Does there ever come a point when one becomes “too old” to stay in a hostel?
I was thinking about this one day last week as Liebling and I scoured the internet to find hotels for our upcoming trip to Bali. We were looking at some pretty nice places, and a lot of them cost a pretty penny. As we were ruminating over prices, checking out the hotels’ amenities, and closely examining pictures and reports of the hotels on Trip Advisor, I chuckled to myself. It was only a few short years ago I would book the cheapest of the cheap hostel with nary a look at a review of the hostel quality or location. How things change!
I think that this complete about-face is due to a few things. I’m no longer a student, and am therefore no longer on a student budget. I now have more disposable income and can afford to stay in a decent place. Also, as I get a bit older, I realize how much I truly value comfort. Not that hostels can’t be comfortable… But getting a good night’s rest can be difficult when you are sharing a dorm with upwards of 6 to 8 people, and sharing a bathroom with these same people can be harrowing- not something for the faint of heart!
But this line of thought got me thinking that there is perhaps a time when one is simply too old to deal with hostels, and that there comes a time where one should refrain from staying with them. During my last hostel experience (Reykjavik, Iceland last year), I was at least 5 years older than most of the people I met at my lodging, and the summer before, when I stayed in hostels in Budapest/Vienna/Prague/Krakow during my Central Europe trip, I was decidedly, at the ripe age of 27, one of the older travellers in the hostels’ common area. I was met with exclamations of “What?! You’re THAT old?!” from fresh-faced 22 year olds, upon divulging my age. Strange experience. Then again, I know that I was appalled by the guy in his mid-40s bunking in my dormitory in a hostel room in southern Mexico a few years before. So I just don’t know.
What I do know is that, as I frequent hostels less and less, not only do I feel too old to stay there, but I am creeped out by sharing a space with a lot of people/people I don’t know. I am pretty weird about bathrooms in general these days- any soap scum in the shower, stray hair from an unknown source in the sink, or mildew between the grout on the tile is enough to send me in a tailspin and make me feel distressed. So it goes without saying that thinking about how many people touched the faucet or peed in the shower before I did adds to my neurosis.
That’s not to say that there aren’t nice hostels, for I have had the pleasure of staying in a few, like the Czech Inn in Prague (which is amazing and CLEAN, by the way). But for every nice place like the Czech Inn, there are ten nasty places. I have stayed in some real dives, all for the sake of saving a buck. Like the hostel I stayed in in Mexico City, where I was kept up all night by the pungent smell of Australian Boy Feet (it was a mixed dorm, you see!) and the buzzing of a gaggle of mosquitoes that had taken up residence in our room. Luckily, I escaped the next morning with only a few mosquito bites. The sniffer took a bit longer to recover.
I don’t want to knock hostels. I think that, for the solo traveller, they are a great way to meet people. For the long-term/backpacking traveller, they are a great way to minimize trip costs, because who can really afford to stay at the “Four Seasons” when on the road for six months? I can envision myself both travelling alone and undertaking a massive road trip in the future, so I know that my hostel staying days are not over quite yet.
But outside of the situations I’ve just mentioned, I can’t see myself staying in hostels anymore. I work hard these days and make enough money to treat myself to a hotel stay, and feel I owe myself the comfort and the peace of mind that a nice hotel affords me. For me, the hostel stay is something I did on a regular basis because I HAD to. I was on a student budget and wanted to see the world.
What do you guys think?
64 Comments
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I have never been a hostel stayer. Sure I've done it on a occasion. But I've NEVER enjoyed it. The truth is, I don't like college aged kids (18-23)…If I can avoid being with them. I do.
