Coronavirus safety of hostels versus private hotel rooms

I would suspect the safest place may be a Huge modern chain where they will have (In theory) a larger cleaning staff....but that is just a worthless guess...

A hostel- no. A private room there or not. Too many folks coming and going in usually small places.

As an example of small but safe my B n N (not air) in London- yes. About 12 rooms and always spotless well before this. I know they will go above and beyond. I also generally do 7-10 days per city so little changing of rooms. But even then upon entry I’d wipe everything down with Lysol wipes ..... just to satisfy the paranoid aspects......but surface contact is one of the weakest links. Your more exposed walking through the airport terminal or down the street with hordes of others...

And your physical/age/health description sounds just like the nurse in NYC who died or the doctor in China who died. Sorry but mid 30s is not some special exempt class.

Staying in a hostel would not be my preference with COVID still active. Why would I risk sleeping in a multibed room for long periods every night, when any of the other occupants could be a non or presymptomatic carrier? Even if there were private rooms available at the hostel, there's still the matter of shared kitchen/social areas, and bathrooms. At least with a single hotel room you have your own space and bathroom which would have been sanitized before you arrived.

From what I have gathered, most places in Europe have implemented mandatory mitigation measures for public transportation, restaurants, shops, and public buildings, so these would not be of primary concern to me.

You may be interested in this recent article on Hotel hygiene in Spain in a post-Covid world - https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/spain-covid-19-hotel-hygiene/index.html

In the current environment, I would reconsider a hostel. Rent a hotel room. Spain has hostals....small family owned hotels. Not a hostEl. Like a French pension. They may run $30-60 US. I would clean surfaces upon entry and ask that no housekeeping be done during your stay. This gives you some control on the cleanliness of your sleep space.
There are hostels that are not bunk beds, but more cubicle type environments. Perhaps than a bunk bed, but still a lot of shared spaces. I prefer an Airbnb apartment, and you can get them in Spain for under $80US. Kitchen and often laundry facilities of my own and no need to worry about housekeeping or sharing space.
Washing hands and keeping distance are the key factors. If you can't keep distance, wear a mask. Ensure you find out Spain's rules shortly before arrival. It might not be the same as now or last month. Be sure you have enough masks to launder or discard should mask wear ramp up while you are there. No guarantee you can buy them there.
Sure, be informed and try to reduce your risk but don't fixate on it or let paranoia (either way) take over.

I would pay a little more for a private; look into Ibis Budget hotels. You can get a private room for a little more than what you pay at a hostel in some cases, albeit most Ibis Budget locations are far from the center of the city.

At every point that you have to share with others - sleeping space, shower room, buffets, public transportation, etc - you increase your chance of exposure. Impossible to eliminate all exposure other than staying at home, but I'd do the best I could. Even if I chose a private hotel room, I'd bring wet wipes to clean down all surfaces I touch. That isn't just because of covid but from other reading I'd done about how hotel rooms are cleaned and the things not cleaned like TV remotes.

The simple answer is that, as of now anyway, decreasing your risk means avoiding any crowded conditions where a lot of people are close together for lengthy periods of time (that includes sharing compact spaces like bathrooms). Have you gone own the CDC or Johns Hopkins websites at all? They do a pretty good job of delineating risks across a variety of environments.

No way while this virus is active would I stay in a shared hostel room. Spending all night in a common closed space, all breathing the same air (and being in the space of others’ expired air) ?! Additional people coming in every day from somewhere else?? No way.

I agree with others, go for a hotel room, with private bath if possible. Wipe down surfaces like doorknobs, light switches, bedside table top, bathroom faucets and lever, TV knobs or remote, anything you're likely to touch. Open windows if you can when you come in (but you can close after a chance to ventilate the room). Ask for no housekeeping if you'll be there multiple nights. Avoid elevators if you can, or touch their buttons with a sleeve. Wear the mask indoors except in your own room.

