all day. Nope I enjoy a good drink and night out, but I am in a hostel for a reason, to see some sights or soak in some culture, not sleep all day.
So why do I still stay in Hostels, the main reason is because they are social places, other travelers are staying there, hanging out in the kitchen for living areas means you can learn invaluable information, super duper secret stuff that you may not have found out about if you didn’t have the opportunity to talk to someone. Hotels just don’t have the same atmosphere, receptionist are normally helpful, but you probably aren’t going to be able to rangle a group of 5-6 people to share taxi costs so you can do a group salsa class.
Sure you will not sleep as well as in a nice hotel, and to be fair due to Airbnb and other accommodation companies popping up Hotels are getting cheaper and cheaper, so they cost isn’t really that much higher than a hostel dorm bed, especially if there are two of you. Hotels are usually quieter and have nicer beds….usually, but most hostels now offer private rooms as an option, you get the best of both worlds, no one stumbling into your room at 3am drunkenly slamming into your bed or snoring like a cargo ship traversing the canal, but the ability to be social and get the intel you require is still within your grasp.
I still stay in dorms, cause im a cheap ass, but when the price is good I’ll splash out for a private room. If im sick or need a time out then that’s when I will head to a hotel as I won’t feel social and want the privacy that it brings. 90% hostels and 10% hotels is a nice balance when doing a nice long OE.
BLUE EYES OPEN 