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We got locked out of one in Nicaragua. They say they are 24 hour except there's no reception and you just ring a bell to get in. This was @ 9pm. Rang the bell. No one ever came out. We slept outside in front of the place until it opened the next morning. At least it was warm out. Managua of all places, LMAO.
But my husband still loves hostels … :::shrug:::
What was their explanation for having failed to respond, the night before?
When I was young (into my 30s) I liked them specifically for the sociability aspect. You could find people to hang out with, people who were just in a spot within the last few days to find out if it is "worth it" to visit, potential short term romantic encounters if you are single, etc.
Even though I am introverted by nature, travel, at that time in my life, was a largely social endeavor, and staying in hostels facilitated that.
Now I am far more likely to stay in pensions, rooms-to-let, B&Bs, etc. I travel off the beaten track a lot and I find interacting with locals more useful away from the tourism hot spots, and more "culturally" satisfying as well.
The way I see it, in places that are super cheap, it isn't worth it to do the hostel thing.
I saw a 5 star hotel in New Delhi for $87 a night. The hostel was $20. For $87 why wouldn't you stay @ the 5 star? To me it seems like a no-brainer …
I could see it maybe making sense in a more expensive destination, but even so … as a married 30-something well-off couple, I just don't get it and I never will.
My husband likes the cheap aspect but also the social aspect. But I feel like how beneficial is conversation really if the people we are conversing with (aka college kids) are too poor to do anything we want to do anyhow?
01-23-2020, 03:09 PM
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Peace and quiet is the only objective for the Hotel Room accommodation for the final. And usually affordable(Not always). And any other major entertaining factor (Swimming Pool, Sauna, Eating Venues, even Bars). Sorry, Hostels are typically very loud, and with no real sense of privacy to the occupant. I would have very bad insomnia in a lot of them. A vast majority of cases, please avoid. Hotel and not Hostel. I would almost never risk that. Unless a night that I don't really need to sleep. Skipping out on any emergencies. I never really had any urgent crisis with lack of sleep when I am away. Still a solid zero. If I stay at a Hostel, that would unfortunately skyrocket very high.
I could do it but I prefer not to. And my wife absolutely will not. We are nearing 40 also. I did not do much backpacking/hostelling when I was younger but I definitely wish I had. As others have mentioned, it is good for connecting with others and finding a group to socialize with.
If I were single, I'd consider it again. Partially because, like I said, my wife doesn't like it, but also because I think it is more advantageous for singles/solo travelers.
I could see it maybe making sense in a more expensive destination, but even so … as a married 30-something well-off couple, I just don't get it and I never will.
My husband likes the cheap aspect but also the social aspect. But I feel like how beneficial is conversation really if the people we are conversing with (aka college kids) are too poor to do anything we want to do anyhow?
I think you made that clear many times in this thread. For what it’s worth, I agree with you, I sometimes do cheap hotels but I never do hostels.
That said I believe this is exactly the same thing as how much one decides to spend on food (at home or while traveling). Some people go out of their way to buy the absolute cheapest food or find the very cheapest restaurants (regardless of what food they actually serve there) while others choose to allocate a larger part of their budget to food and go out of their way to dine at unique restaurants. Having money only gives you the opportunity to choose, it doesn’t mean you need to spend more if you see no additional value in these more expensive options. I have wasted enough time on Mr. Money Mustache-type blogs and message boards to realize that true financial freedom is not about having the most money, it is about having control over how you choose to spend it.
It's their job to hear the bell. You weren't even out that late: 9:00 p.m. or so, did you say? Sheesh.
Alas why hostels suck!
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