Let’s Beat Prejudice Against Hostels – Part 1

Is it true that hostels are only for young backpackers without money?

Well, it’s true that they started as low-cost accommodation for school groups conceived by Richard Schirrmann, a German teacher, in the early 20th century, but they have long surpassed the notion of being simply youth accommodation. Of course, there are hostels that still strictly stick to age limits, but many others are very lenient in that regard or have completely abandoned the idea. This means you can meet older travellers who benefit from lots of travel experience, a history of adventures, and pieces of advice they like to share with younger travellers.

Examples of older travellers in hostels

In case an older traveller books accommodation with an age limit and still goes through with the reservation after being notified about reaching that age limit, some hostels with years of experience would usually notify the guest about the age limit before their arrival. I remember one occasion (though there were more) when an older guest asked to be accommodated to the lowest level of a three-level bunk bed due to their hip problems, though that’s something many hostels don’t offer and don’t reserve in advance, just like hotels can’t promise a guest they’ll get a certain room number. Despite all that we made an exception and the guest was extremely grateful for it.

I also remember an older woman in her seventies in one of the hostels in Prague who told me she had been travelling the world on her own for about a year, as well as a man in his sixties who didn’t hesitate to join other travellers when it came to board games or dinner.

There can also be an age limit for young people

Of course, there isn’t only maximum age limit, but also minimum age limit for underage travellers. Some hostels don’t take in underage travellers if they’re not accompanied by their parents, yet others only require them to hand in a document that proves they have their parents’ consent to travel and use the accommodation in their chosen destination.

When it comes to parents travelling with children, i.e., families, hostels usually advise them to book private rooms, especially in these times of coronavirus. Before the pandemic, many hostels were flexible in that regard unless, of course, the family didn’t mind sharing their room with other travellers. It’s worth pointing out, though, that you should notify the accommodation in advance about you travelling with children. Most bookings don’t hold the information about the age of the guests, and many hostels reserves the right to divide the guests of the same booking into more than one room of the same type. As an employee working in a hostel, I met a mother who booked two beds in an eight-bed dorm, but she hadn’t notified the hostel that she was travelling with her eight-year-old son. She arrived at the reception late in the afternoon when most of the bookings had already been done for the day and all private rooms had already been full. I was left with no choice but to ask one solo traveller if he was kind enough to transfer to another room of the same type, so a mother and her son could be together in one room. Luckily, he was very considerate and helped us out without any trouble. The mother was also very happy, since it was almost impossible to find accommodation anywhere else in Prague at the time.

Recommendation for travellers before they visit the accommodation

When booking a hostel, learn about its rules and conditions first. That way you’ll avoid unnecessary disappointments as well as obtain the information that can be ever so useful on your trip. You can also contact the hostel directly in case there are any uncertainties. Don’t forget that staff in many hostels around the world is comprised of employees who are travellers and who therefore understand their situation, so they’ll be able to offer you a solution. That is, of course, if your request is reasonable and you’re willing to communicate in a kind and empathetic way and are also willing to make compromises.

Hostels want to be inclusive, not exclusive

Throughout all the years I’ve been working in hostels I’ve met many different kinds of people of all ages, from backpackers to ladies with huge suitcases, from travellers low on budget to businessmen and wealthy travellers for whom money wasn’t a problem. We’ve hosted bachelor and bachelorette parties as well as newlyweds who were on their honeymoon. One thing all these travellers had in common was that by booking a hostel they could fulfil their need of a socially interactive accommodation and subsequently meet different cultures, gain knowledge and have adventures.

The second part of this article, which will be published in the next issue of Globetrotter, we’ll talk about hostel cleanliness, safety and comfort. Low-cost doesn’t necessarily mean low-standard, since many hostels now even reach the level of boutique hotels when it comes to design and comfort.