There are private rooms in many hostels with private bathrooms. When you're not going to be staying in a room most of the day a hostel might still be an option BUT, and as a picky person who enjoys saving a buck I prefer Hostelling International because they are supposed to follow simple standards across all locations. The private hostels can be a crap shoot. On the other hand, I stayed at the Peabody in Orlando (a 5 star hotel) and my friend almost got electrocuted from a faulty lamp. What was worse is that he's epileptic and it sent him into shock. That was NOT a fun experience! I think Trip Advisor is fairly spot on with the reviews and those guests who post pictures are invaluable. I'm certain you'll find a great place. Have you considered B&Bs as well as hotels and hostels?
Good post! I just booked a trip to Rome in April and I tried my hardest to avoid booking a hostel. I've never really been a hostel stayer. However, in Berlin last year a friend and I stayed in one but it was more like a hotel, and then I did stay in one for Montreal but again that was more like a hotel room.
For Rome last minute before booking a hostel something in me said no don't book it you'll find something else, and I did. I found a B&B that in a much better location and I have a single room. My whole stay only cost £10 more than what the hostel would have been.
While youngin's do bother me I am most concerned about safety of my items, cleanliness, and location. Oh and BEDBUGS! A friend had a horrible story about them so I am super paranoid. Hostels can be all over the place on these points. You are always trading off something for another (good location but kinda shabby interior etc).
In terms of age as I was looking I did see an upper age limit on one place at 40. I think I would potentially be creeped out by a 40 year old man in my hostel room as well. Friends of mine who are 30 did 8 weeks across Europe this summer mostly staying in hostels. They had mixed reviews, and a hilarious story about people having sex in a multi bed room they stayed in France. Story was funny but not one I'd like to experience.
@Chizzy – Lowe Alpine is a great brand. I bought a travel bag from them a year ago and I love it.
I've never stayed in a hostel before; in fact, I only set foot in one for the first time last summer when I went with some new friends back to their hostel room to wait for them to change so we could go clubbing after a World Cup victory.
I'm not averse to staying in hostels, but I've only ever had the budget to visit places where I knew people and could crash at their places for free. Luckily for me, I have family everywhere, so I've mooched off family and friends in the Netherlands (two separate visits in three different homes), Germany, France, the States (New York and LA) and Japan and I can also go to New Zealand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, England, Thailand, Hungary and China (Shanghai) if I could come up with airfare.
There are places where I definitely want to visit and will probably have to stay at a hostel in, like the Czech Republic (Prague), Greece, Portugal and Taiwan, so when I'm daydreaming, I go read reviews on HostelWorld.com. 😛
i totally agree with you on that! i stayed at a hostel in Vienna and the police where packed out the hostel in their numbers at 10pm! the last hostel i stayed in Denmark was so amazing im still friends with the people i met.
Im going on a USA backpacking expedition this summer, i have tried to link up with everyone i know so i can dodge hostels but in places where i have no friends or family the hostel experience will be inevitable. A good hostel is a must!
I stayed in a few in Belgium and Holland and they were generally of good quality. But as I was doing it in December there were very few people and frankly I was relieved. I'm too much of a comfort person, too, now. Maybe there's no age limit (my dad is in his early 60s and sometimes stays in them), but there's that inner maturity meter that says, enough is enough.
when i was in germany i stayed in hostels but 2 times. i liked them as i was a single woman travelling on the weekend and craved to meet other people, which i did. now, i am not too sure. I still think i would stay in hostels now even though i am older and have more money….if i travel alone. i cant really say though. when i did stay at hostels i prefered single rooms though so that makes a huge difference. i only shared a room a few times just so i could have "me" time at night. i can only take groups for so long.
Sorry, I refuse to do hostels. I have found that you can find pretty decent priced B&B's or hotels in most locations. Plus I need my comfort, even while on the road, and as a solo traveller!
I don't mind hostels, but I agree with Deidre, I want to avoid the college aged kids. They are usually a hot mess. I've stayed in some nice hostels with people in my age range, but I remember being in Paris, my friend and I had a private room but you could still hear all the kids up late drinking wine and talking loudly. I agree with reading reviews, but check out venere.com it has cheap hotels and reviews.
I pray you are safe and well after the recent Tsunami-please let us know!