Sharing enclosed spaces with other people is basically the riskiest thing you can do, especially for any length of time and without all wearing masks. The mask protects others from you more than it protects you from others. So avoid people who aren't wearing masks indoors or, if outdoors, not keeping their distance. All these considerations make hostels a very bad idea, I think.

I'm older so in a higher-risk group than you. But the risk is substantial for any age group without the precautions we all know we should take. I visited Spain last October and hope you have a great trip!

If by “hostels” you mean shared rooms with other travelers, strangers, then I’d say avoid.

The biggest risk of getting the virus is from contact with others with the disease - them breathing, sneezing, coughing, or talking near you expels droplets with the virus. You breathe these in and may get sick. The longer the time you are exposed to this person the bigger the risk (so walking by him on the street is low risk, sleeping in the next bed all night is higher risk).

A regular hotel room you won’t be exposed to a lot of other people for long periods.

Touching surfaces like elevator buttons or doorknobs is also a risk - but a smaller one from what I’ve read and you can wash your hands a lot. You can’t avoid breathing in droplets from a person in the same room.

Most cases are people over about 60 or those with certain health problems)

This is not true. The fastest growing demographic is ages 19-49-yours. Older people and people with underlying health issues do not have a higher risk of catching the virus, they have a higher risk of having a bad outcome including death. But plenty of younger people have had a very tough go of it, and that includes hospitalization, ICU, ventilator, even death. The risk of catching this while staying in a hostel where you are sharing a room with strangers is high. I would avoid.

I think you already knew the most likely answer, since you gave it as your first example of an acceptable opinion. More space with fewer(or no) people in the same space(especially while sleeping) is the prudent thing to do right now.

Ufkak said it better than I did ! That is what I was trying to get across.

Chances are the hostels will be closed if there’s a risk of spreading the virus in shared rooms.

And I hope you have found travel insurance that covers you in case COVID intrudes on your trip.

Limit sharing bedrooms and communal spaces other than a family member or boyfriend/girlfriend. No question about it.

I spent 9 years staying in hostels and no way would I stay there now. Too many communal spaces and very questionable hygiene and odors. Not everyone adheres to the same standards of hygiene.

Thanks for your input.

I have been feeling stupid about the possibility of continuing with my trip, and/or feeling like an ornery kid or teenager disobeying his parents or planning some. For now I am keeping my plans. Maybe I'll switch to all hotel rooms instead of hostels. I didn't buy trip insurance. I doubt I can buy trip insurance now, five month after I bought my plane tickets. Obviously, if the risk is that serious, I can't travel even if it would mean loosing all the money I spent on my plane tickets. I believe the most I would loose is $200 if I changed my flight. If conditions are not right two weeks before my current travel dates, I'll change my travel dates. Any money I loose changing my travel dates probably wouldn't be more than the cost of trip insurance. For a long time I have been avoiding touching my face; maybe I was 30% more obsessive about germs, hygiene, and/or cleanliness then average, and then the authorities and part of society became 230% more obsessive-compulsive about it than I wish I would be.

I always and would buy the insurance that covers the cost of medical evacuation.

Mike,

I would seriously reconsider staying in Hostels at the present time, especially at a time when Covid-19 will still be active in many parts of the world. The concept of Hostels is "communal" and in addition to staying in dorm rooms with anywhere from 2-12 other people in close proximity, there's also the aspect of communal showers, communal meeting rooms, etc. Hostels usually operate with minimal staff so they'll have to hire extra people for cleaning and sanitizing, which of course will cost money and that will be reflected in the rates. If they have to block off some of the bunks in the dorm rooms, that may also result in higher rates.

I've stayed at Hostels on previous visits to Europe. However at this point in our "journey" through the pandemic and with the virus still active in many places in the world, I'd be more comfortable in a budget hotel room which has been properly sanitized after each guest leaves and before the next one checks in.

