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LOL, what is too old to stay in hostels? I guess I probably fit in the too old category but it didn't bother me as I am mid to late 30s. I have friends that do the hostel thing and they are in their 40s...
This thread is a topic I've often thought about, as the seemingly rare breed who was born and raised in the U.S. but does not think twice about staying at a hostel when in need of a budget accommodation (and in fact, actively seeks them out when I can). The biggest barriers to a more widespread proliferation of hostels have already been discussed in this thread - lack of economic viability for the proprietor, and America-at-large's obsession with the almighty PRIVACY. But I did want to dispel a few myths that I've seen propagated within these pages...
First of all, the notion that hostels as a general principle are fodder for drug addicts and the mentally ill is completely and utterly baseless. For one thing, hostels are permitted to require a government issued ID upon check-in (i.e., a driver's license or passport). Some hostels I've found even demand an out-of-state ID. Some don't take walk-ups (and the better ones in larger cities are often booked out weeks in advance, anyway). Sure, some are undoubtedly more unsavory than others, but it is possible to research these things ahead of time (hostelworld.com is a great resource, you can sort by user rating and read reviews to really get a feel for what you're getting into). I've stayed in hostels in nearly a dozen cities in the U.S. and Canada, and have literally never had an unpleasant experience.
The other thing is the red herring of "but budget motels are usually nearly as cheap as hostels!" This may be true, but it's generally nearly impossible to find one of these ultra-cheap private accommodations in any place that people actually want to be. These are often out in unwalkable suburban landscapes, clustered around freeway interchanges, with little to no adequate transit access. And, to go one step further, I've even found the more highly-regarded hostels to actually be cleaner and less dumpy-feeling than some bargain-basement hotels.
I will say that the advent of sites like airbnb.com has done a fantastic job of filling the gap left by the absence of hostels in many American cities. You get much more flexibility as far as the location of where you're staying and the amount of privacy you're looking for, and you can end up with some amazing deals. Though personally, I'll still go the hostel route whenever I can...to me, nothing beats the camaraderie and serendipity of the hostel experience.
This thread is a topic I've often thought about, as the seemingly rare breed who was born and raised in the U.S. but does not think twice about staying at a hostel when in need of a budget accommodation (and in fact, actively seeks them out when I can). The biggest barriers to a more widespread proliferation of hostels have already been discussed in this thread - lack of economic viability for the proprietor, and America-at-large's obsession with the almighty PRIVACY. But I did want to dispel a few myths that I've seen propagated within these pages...
First of all, the notion that hostels as a general principle are fodder for drug addicts and the mentally ill is completely and utterly baseless. For one thing, hostels are permitted to require a government issued ID upon check-in (i.e., a driver's license or passport). Some hostels I've found even demand an out-of-state ID. Some don't take walk-ups (and the better ones in larger cities are often booked out weeks in advance, anyway). Sure, some are undoubtedly more unsavory than others, but it is possible to research these things ahead of time (hostelworld.com is a great resource, you can sort by user rating and read reviews to really get a feel for what you're getting into). I've stayed in hostels in nearly a dozen cities in the U.S. and Canada, and have literally never had an unpleasant experience.
The other thing is the red herring of "but budget motels are usually nearly as cheap as hostels!" This may be true, but it's generally nearly impossible to find one of these ultra-cheap private accommodations in any place that people actually want to be. These are often out in unwalkable suburban landscapes, clustered around freeway interchanges, with little to no adequate transit access. And, to go one step further, I've even found the more highly-regarded hostels to actually be cleaner and less dumpy-feeling than some bargain-basement hotels.
I will say that the advent of sites like airbnb.com has done a fantastic job of filling the gap left by the absence of hostels in many American cities. You get much more flexibility as far as the location of where you're staying and the amount of privacy you're looking for, and you can end up with some amazing deals. Though personally, I'll still go the hostel route whenever I can...to me, nothing beats the camaraderie and serendipity of the hostel experience.
By sharing a bedroom with a random stranger gives you no control over what kind of people you will meet. When I was in college, I hated some of my roommates.
By sharing a bedroom with a random stranger gives you no control over what kind of people you will meet. When I was in college, I hated some of my roommates.
This is the "serendipity" factor I was referring to. In my experience, I've found that the kind of person who is willing to seek out and stay in a hostel while traveling tends to be a more interesting breed of person who is often worth meeting.
To each one's own, of course. I'm absolutely not trying to demean anyone based on their preferences (my own girlfriend is one who is strongly adverse to the hostel experience). I just wanted to point out several falsehoods and half-truths about staying in hostels that have been laid down in this thread.
I have stayed in more than a few hostels while traveling. But now days, I make plenty of money, so I do not bother. I never found hostels to be unique or anything, just a place to sleep, but overall, I rather not if I have the money to avoid them.
Hostels are not primary hubs for accommodation because there's no working holiday visa option for visitors in America. The working holiday visa holder makes up the majority of backpackers in Australia, New Zealand and in Europe. Americans simply don't know about this option because they're not exposed to it in the US. Likewise - many countries do not give Americans as much time on working holiday visas (I think the US is excluded from holding working holiday visas in some countries because America doesn't offer it for young people elsewhere).
Working Holiday Visas allow you to work for money while you travel the world (a great option for young people who haven't figured out what they want in life just yet) but they also provide a cheap source of labor for hostel managers who trade lodging for labor. It's a sweet system that enhances the internationalisation of cities in places like New Zealand (which is where I'm from).
The US really needs to check this out...
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But I have a 95 yr old friend that would fit right in, very funny guy and adventurous.
