Youth hostel

Best hostel I stayed in was in Uganda. Our bedroom only had three walls and a door, what should have been the fourth wall was just open to the grounds/gardens with all the monkeys in the trees. You couldn’t leave anything out of your suitcase as the monkeys would have it!

Still regularly stay in hostels. Usually a private room (when I am traveling with DH), but occassionally a dorm.

Met a guy in a hostel when I was 18, and fell madly, deeply in love. We ended up traveling together for a few months. Also hooked up with a cute American guy I met in a hostel in my 20s - all a bit Summer Lovin, especially when he contacted me a year later as he was in my home town and wanted to see if I was around (unfortunately I wasn't). And I met now-DH in the communal area of a mountain hut.

So a bit of a theme there. Somehow I've never met a cute guy in an Ibis.

I see @Latenightreader answered immediately after you asked this, but yes, she has said what I was going to.

Facilities I've used in Youth Hostels that you don't get in budget hotels include

• lounge area
• (usually) books or games or jigsaws you can do / use / read
• (most importantly) self catering kitchens
• a dining area
• (sometimes) a recreational area, with things like a pool table or table tennis
• other like mined people to chat with if you wish. I've met so many lovely people from around the world, people of all ages
• (often) have a pleasant outside seating area / lovely views / free parking
• Friendly, welcoming staff who actually seem to want to be there
• There was one I stayed at in Australia with a lovely pool area, but I admit there aren't many of them

CI believe children have to be in a room with an adult not in the 'dorm' style rooms.

We stay in youth hostels sometimes, but in private rooms. We like them because the locations are often stunning, and sometimes interesting like in a castle or old boathouse, and there's a bit more space to hang out than in a hotel. We like the self catering kitchen as dh has dietary needs, amd the kids like the familiarity and general feel. They tend to be run by young people who love the outdoors and are not for profit. That said I don't like sharing a room with the kids for more than 2-3 nights so would book an apartment if going for longer. But that would be true of any hotel. In a town I tend to choose a premier inn over a youth hostel but in the countryside youth hostels are nice. They often have laundry rooms smd drying rooms and places to put muddy boots. Hotels often aren't cergeared up to outdoors living

With 4 teenagers and food allergies we often book a family room if we need to stop off. We can cook ourselves and we're only paying for 1 room.

It's much cheaper than hotel due to the catering. 1 night in a travelodge (2 rooms) plus a meal out can easily set us back £300 - £400.

I imagine it’s very similar to a friend of mine who lets his spare bedrooms through AirB&B. His guests are a real mix of people of all ages from all walks of life, and whilst some are travelling on a budget, plenty of them are people who are actively seeking out the experience of staying with a local who’s open to giving local knowledge, company, and sometimes if they get on really well, even an evening at the pub together. He has people travelling on business who don’t want to spend their evenings in a sterile hotel restaurant bar or watching Netflix in their rooms; families who want cosy surroundings and a familiar kitchen; solo travellers who actively want to meet new people and share tall stories as they hop from country to country; recently he had a woman who was in the city to sort affairs out after her father had died: she didn’t want to spend her days doing that and then be left alone with her thoughts in a hotel room; once he had a man in his seventies who wanted to feel young again!

Likewise, he doesn’t really need the money he makes from it - but his life is richer for all the people he gets to meet and experiences he shares with them.

Do you think that people don't want fun experiences once they past 30 lol. My OH is in South America at moment. The hostel he's in that wine and cheese nights, BBQs, pizza and beer, walking tours , table tennis pool table etc. He's enjoying all these things and he's well past his early 20s.

Better than sat watching Netflix in a hotel room

I stay with YHA multiple times per year and love it. Beautiful buildings and locations, great kitchen and lounge facilities, friendly staff and other travellers. I pay for a private room and travel alone, so it’s not cheaper than a budget hotel.

Probably safer though, as they ID EVERY adult in the accommodation. Most hotels just ask you to sign, if they bother at all.

Hostels are usually clean and comfortable. If all I want is a bed and shower, they're fine. I've stayed in hostels all round the world, and sometimes still do. Other times, I stay in hotels. I've had some great weekends with a group of riends where we booked the whole hostel.

There are many definitions of what a youth hostel actually is. Wasn't that keen on the one we stayed in with DS when younger with the plastic mattresses and by the time we had paid for towels and breakfast was dearer than a cheap B&B.

But DH and I stayed in an amazing one in the Douro valley. We had our own room with shared bathroom, free breakfast with decent filter coffee and a roof top sitting area with honesty bar, oh and great wifi and aircon all for 60 euros a night.

It's a bit like asking why do you stay in 2 star rather than 5 star hotels isn't it? It comes down to budget and preferences.

Depends why you're travelling. I stayed in hostels in my early 20s travelling to Oz, met loads of people that way and had lots of fun experiences. I don't understand older people/ families using them on their holidays, but each to their own.

And others would make different choice. What’s your point?

This was the hostel I stayed at in Ghent last year, the building to the right of the bridge. Amazing location, view out the window was unreal. The building was like Hogwarts inside.

congrats

I could afford a hotel easily, plenty of savings in the bank and I e certainly had some expensive hotel holidays including the Caribbean.

For me though it depends on the holiday, so for a city break I like staying in youth hostels. Always in a private room though! Yes it’s cheaper than a hotel but people chat over breakfast, etc. it’s a nice vibe. On a city break I’m out and about exploring, I just need a bed for the night. I’m not relaxing in a hotel/hostel so as long as I have a private room I’m happy. I’m even ok about sharing a bathroom in the corridor.

Stayed in a couple of hostels in Europe last year and was paying £30 a night for the room (for two of us). Walking tours available, could go and play table tennis downstairs, yoga class one night for free.

I've used hostels because they are available in the best locations at short notice.
Most of the time is spent out doors at a stunning location and the hostels are fine to sleep in. I've met only lovely people from all over the World and usually younger than 40. They are great for cooking local produce meals from scratch. They are affordable. They include parking on site. Often have gardens, pools and games. Often located convenient to trains.
If you book early you can get ensuited apartments.
For a driving holiday, they are very appropriate.
For a remote destination holiday they are very appropriate.

If staying in a larger group or in a larger city for more than a night or two, hotels and air b&bs are more relaxing and private.

Well, there’s “holidays” and “ travel”

A holiday is usually a couple of weeks. Maybe a month at most.

Travel is when you want to explore more widely and usually for considerably longer.In order to make the money stretch,hostels become an attractive option.

I’ve done both. For a holiday I’ll stay in a nice hotel but when I travelled around India for 4 months, I did stay in hostels a lot. Not just for money. It was a way to meet like minded people and make friends.

I spent a couple of very happy summers working in remote youth hostels. Met so many lovely people.

loved them when younger, but even then I remember the joy of getting a twin room rather than a dormitory. Now I’m o,d I’d stay in them happily as long as I could have my own room. My DH wouldn’t though! Like other poster above I’d mix it up though, hotels, hostels etc.

I stayed in one when I went to Budapest. Own room, nice vibe and good facilities.

Lol. I've just stayed in a nice hostel last night in Edinburgh. Already en route to airport so wouldnt get moneys worth coughing up for hotel ( expensive here) after being out with a friend last night and up by 6.15am

I stayed in many when I was young..most of them were good..some were absolutely amazing!!!! Great way to meet people.

Kitchens for example. I've stayed in hostels with comfortable sitting areas, recreational facilities like a games room (and someone upthread mentioned pools in international hostels), libraries... When I stayed in Chicago the hostel offered free walking tours, and another rented bikes very cheaply.