Budget-Friendly Travel Accommodations: Stay In Hostels, Not Hotels

September 25, 2019

From hotels to Airbnb, there exists a variety of accommodation options for travellers. Some Airbnb are definitely fun and eccentric-looking, but the luxury of such experiences often comes at a high cost. 

The Travel Pad then looks at the benefits of staying in hostels, and talks about why all travellers should at least experience a hostel-cation at least once in their lives! 


credit: Pisa Photography/shutterstock.com

Whatever you're paying for a night's stay in that decent hotel could probably buy you a 3 nights' lodging in this gorgeous-looking hostel.

Beyond the attractiveness of the place itself, hostels are generally affordable for those on a tight budget. For as low as USD$9, travellers can choose to stay in a variety of hostels, depending on their needs. Most hostels tend to provide the basic necessities (WiFi, heaters and air-conditioning services), and for some hostels, they go as far as to provide female-only dormitories to ensure that the ladies feel safe in a common living space as such. The options available are unlimited for those running on a tight budget! 

Furthermore, hostels are great for travellers who are constantly out and about and only require a few hours of rest time before their next adventure begins. For those who are seeking to spend more on experience and of course, food, staying in hostels simply means more disposable cash for you to spend! Without compromising your quality of rest and adventure time, hostels are a definite win for me. 

Meet the whole world under a roof! 

credit: View Apart/shutterstock.com

If you're a sociable person - great! Hostels are great ways to make new friends on the go, especially when you are travelling alone. Many solo travellers have often recounted how they were able to meet new friends to travel around with, and not feel entirely alone throughout the trip. Besides that, having another friend allows you to save more - imagine all the food you can share and eat in one sitting! 

If you're on the shy side, fret not. Take this opportunity to step outside of your comfort zone and live uncomfortably - you never know what the world has to offer you. Instead of staying in a possibly overpriced hotel/Airbnb (especially when staying in an expensive city) and feel paranoid when living alone in a large space, the amount of common spaces present in hostels helps you to feel more secure when lounging around.

In certain hostels, group activities such as movie nights or happy hours help ease the setting in which different groups of people can interact with one another. Rather than having to strike up a conversation with a stranger randomly, social events hosted by hostels are a perfect way to connect with one another. Who knows if you might find a potential travelling buddy there! 

You get to have multiple experiences from staying in different hostels 

credit: Book and Bed Tokyo-Kyoto/booking.com

Themed hostels are extremely popular nowadays. Just like the Book and Bed Hostel in Kyoto, travellers can select their desired stay for the night from a wide range of quirky places, as seen in Hostelworld's guide

If you're unsure of the suitability of the hostels to your desires, do look through the reviews provided by previous patrons to get a sensing of their experience. Often times, due to the small-scale nature of hostels, these businesses tend to rely heavily on their customers' feedback and shoutouts to gain prominence. So definitely make it a point to check out past reviews, and narrow down your selection according to these comments! 

Seriously, do not hesitate further if you're looking to stay in a hostel. The benefits are immense, and most importantly, you get to save a lot on the cost. Whether if you're travelling alone or with your friends, hostels are awesome places to simply let loose and relax.


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