If I had a trip planned for Europe in the near future, I'd be watching the virus situation closely in the places I'd be visiting, but would not be considering Hostels for the remainder of this year.

Even a private room in a hostel would be a “ no “ for me if it did not have a private bathroom . Think about it - they have shown that trace amounts of the virus have been found in feces - toilets that are flushed without the lid down ( and many public type washrooms do not have kids ) spray microscopic aerosol droplets all around toilet - do you really want to have to sanitize toilet the sink taps and counters , the toilet paper dispenser , the paper towel dispensers etc each and every time you enter the bathroom ?

We have travelled about 2 hours from where we live and stayed in a hotel - the room is clean when you arrive - and I still wipe down ALL hard surfaces and remotes etc - and the maids do not enter room during your stay - you make your own bed , but they leave a bag of towels etc each day outside your room . I’m good with that

My sister and I are booked into a hostel in October in Paris - 2 twin beds with an ensuite bath. I have no issues with going, so i guess it really depends what kind of room you're booking. My only concern is what floor we're going to be on!

Lots of good advice about accommodation.

However, I can't for the life of me understand why travelers do not buy travel insurance.
The pandemic aside, what if a person breaks a wrist tripping over a curbside, or has an illness requiring an evacuation home?
Do you have free healthcare where you live that covers you in the event of a medical emergency ?

There's no way of eliminating exposure to COVID-19 except having no contact with other people whatsoever. Since that isn't feasible or desirable to most, it's better to think in terms of risk-management and evaluating your desires with exposure. While someone in your demographic is quite unlikely to die from the virus (younger healthcare workers are more at risk due to being exposed to large quantities of the virus repeatedly) the illness can be extremely unpleasant and long-lasting in your demographic with the risk for long-term or even permanent damage to your lungs or other organs. Also look up "long haul covid patients" for articles about people your age range who seem to be ill for months at a time.

It's also important to think not just in terms of your own safety but infecting others. The US is having many serious outbreaks with no end in sight. People traveling from high case areas to low case areas are risking bringing the virus with them. Spain has suffered significantly. How do you feel morally about exposing people to risk that you've deemed acceptable to yourself? No right answer here, just something to consider regarding travel in general.

If you do travel, you can take what we know about how the virus spreads and apply it to keep yourself and those around you safer. We know what increases risk: being indoors; being in close proximity; expelling droplets/aerosols by sneezing, coughing, yelling, singing and even talking; being around more people; spending more time interacting with a person; and not wearing a mask.

Every aspect of staying in a shared room in a hostel is at the higher end of risk with regard to all those factors. It seems foolish then to not mitigate risk by staying in a private room with an en-suite bathroom.

Other things to consider: eating outside is safer than eating inside, will this be possible in October? Are long-distance train rides worth the exposure versus renting a car? Are you more willing to walk to avoid crowded public transit, or take a cab to cut down on exposure? What are the consequences for you financially if you fall ill while traveling and have to be quarantined? No one should be traveling without going through what's risky for them (and others) and trying to find ways to minimize risk where possible.

"Other things to consider: eating outside is safer than eating inside, will this be possible in October? Are long-distance train rides worth the exposure versus renting a car? Are you more willing to walk to avoid crowded public transit, or take a cab to cut down on exposure? What are the consequences for you financially if you fall ill while traveling and have to be quarantined? No one should be traveling without going through what's risky for them (and others) and trying to find ways to minimize risk where possible."

That is too obsessive-compulsive. If I find out I can't travel to and within Spain "normally" like I traveled in Europe the last 4 times I traveled, I'll just cancel my trip.

I have never rented a car. I wouldn't rent a car if I can help it. I try to minimize or avoid taxi rides. My trip is ruined and my mom wins if anything bad ever happens while I am traveling. My mom always had a phobia of travel, she always thought travel is dangerous, for reasons that had nothing to do with the pandemic. Most cases are probably in nursing homes. Trip insurance would probably cost six hundred dollars and still wouldn't cover what I want it to cover.

