I just came across this article concerning a new trend in Hostel design, and thought it may be of interest. It seems that some Hostels are upping their game, and trying to attract a wider variety of guests as well as backpackers.
Here's the article.....
I don't think I'm cut out for the hostel experience, but these do look rather fun!
Teresa,
The "Hostel experience" really isn't too bad, but of course some compromises are necessary. Some of my Hostel stays have provided some of my more interesting travel memories and experiences, and I still chuckle when I think of some of them.
Hello Ken. We appreciate the link to the website for the webpage of information about "poshtel". "...offer a rooftop pool - at an affordable price ". Oh !
One of the featured hostels is at Cape Town in South Africa. I wish I could travel to Cape Town. But I think I will not ever have enough Frequent Flier Miles (American Airlines Aadvantage) for me to acquire free tickets for flying to and from South Africa (from the state Missouri in the U.S.A.).
In the Hostel "Clink 78" at London in the U.K. some of the rooms for sleeping are in rooms that were jail cells. I do not want to sleep in a jail cell. My thinking about hostels in Europe is : there are some private rooms (for two persons) but there could be annoying noise from people in the hall ways and kitchen.
And one of the new concepts at Hostels : at Clinknoord in Amsterdam, musicians that perform music in that hostel are not required to pay money for their overnight accommodation in that hostel. I do not want to bring my guitar in an airplane, but I could bring my harmonica. (L.O.L).
We only use luxury hotels and rentals but I am going to bookmark this so I can send it to friends or family who are looking for cheaper prices but want more comfort than a typical hostel. A "poshtel" might just be the thing. Good post, Ken.
I just followed the link to the Paris Hostel. For a 3-night stay in a double room (1 or 2 people), mid-week from Tuesday, in mid-October, the price is a mere €454. No AC, breakfast is extra and it's in the 10th. There are several of Ibis Hotels nearby, with rates at around €100 a night. And really, do you think you can't find a better place to stay for €150/night than a hostel in the 10th?
I checked out the London link and the rates varied from £19 for a dormitory room to £75 for a private room. So, it sounds like some still offer a good value. Like all options you need to do your research. Just because they call it a hostel, doesn't mean it has cheap beds.
My husband was on a business trip to Scandinavia and his only option (for reasons too lengthy to explain here) was to stay a night at a hostel near Copenhagen with his business associates. He loved the experience. He would definitely do it again. Maybe we will look into it on our future trips to Europe. Sounds like fun if you can find the right hostel.
I usually check out a number of options, including hostels. I do find many hostels have for some time offered private rooms (singles, doubles, family rooms) and a number have amenities like what is listed in the articles. However, I usually find other small hotels/B&B offer better lodging for the same or less. Hostels do offer dorm type stays at bargain prices, but once you move to a room, the saving decline fast. I also have found places that change their description (Hostel, B&B, Hotel, Guest House, etc.) depending on website or where they advertise, leading me to believe that names mean little.
While the article may have recently appeared in Lonely Planet, this is not a "new trend". This was already happening eight years ago in many parts of the world, only at that time they were trying to attract "flashpackers" (backpackers with platinum Visa cards) who wanted more posh amenities and a trendy, comfortable atmosphere. I stayed at a number of them - especially the ones in Australia and New Zealand which were some of the best. As nice as they were and as much I enjoyed them way more than the tired, dull Hosteling International/YHA offerings, I will draw the line at a certain price and some of the Poshtels offered today are the same price as, or more than, a stay in a 2 or 3 star hotel. I was just looking at one in Paris (not the one mentioned in this article) that was located in the 10th right near Canal Saint-Martin for a stay later this year, but when I saw the final price for the dates I needed, I decided I could do better elsewhere if I was willing to go less Philippe Starck Meets Ikea Meets Apple on the tech and decor. Not saying the poshtels aren't worth looking into - they certainly are - but not every one of them is going to be a bargain. And read the reviews before booking - no matter how pretty it looks in the photos, see what others who have actually stayed there have to say about it.
It would be interesting to see prices. When you want to upgrade to a private double room (which many hostels now offer), you can do better by shopping budget lodging elsewhere.
I now only find hostels in Europe to maybe offer value, versus guesthouses & small hotels, when I need a private single room. With many of the latter offering a free breakfast, whereas hostels often do not, I don't book them as much anymore as I used to for myself.
There are a couple of exceptions: Wombat's in Vienna and the Academy Hostel in Florence.