I totally just noticed my mistake-oops! I pray your well anyway!
I have never stayed in a hostel so I guess I do not qualify to be a part of this conversation. I just wanted to say that you are soooo living my dream – travelling from place to place.
All the best!
@Chizzy: I got this little number from a hiking store in HK- it was the cheapest bag there was… LOL! It's a decent bag, but not name brand or anything! Did the job while I travelled to Kenya, Tanzania, and Zanzibar (which is where this photo was taken).
@Deirdre: I agree!! I find that the younger hostel goers are very, umm… "festive" (especially at night after they've gone drinking)… Which disturbs my precious sleep!
@Faith: I've done the private room in hostel thing and I agree if you're kind of just needed a place to crash for the evening that staying in a hostel might not be a bad idea. But as I being to do more "luxury" trips that involve almost as much time in the hotel as it does outside seeing the sights, comfort and relaxability is key! For Bali we've also looked into staying in a private villa… 🙂
@Melissa: Thanks! You know, I totally forgot to mention bedbugs! Luckily I've never had an issue, but I know of ppl who have encountered them while staying in hostels… Ugh! I agree that there can be nice hostels and funny you mention a good one in Berlin because I stayed in a really good one, too when I visited in 2005! It was the Meninger hostel at Tempelhofer Ufer. 🙂 Rome in April, eh!? Sounds great! How long are you going for? And EWWW at having sex in a hostel dorm! Some people are just tacky!
@Xtine: You lucky lucky girl for having family all over the place! That would DEFINITELY inspire me to travel to those places!
@Cherry: I feel like the standard of hostels is wayyyy higher in Scandanavian and Northern Europe in General! As for hostels in the States, admittedly, I know nothing about them- for some reason I always think of Europe/Latin America/Asia when I think of hostelling, but I imagining that hostel going is alive and well in the U.S. and Canada… Where are you going in America exactly?! Will you be in Canada at all?
@Mil: I agree with that "inner maturity meter"! That's a really good way to put it. I think that I'm more keen on the idea of staying in hostels in Northern Europe because as I was saying above, I think that the quality and standard is much higher than the hostels in Western/Southern Europe. Cleanliness is a huge issue for me so I always feel a bit better when there are fewer ppl with me in the room- less germ/microbes spread about.. 😉
@Rhona: I hear ya! I almost think that I tend to get more anti-social as I get older.. But having "me" time is so very important!
@kuesooM: Preach!! I think that's why if I can afford it, I definitey spend the extra money on a decent hotel. Travelling is about seeing the world, but I need to be comfortable doing it- it IS supposed to be a vacation, after all!
@Kourt: Where did you stay in Paris? I've never stayed in a hostel there but I have heard some horror stories! People up late night talking in a dorm room is ALWAYS a pain in the butt, as are the drunk people who come stumbling into the room LOUDLY at 4am… Geez!
@Crystal: Hey lady, thanks so much for checking up on me! Luckily we are safe and sound in Hong Kong but it's so sad to know that a short flight from us things are so devastating!!
@Natural Nigerian: Awww! Thank you!! That's so nice of you to say!
Haha, I thought about this the last time I was in a hostel, and came to the conclusion that perhaps I'll be old lady hostel hopper thanks to a pile of student loans (that's going nowhere) and avg teacher salary. However, I do like staying in hostels, because I can meet a great amount a people in a little amount of time. The cleanliness does vary from hostel to hostel, but so far I haven't experienced anything too bad to where I felt I couldn't stay there. However, if I happen to come into money someday, you better believe I'll most likely say buh-bye to hostels.
Here in France, I stay in rural hostels all the time and they're usually great but I avoid city hostels like the plague. My worst experiences have been in Paris, where a crazy old lady once barred me out of the room insisting that it was hers and hers alone. I ended up sleeping in the dorm next door, where the other girls told me she had spent the whole of the previous night banging on the wall telling them to be quiet … even though they were completely silent. I've never been back to a Paris hostel since!
