Dear Mr Cook,
I am a graduate student in journalism at a University in Wales, and
I came across your blog through your post on how to choose the perfect
hostel at Vagabondish.com.
I am considering writing an article for one of my classes (we’re working
on a prototype magazine) about the pros and cons of staying at a hostel,
with some information on how to find one (aimed at those who have never
tried it before). I was hoping you could share some of your expertise on
the subject (I would, of course, be citing you as my source). What would
you say are the pros and cons of staying at a hostel, instead of a budget
hotel? Would you give the same advice (that you gave in your post) to
someone who’s planning to stay at a hostel for the first time?
I would greatly appreciate any help or information you can share on this
subject, and look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you so much!
J.
——————
Hi J.,
Great to hear about your article. Sounds like a wonderful and helpful project.
I think first off the pros and cons depend a bit on if you are traveling alone or with someone else. Let’s start with traveling alone. Right off the bat, one must think about cost. Almost as a rule, a room in a budget hotel is going to cost more than a bed in a hostel. So for simple “cost of living” sake, it makes more sense to get the bed. Often you can find hostel dorm rooms with 4- 6 people in a room which isn’t all that bad. More often than not the rooms are not cramped little closets of sorts and feeling comfortable with the space provided is not really an issue. I’ve 
stayed in places (a couple times) that in the slow season the dorm room is so big it is converted to a disco.
Likewise, traveling alone can mean a lot of time wandering cities by yourself or riding trains with no one to share your cheese and crackers with. By booking a bed in the right hostel you are automatically joining a group for a night or two. Hostels are great places to meet and mingle with other travelers and often there are lounge areas set up just for this purpose. Even if you don’t strike up a life long friendship, having someone to chat with or possibly grab a beer with for a night or two can really add a lot to your trip. Everyone wants to tell their story of the child who was pooped on by a pigeon in San Marco square or whatever their trip highlights have been.
As a first time hosteller this group dynamic also has the wonderful 
benefit of putting you in a position to learn about destinations and other hostels you might not hear about otherwise. The best advice on hostels comes from the travelers who just left them. With ownership changing and time taking its toll, hostels change a lot and guide books are not always up to date. The best advice is recently acquired. If you are hostelling for the first time you are likely to be on your first trip and all the suggestions and recommendations you can gather will help you decide where to go or where to avoid. When my first trip overseas was starting to loose its appeal because of bad choices in accommodation a few good recommendations from fellow travelers turned that around and I ended up staying at the best hostels I 
have ever stayed in.
On a similar note, not having your trip completely planned out is exciting and gives you the most freedom to linger somewhere you’re having a great time or leave somewhere that is not tickling your fancy. Hostels can provide you this freedom where budget hotels might inhibit such. More often than hotels you can find a bed in a hostel the same day as your arrival without pre-booking. Sometimes even if a hostel is full they can bring an extra cot or roll-away bed into a room and viola your set. A hotel on the other hand is full when all the room keys are gone and that’s that.
Hostels by nature often provide more enjoyable amenities than budget hotels do. The ideal of getting travelers to mingle that drives hostel owners tends to lead to in house bars, 
game rooms, lounges, big breakfast areas, several computers for Internet access, etc. Budget hotels on the other hand do not tend to offer such things.
Now if you are traveling with someone the savings start to outweigh the amenities. With a travel partner you may not feel the need to mingle so much with other travelers and can likely get your fix for others on trains or at local pubs or museum lines. Booking a room at a well chosen budget hotel can end up costing you less than two beds in a hostel and give you privacy not available at a hostel. You can usually expect to still have to share a bathroom with other hotel guests on the same floor but your room is your room and more and more budget hotels are squeezing personal showers into them. Likewise, catering to a crowd of travelers who tend to not be “as” 
interested in mingling with others can mean a quieter stay. Apart from the snoring of your travel partner you don’t have to worry about the mumbling of other travelers in your room as you try to sleep.
While I have never really felt that my belongings were truly unsafe in a hostel (always carry what you can’t afford to lose on your person) a budget hotel also has the added benefit of a sense of security. You have a key to your room and no one else but the hotel owners can get in. This may ease your mind when you leave your newly purchased “I survived Oktoberfest” t-shirt in your room.
The cons for either type of accommodation can probably be extracted from what was said above but in summary; hostels tend to be louder, come with less privacy, and 
can be more expensive if traveling with someone. Budget hotels limit your interaction with fellow travelers, have fewer amenities, are often too expensive for solo travelers with a budget and tend to require more planning.
Another thing to think about is, unfortunately, your age. While travelers tend to be young at heart (especially those considering hostels) hostels attract a younger crowd (some still have age limits). This means that once you start passing 30 you may find yourself feeling a bit uncomfortable socializing with the kids who are hanging out in your room or lounge. While it is a shame, it is reasonable to expect others hostellers to also see you as the “old” guy or gal and although its unlikely you will be ostracized, being asked to play some fussball or join them for a drink is gonna happen less for you.
If you are set on staying at a hostel 
for the first time, my best suggestion would be to really take advantage of the communal atmosphere. Talk to other travelers, make dinner together in the kitchen, share tips and info. These types of things are really the point of hostels and you should be prepared to engage others. If you want to keep to yourself get a room at a budget hotel. If you want don’t want to be noticed and save money at the same time find a bench in a train station or airport. Also, whenever possible do some research on your hostel choice. Know where it’s at and read reviews. It is horrible to show up at a place expecting a great time on the town only to realize it is in an area that you don’t want to go out in after dark. It’s even worse to arrive after a 4 hour train ride and realize you forgot to map out the location from the train station, have to find an Internet cafe and waste 2 hours trying to locate your hostel. Also, bring your own travel towel and combination lock for storage lockers if available.
I certainly hope this helps you with your paper. I would love to read a copy of your article when you are finished (whether you use my advice or not). Good luck with everything and if there is anything else I can help out with please let me know.
Sincerely,
Chris.
