The PRICE
Duh. This is the most obvious reason to stay at a hostel. Costing a fraction of what a hotel would charge, they offer a wide variety of room options. Even if you’re not into the 16-person shared dorm, you can still get a private room on the cheap – and get access to all of the wonderful facilities that are about to be discussed. Either way, you’ll save valuable dollars that you can spend elsewhere – i.e. at souvenir shops, on cultural experiences, or, most likely, at the bar.
Location, location, location
You’d be stuck way out in no-man’s-land if you were staying at a cheap hotel, far from anything you came to the city to do. Hostels give you the affordable options right in the thick of things, whether it’s in the middle of a city center or steps away from the beach. Even if they’re a tiny bit farther out, they usually offer shuttle services that run all night, knowing their clientele may want to come home as early as 8 p.m. or as late as daybreak.
Flexible travel buddies
While traveling with friends is a blast, it is fraught with pitfalls. You may not have the same agenda or priorities. Some get grumpy when they are hot, cold, tired, hungover, thirsty or all of the above, and they sometimes keep you from branching out and meeting new people. So if you decide to travel alone, hostels give you the option to pick up travel buddies as you go who want to do the same things you do, but don’t tie you down. Even if you’re in a group, it’s still easy enough to link up with others who have similar interests, and there’s no doubt you’ll find somebody to hit the bars with if everybody else wants to hit the sheets early. It’s like a college dorm, but nobody has to go to class the next day!
The people in general
Your friends from home are great, but you probably have a lot of the same life experiences. The ones you meet in hostels will be some of the most interesting people you’ve ever met (think the Dos Equis guy, but less full of themselves), and will be able to give you insight into a culture, country or crazy life path you’ve never encountered. Plus there’s a 95-percent chance somebody will know how to play the guitar (and will have brought it along), ensuring a late-night jam session.
The amenities
Wait, what? How would a hostel have better amenities than a hotel? Well, for starters, the amenities a hostel offers are usually free – like wireless Internet or shared computers, printers, meals (to be discussed more in a bit), airport pick-up, luggage storage, movies and laundry services. While not every hostel is going to have it all, the good ones will always make an effort to give you the best service for the best price.
Discounts to things you didn’t know you wanted
Nearly every hostel offers killer discounts to nearby attractions. They know that just because their clientele are on a budget, that doesn’t mean they don’t want to see everything. Whether it’s deals to local restaurants and bars, admission to museums, discounts to that Turkish bath, bungee jumping, or a glacier hike, they’ll not only offer a cheap way to get it done, but will usually book it for you and even set up your transportation.
Kitchen access and free food?
Shared kitchens are one of the biggest pluses of staying at a hostel – you’ll save a ton of money by not eating at restaurants every night, and you may even get the chance to learn the cuisine of another culture. Some will offer free meals for holidays or special events, and almost all of them have a shelf where travelers will leave behind food they didn’t use when they depart…meaning that you can eat for free for days, or at least have access to the variety of spices or oils that add unnecessary expenses to your grocery store trip.
Free events
Speaking of which, there’s more than just the free food shelf in the kitchen. A lot of hostels will offer complimentary breakfasts or meals at a ridiculously low price, and the same with drinks (can you say $1 open bar?). Furthermore, some offer free tours around the city, pub crawls, holiday parties, in-house concerts, and more barbecues than you ever thought you’d attend. Plus it’s an excellent way to meet your fellow travelers if you’re not the type to plop yourself down in the kitchen and begin the life-story exchange.
Local knowledge
The staff who work at hostels are the absolute greatest resource you could ask for, in addition to sometimes being savvy travelers who have been in the area for a while. They’ll be able to let you know about the hottest places to go out, the can’t-misses in the city, and the best way to get it done. And if you seem like a cool person, they may even join you for a night out – meaning you’ll end up on the cool local scene instead of the overpriced tourist destinations that all of the hotel concierges refer their clients to.
The atmosphere
All of these factors combine to create some of the most pleasant atmospheres you could ask for on your travels. You’ll have common areas to lounge around in (along with various other things, depending on the hostel, like swimming pools, rooftop bars, pool tables, movie rooms, etc.) that don’t exist in hotels, and like-minded travelers to enjoy them with. Staff will go out of their way to make you feel at home rather than like a guest, and will go out of their way to accommodate your needs. At the end of a hostel stay, just see if you don’t have 10 new Facebook friends and a dozen email addresses to keep in touch with, and find yourself looking into booking your next hostel stay as soon as you can.
