Hostels: An Excellent Option for Budget Travelers!

Whether it be to discover a new culture, eat a new cuisine, or simply visit a new destination, travel is truly amazing in many different ways. But with all these amazing experiences comes cost. Now, when I traveled and backpacked different parts of the world, my main focus was adventure, sightseeing, eating great food, and immersing myself in new cultures. The things that were not on my top priority list were hotel spas, pools, or mints on my pillow.

So how can you save money while visiting amazing places all over the world and, therefore, be able to afford more experiences at your travel destinations? The answer lies in discovering the hostel community. This community is designed to accommodate the traveler that would rather spend their money on adventures and experiences rather than on expensive and needless hotel perks and amenities.

Still unsure about trying out the exciting world of hostels? Read on for some excellent information from The Hostel Group about what to expect when booking a hostel at your next destination.

Things you should know about hostels:

1. There are different room types available, like private or shared rooms, or gender specific rooms, or rooms with different quantities (often 4, 6, or 10 per room, for example) of beds in them (think college dorm style). It just depends on the hostel and how they choose to arrange their property. Often you will choose between a variety of available options right at the time of booking. Don’t feel like sharing your first experience with 10 other strangers both male and female? Choose the 4-bed female only room.

2. The other guests staying at the hostel are more than likely in the same situation as yourself (they want to travel and discover new places, while spending money in a smarter way).

3. Hostels are community-driven and guests usually interact with each other in common areas and become friends. (Hostels usually have events, or gatherings, that enable this interaction, because the hostel staff wants to help you get the most out of your visit of the city).

4. Security is what most people are worried about, but take a moment to consider the fact that other people are in the same situation. Lockers are usually offered at most hostels for guests to put their belongings in (laptops, passports, keys, etc). There are different room types that allow for different levels of comfortability. If the idea of sharing a room with other travelers intimidates you at first, feel free to stay in a private accommodation at the hostel. This will allow you to understand more about the hostel community, while still feeling comfortable. This is what I did when I first started staying at hostels and then I eventually understood that I was totally safe and secure in shared dorm rooms.

• Note: Some hostels require “proof of travel,” which helps ensure safety. Some also put limits on ages, maintaining a younger [college student] crowd.

5. Hostels are typically in great locations that allow you to see the city in a very efficient way

6. The staff at hostels are usually the main selling point because of their willingness to help you with your new adventure. More likely than not, your hostel receptionist is well traveled and knows the best spots in the surrounding area, and the city in general.

7. Hostels sometimes provide kitchens for you to cook your own food, reheat your last meal, or make coffee and tea. Meals may also be provided with your stay.

8. Just as there are a variety of room types, some hostels provide different bathroom options and showers as well (private bathroom, ensuite bathrooms, common area bathrooms, etc)

The Hostel Group (thehostelgroup.com) is a website made up of travelers, backpackers, and hostels that help you become familiar with the hostels that you are considering staying in. The website was designed to help people feel safer and more informed, but also to help support the hostel community.

Facts about The Hostel Group

1. All of the hostel listings on our website are approved by our non-bias ambassadors (if you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all). We only put hostels on our website that our ambassadors would recommend to their friends.

2. We want to allow our visitors to understand the property the most they can before arriving, and this is done by providing written reviews, pictures (sometimes videos), map locations, and most importantly connecting you to the main website of the hostel.

3. Hostels are usually booked through 3^rd party websites like hostelworld.com, booking.com, expedia.com, etc. These websites are a necessity for hostels, but come with a cost, which is commission rates and fees. These 3^rd party websites take advantage of the fact that you are probably not going to search “theyardhostel.com” or “herehostel.com”, but rather search “hostels in Thailand”. Hostels also know that you are more than likely going to search “hostels in Thailand”, get redirected to one of these 3^rd party sites, book your accommodation through that site, and then about 8%-30% of the money you spend goes to that 3^rd party website and the hostel gets the rest.

This is where The Hostel Group is different:

The Hostel Group wants to genuinely help the backpacker, traveler, and the hostel, so we produce that same 3^rd party feel, while also providing you with the connection to the hostel’s main website. If you decide you would like to book your stay, you will now have the ability to book with the hostel directly, giving them 100% of the revenue, and not to the million, and sometimes billion dollar 3^rd party corporations. This is how you can support the small businesses within the hostel community and not large corporations that often take advantage.

Feel free to become a part of The Hostel Group community by liking us on Instagram (@thehostelgroup), visiting our website (thehostelgroup.com), and spreading the word about hostels!

If you would like to learn more about hostels, or have questions or concerns, we encourage you to visit our website! Feel free to contact us too!

-Hayden Jauregui, Founder, The Hostel Group
www.thehostelgroup.com

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Have a great hostel experience you love to share?  A hostel you’d recommend to your friends and family?  Give them a shout-out and tell us about your experience in the comments below!