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| The Ideal Hostel What qualities and facilities do the best hostels in the world have? What makes "the perfect hostel"? |
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I use the word Hostel so that I can cash in on people wanting to stay in a place in Newquay that has multi-bedded rooms, communual areas & self catering facilities. There is sufficient demand in Newquay for private multi-bedded rooms, and a large chain Hostel on our doorstep that services the demand for shared multi-bedded rooms - that we have no need (or intention) to cash in on Backpackers. If somebody knocks on our door looking to stay in a shared dorm, we send them round the corner to St. Christophers. |
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I'm not saying that you aren't a legitimate accommodation provider, it's just not a hostel. That's all.
There is a market for a place with private dorms. Particularly for groups (either tour groups or school groups). But it's not a hostel if those dorms aren't available to independent travellers.
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BUG: the Backpackers' Ultimate Guide |
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It's obviously simple to you, but the market is evolving beyond your definition. That's why it's being discussed. Personally I wouldn't call a place with all twin rooms a hostel, but that doesn't mean it's not. |
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The problem is that the other types of accommodation (hostel-type places with private dorms that operate for groups only and hotel-type places with hostel-style common areas) don't have a clearly descriptive and universally recognised title. They clearly aren't hotels, but most travellers wouldn't call them hostels either. Perhaps there are already names for these types of places (guesthouse or travellers' lodge perhaps) but these names are not univerally recognised. I think it would be a good idea to develop names for these types of accommodation, but of course popularising a new generic term is very difficult to do. However I do think it is important not to group these three types of accommodation together as they are clearly different and the wrong term could hurt business as the market for each is different and each should develop its own niche market.
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BUG: the Backpackers' Ultimate Guide |
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The interesting thing to me about the definition of a hostel is that it's not a fixed thing that is one thing to everyone. I've had customers tell me that anything not in HI (or YHA) is not a hostel. Or another who feels that you're not a hostel if you don't keep some percentage of beds for walk ups when you open at 5PM. Or others who seem to rigidly believe that a hostel should't have a TV as it spoils the atmosphere. Whilst I doubt anyone would agree with these claims, they illustrate the differing opinions. There are many niches within the hostel market, just as there are in hotels - we just have to try and serve them all as best we can. It's certainly hard to keep everyone happy. |
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)There are some kinds of accommodation that are only found in regional areas -- "hostal" for instance. I think an accommodation provider with only private rooms, some shared spaces, and a fun group atmosphere would be considered a guesthouse in most places. Here is a mall hotel in Canada with bunk beds in the rooms. I've stayed there and it's definitely a not a hostel. It's not even a dorm in my opinion (despite the bunk beds). It's a hotel room with extra beds for families or larger groups who want to be in the same room instead of being split into two rooms. ![]() I'm not saying that a hostel should only cater to independent travelers, but a hostel without shared dorms seems to me like a "motel" without parking. You don't have to have a car to say at a motel, but a motel needs to accommodate people with cars or it isn't a motel. I wonder if this debate has to do with slightly different meanings of words in the UK. I'd be interested to hear from other people in the UK. Goofy's, do you ever get people who show up looking for shared dorms? Are some people surprised when you tell them you don't have shared dorms? |
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"Home is a place where you would be always happy to stay." Aboriginal Hostel Budapest |
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