HI Hostel membership

Terry,

In addition to the slight reduction in room rates, the HI Hostel membership provides preference in booking rooms. If a member and non-member were both trying to book a space, the member would get preference. Not much of an advantage, but it might be useful in some cases. In some HI properties, membership seems to be "mandatory" in order to stay in those properties.

AFAIK there are no "discounts" provided for meals. I have a membership, but have never checked?

Cheers!

If you go to the HI website and click on the Membership link, there is a "Membership Discounts" tab which will tell you exactly what kinds of discounts you get with your card - each country has a link, find the countries you will visit and you can see all the discount offers.

No, you definitely don't get discounts on meals at the HI hostels. There are some takeaway chains and coffee places that offer small discounts on food and beverages.

Unless your kids actually remember to pull out the card to get the other discounts, for just 3 nights at an HI Hostel, you may not want to bother. They can probably get similar discounts at museums by just showing a college or high school i.d. card.

Some countries only allow members to stay at HI hotels. This website shows whether membership is required.
http://www.hihostels.com/web/m-benefits.en.htm

The membership is valid for a year. There are also HI hostels in the United States. If they think they might be travelling again within the year, it might be useful.

Their website posts discounts.
http://www.hihostels.com/web/m-discounts.en.htm

And the U.S. site posts additional member discounts.
http://www.hiusa.org/membership/benefits.shtml

Something no one else has mentioned: I have found that HI hostels are the best around. I love hostelling and use whatever hostel seems the best to me at the time; I have never been disappointed with an HI hostel. Some of the others have been dirty, had hidden charges and been too noisy.

Thank you for your input, Ken, Ceidleh and Laura. I looked at all of the links, including all the American discounts I hadn't even considered (but none that we could actually use). I reread the HI Hostel website for the ones in Germany and Brussels where they'll be staying. Only the German ones have "mandatory" membership requirements, which can be met by buying a one night membership for 3.10 Euros per night. Based on our ability to use any of the discounts, it doesn't look like it would pay to spend the extra money, but then again...there's the insurance aspect to consider....

Terry,

IMO the membership fee is too high, unless you are going to travel a lot.
Actually, there are cheaper hostels then HI you can stay.
I don't belive thta a HI memship would give you discount at any museums.
Take a look at www.hostels.com

The only advantage is priority reservations during peak seasons are just a few locations. (and advance planning will almost do the same)

The discounts are "real" but you can get this with other clubs, memberships, IDs and rail-passes.

I have never been turned away, with or without membership, if the hostel has room. Sometimes you pay a few extra Euro if you don't have a membership.

A hotel is often just as cheap.

Bottom Line: do research andfind out of the hostels where you want to stay require or prefer the card...most likely a waste these days.

O.K., now I have to put in a plug for Hostelling International.

I would never say that the membership fee is too high ... I agree that if you only plan to stay a couple of nights, it might not be worth it to you. If you save an average of 3 EUR per night, you will make up that cost after just 7 nights. But your money goes to much more than just getting a discount.

HI USA is a NON-PROFIT organization. I used to volunteer with their DC chapter. They had many programs supporting both visitors and the community. When I was a volunteer, we staffed a desk to provide advice to travellers, we took volunteers to staff a soup kitchen (including international visitors staying at the hostel who wanted to participate in a community outreach activity), and we sponsored international travel days where people from all over the area could come and hear speakers. In fact, back in the early 90s, Rick Steves was the featured speaker at the DC chapters Travel Day. HI also runs programs for youth.

OK, that is my plug for Hostelling International. When you buy a membership, you are doing more than just buying a discount to hostels. You are supporting an organization that works to promote international understanding for young people.

I hate the HI hostels!! I stayed at one in Paris with a friend (who does not speak French; I speak it fluently), and one day, my friend got sick (we're talking VOMITING here). They have a lock-out like most hostels (which is fine), but they would absolutely not let my vomiting friend stay in the hostel to rest, even though there was no way she could be out walking in the streets. I went downstairs to ask reception to let her stay (I even agreed to leave, provided she could stay), but they said some very rude things to me in French, because they did not think I spoke French, and I responded back saying that she was sick and that there was no way in heck that she could leave the place. They kept yelling at me, until I finally convinced one of the ladies working there to come up and have a look at my friend - she took one look at her, and said that she could stay - but after all this arguing and yelling back in forth at this horrid lady in French, my friend felt even worse! She had never been to Europe before, and this experience definitely put a damper on her experience there.

Stray away from these crappy hostels and use individually owned ones - hostelz.com is a great site for finding those.

Avoid the HI hostels like the plague, and spend your hard-earned money somewhere where the hostel owners actually appreciate and are nice to their customers! I am fairly well traveled, and have stayed about 10 different hostels, but never have I experienced such crappy and disrespectful people anywhere else I've ever been!

What cities are you going to? Let me know and I can perhaps recommend better hostels to you.

Hey, Terry. I would have to agree, that the HI hostels are the worst ones that I've stayed in (and I'm probably up to 30 ish by now.). A rare few are great, but over all - they're wonderful if you want to stay with 400 high school/Jr high kids on a scool trip. =\ Not my cup of tea. lol

That being said, I did get the card, just for ease of travel if I did decide to use one, but that was for a 3 month trip.

The HI hostels I'm looking to book are the Bruegel Hostel in Brussels and the Jugendherberge Stahlech in Bacharach, Germany. The non-HI hostels are the Snuffel Backpacker Hostel in Bruges (well recommended to me by Laura of Delft) and the Warsberger Hof of Trier, Germany. Any comments on any or all of these? My group of 4 kids all want to experience hostels so I am trying to arrange the best of this type of experience for them (I will try to book them into 4-bedded rooms in each). Again, I appreciate all of your input!

Terry,
I've stayed at the Burg Stahleck hostel. It was about 15 years ago so I can't comment on the current quality of the accommodation itself. However, it is a really interesting and unique location. It is quite a hike uphill to get to the hostel so they will need to be prepared to carry their packs up a ways. However, once you are up, there is a fabulous view of the Rhine Valley. There are some photos and reviews of this hostel on tripadvisor. You might want to take a look there. I thought it was a cool place to stay when I was young and in great shape. Now, I'm not sure that I would want to carry my bag all the way up that hill :)

I've stayed at Burg Stahleck more recently. It's one of my favorite hostels. It's very well run. I usually don't do reservations but it's so popular, you really need to plan ahead and make reservations.