That is too obsessive-compulsive. If I find out I can't travel to and
within Spain "normally" like I traveled in Europe the last 4 times I
traveled, I'll just cancel my trip.

If you think that the rational and reasonable suggestions you've been given here are obsessive compulsive, then perhaps for the sake of the people of Spain, if not for yourself, you should cancel the trip. Sticking your head in the sand and insisting on a "my way or the highway" just isn't going to wash in a country that is just emerging from a nightmare and still has some pretty strict, mandatory rules. No one can travel the way they did last year. But they still may be able to travel successfully with reasonable adaptation to the current situation. I'm not sure why you posted in the first place if you are so determined to stick with your original plans.

If I find out I can't travel to and within Spain "normally" like I traveled in Europe the last 4 times I traveled, I'll just cancel my trip.

Then you might as well cancel your trip right now.

Travel is not the same anywhere in the world as it was even 6 months ago. It will not be the same for many months if not years to come.

You stated you wear a mask now when you leave your place and keep it on until you return. You will wear a mask on the plane over and back. You will wear a mask anywhere you go in Europe. Also, if you stay in a hostel, you will be sleeping with a mask on as well due to the crowd you may encounter there. Europe is not clear of the virus.

But it sounds like you don't want to hear anything anyone has to say anyway. So not really sure why you posted this.

Part of my brain wants to travel if it would be possible. Another part of my brain thinks I will have to cancel my trip in order to avoid feeling like I am doing something terribly wrong by traveling. I'll wait until 2 weeks in advance to cancel my plane tickets if I can't travel and the airline has not cancelled my tickets.

I am not going to try renting a car. Or at least not on this trip. Do you think public transportation will be too risky? Sometimes transportation is necessary to avoid excessive walking. Sometimes walking is necessary for a guided or unguided walking tour.

I will be buying my food at markets or grocery stores whenever possible, for reasons that have nothing to do with the pandemic.

I can't infect anybody because I never got the virus. I thought everybody had to get the virus. I was wrong so far.

Sleep with a mask covering my mouth?? My mom is mortified I will suffocate from sleeping with my eyes covered with a sleep mask! Yeah, she does think there is a risk a bandana or sleep mask will slip down and suffocate me. I use a bandana as a sleep mask every day anyway.

I never had to have a full or severe quarantine because I was still able to walk or jog outside even when the office I work at was closed.

If I find out I can't travel to and within Spain "normally" like I
traveled in Europe the last 4 times I traveled, I'll just cancel my
trip.

Not telling you what to do, but just giving an opinion of a single European- I think that there is basically no chance that you will be able to travel "normally" in October (provided that it is possible to travel at that point, of course).

There have been structural changes to many aspects of our public life even here in Germany, where the lock-down measures were much more mild than Spain and where the impacts of the virus have been, so far, less serious. Some of these changes would never be seen by tourists, but others would be quite apparent. I'm thinking of things like limits on numbers of people in stores and sites, which result in needing either to pre-book or to wait in queues. I imagine that tourist sites will make these rules clear for international audiences, but if people venture off the tourist paths, they may find themselves facing unfamiliar situations and new rules which are explained only in signage in French, German, Spanish or whatever language. (Most grocery stores in my region, for example, require everyone to take a shopping trolly, which is their way of tracking the number of people as well as supporting distance rules. This is a small thing, but I imagine that it might be confusing to someone who can't read the posted signs, and it is only one of many similar examples).

Also, the situation is dynamic, and I know that the Spanish government, like the German one, has plans to track local conditions in specific regions and react if the epidemiological situation changes. So, tourists may find that, for example, sights that were open one week will be closed the next; and that these measures may be very local and quickly changing.

So, I suppose I would suggest that, once it becomes possible for us to visit each other's countries again, we must be prepared to be flexible. If that sort of flexibility sounds frustrating and chaotic, then it might be better to travel domestically for a bit. I of course might be wrong, so you'll have to probably keep watching the situation.