Eek! I'm 40 and stay in hostels. And yeah, I have money for nice hotels. I'm just CHEAP! LOL.
Seriously, I usually get a private room at a hostel as a compromise. By day 5 or whatever, I'm at a 4-star for a few days, but it's how I stay out of debt.
@Afromorena: I hear that!! I will most definitely stay in a hostel again due to financial constraints, but prefer not to for obvious reasons, the biggest one being the cleanliness issue! Hostels ARE great for meeting people if you're travelling alone… But if I don't have to stay in one I wont!
@Canedolia: Wowzers! I've heard some bad things about les auberges de jeunesse in Paris, too! But I think you're on to something when you mention the difference between big city hostels and small town ones. I kind of like the B&B sort of idea. Will definitely look into that in future. Thanks for the tip!
@Monica: Aint nothing wrong with saving a dollar here and a dollar there!! Sometimes the compromises need to be made to keep your budget afloat. I've done the private room in the hostel thing and I agree that it's a great way to have your own space and save some $$$!
I have stayed in a hostel before because I was travelling alone and it was a great way to meet people.
Now, that I am older, it's not my first option to stay at a hostel anymore. I would much rather rent an apartment or stay at a hotel.
@Christine- I feel the same way!!
Nice blog! I love this hostel very much. I will definitely visit and stay to that place.
Albergue Da Juventude
Age is nothing but a number.
Hey Oneika,
How are you? I know this is an old post, and back in the days you were probably more right than today when you say “But outside of the situations I’ve just mentioned, I can’t see myself staying in hostels anymore.”.
The new generation of Hostels out there are now more professional, luxury, and do have private rooms, and more great facilities, travelers love. Anyhow, let me try to convince you with our 5 Star Hostels. We at Hostelgeeks collect the best hostels around the globe to put them together on one simple website. 🙂
I would be very curious to hear your opinion.
Have an awesome day and keep up the good work,
Anna
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For me, it depends on where I am going and the purpose of my trip. For example, Wrigley Hostel in Chicago is a great place to stay if you are just looking to stay in Chicago for the weekend to catch a Cubs game. Hotels in Chicago are super expensive, so there are several boutique hostels throughout the downtown area to cater to the budget conscious crowd.
Indianapolis only has one hostel, but it is a boutique hostel that caters to families who are in town for their child’s University graduation (there are several schools in the Indianapolis area). The Indy Hostel feels more like a Bed & Breakfast/Homestay rather than a typical “party” hostel.
Even in Brazil I chose to stay in a hostel in Rio de Janeiro during the World Cup as accomodation prices where 3x the normal price just because of the tournament going on. I was only 2 blocks away from Copacabana Beach, so it was totally worth it staying here. So hostels are a great alternative if you want to attend a world class sporting event, but don’t have the deep pockets to stay at 4 or 5 star hotels.
Hostel culture has certainly changed over the past 6 – 7 years. Some of that probably has to do with Air BnB being a viable competitor in the budget travel market. How do you feel about the changes in hostel culture these past few years, Oneika? Has that altered your original opinion at all since this post?
I’ll often stay in hostels when I’m travelling on my own as a hotel is too expensive for one person. But now that I’m older I tend to only stay at official youth hostels rather than private hostels. The private hostels tend to attract the younger party crowd (which is what I wanted when I was younger), whereas the HI/YHA hostels have people of all ages and I don’t feel out of place. Also, I have a tent and a small campervan now and I’ll often make use of those rather than staying in paid accommodation of any type. If I’m travelling with someone, it can be cheaper to stay in a hotel or guesthouse than book 2 dorm beds in a hostel. If this is the case then I’ll opt for the hotel. As I’m already with someone it doesn’t matter so much that I’m not socialising with other guests. When I’m on my own hostels are much better for meeting people. I also like that most hostels have a kitchen which makes it cheaper to eat than having to buy meals out all the time.
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