The rules for how to buy items from a grocery store in another country are the least important mundane details, something you don't need to know or care about until you arrive at a store. The rules are just the normal part of travel, something you just figure out at the last minute by observing the store and other customers. For examples, in grocery stores in Italy, they have disposable gloves you have to put on before taking produce that is not pre-packaged. In some countries, you have to weigh produce, print a label with the price, and stick it on the bag with the item, before you get to the register. So what? You are traveling to see museums, monuments, scenery, and so on.

"So, tourists may find that, for example, sights that were open one week will be closed the next; and that these measures may be very local and quickly changing."

The vast majority of travelers including myself will not take a trip if there is a chance the sights they want to see will be closed. Are you sure you aren't being excessively melodramatic, obsessive-compulsive, and/or worrying more than necessary? Is there really a chance that the sights in Spain will be reopened, I will arrive in Spain, and then before I arrive at the sights, they will be closed again?

Of course that is possible. There are places in the United States where things that were open last week (like bars) have been forced to close. And the US has been far slower to react than Europe--which is precisely why Americans are not going to be welcome in Europe for some time.

Is there really a chance that the sights in Spain will be reopened, I
will arrive in Spain, and then before I arrive at the sights, they
will be closed again?

Well of course it's possible! What is it with everything being obsessive compulsive or melodramatic with you? Not to put too fine a point on it, we are not your mother. Do you not do any reading about what is happening in the rest of the world? Stepping back to a more restrictive phase has already happened in multiple places when they've seen a resurgence of COVID. Why on earth would you think Spain would be any different? As a matter of fact (not fear mongering), Spanish authorities have repeatedly stated they will do exactly that if numbers spike.

The rules for how to buy items from a grocery store in another country
are the least important mundane details, something you don't need to
know or care about until you arrive at a store.

As I said clearly in my answer first reply, the example of the grocery store was simply one of many examples of how public life has changed since the arrival of coronavirus in Europe, and how many of these changes might not be well-explained to tourists. Therefore, if you are coming to Europe and wanting to travel, as you say ""normally" like I traveled in Europe the last 4 times I traveled", then you should probably rethink coming. Things are different.

Is there really a chance that the sights in Spain will be reopened, I
will arrive in Spain, and then before I arrive at the sights, they
will be closed again?

Yes. This precise thing has happened in Portugal this week. In Lisbon, they have re-introduced a light curfew at 20.00 each night. So, if you were there right now, and had planned on taking part in their nightlife, you would find yourself unable to do so. (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/06/22/portugal-restores-curfew-tackle-coronavirus-spike-lisbon/). Germany has also re-imposed earlier rules in the face of a localised outbreak, and Spanish authorities have discussed doing the same. What the situation will be in September, who knows?

Are you sure you aren't being excessively melodramatic,
obsessive-compulsive, and/or worrying more than necessary?

Yes.

Mike L.
I think travel to Europe won’t be allowed but you will have to wait a little while before knowing for sure. If US citizens are allowed to travel to Spain, I hope you have a great time. But, do stay in hotels for your own wellbeing.

I came across a couple of items in the past few days that relate to your question.....

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-hostels-are-going-socially-distant-while-keeping-their-dna

https://hihostels.ca/en/magazine/what-does-hostelling-look-like-now?utm_source=HI+Master+List&utm_campaign=feec124044-STORIES_EMAIL_2020_06_EN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a727ff84fa-feec124044-177290297

You may already be aware of much of this information, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to pass it along.

Thanks for the links and input. I am leaning towards canceling my hostels and reserving apartments or hotel rooms. I probably would reserve hostel rooms on future trips. I know that if American Airline doesn't cancel my flights but conditions haven't been right for the last 2 or three weeks, on September 25, I will have to postpone my trip. I get charged for one of my rooms on September 27 if I haven't canceled it. My trip is October 10th.