Have you stayed in a hostel?

I've been thinking of staying a weekend in a hostel just for fun. I've been looking at some websites, and I see that the private rooms cost about as much as a regular hotel room (with PriceLine), so it's not a money saver, but a potentially fun experience, where we can meet new people and have a little fun.

Reading reviews of hostels I see some are unbearable, while others get mixed reviews, and one (the closest to my house) has nothing but rave reviews.

We'd want to stay in a private room, since we're older, and not into the dorm scene.

What are your experiences?

I loved it, mostly because you got to meet so many interesting people. We would usually get a "private" room, which meant a private bedroom, but community bathroom and kitchen. Pretty inexpensive too. Just remember to bring your own bedding (or sleeping bag), they will rent them to you for a small fee also.

I was mid 20's at the time, and most of the people staying there were high school to college age. But it was great for meeting other tourists and discussing what things to see, what roads to take, what kinds of events were going on.

Most of them don't have party rooms.. You sleep, shower, and leave in the morning. Actually most make you leave from say -- 10am to 6 pm.

I went through Europe staying in them.. I bunked with some cool people. But it wasn't the place for an ice cream social.

The websites I saw talked about guests cooking together, and playing music, etc. I don't sleep in the same room as anyone else I socialize with. I just don't see that as a necessary component. That's why hostels have private rooms in the first place. I think 20-somethings would feel uneasy sharing a room with forty somethings anyway.

I have stayed in 40+ hostels, maybe five of them have had a social aspect. It really is a place to sleep, shower, and shit. They usually kick you out during the day. It is like a hotel with bunk-beds. I did stay at one in Paris that had a bar. That was not the norm.

the high end ones are as you say, kitchen, music, patio or courtyard, sometimes even bars/happy hour!

i haven't really stayed in the most budget-y ones, i guess because i was already in my 40s before i ever tried a hostel and didn't need to go the very cheapest route


for example, here is one i stayed at, in lisbon, seemed to have a lot of kids from south africa and new zealand at the time i stayed, i heard one young man say it was the best hostel he ever stayed at and it was super nice

http://www.oasislisboa.com/en/default.html

This one is close to home. It has only rave reviews on hostelz.com I've been there, but never inside the building. They have a bar and live music in the back yard. It's an awesome place.

http://www.hostelz.com/hotel/26610-Blue-Moon-Guesthouse

This one is in New Orleans. It has mixed reviews, which is about as good as you can find in New Orleans.

http://www.hostelz.com/hostel/3557-India-House-Backpacker%27s-Hostel

When I would move my son in and out of his dorm I would stay at the hostel near Newbury st in Boston. They have a big dining/gathering room where people hang out. I liked it and would do it again. The one down by the Fleet center sucked.
I also stayed in them most of the time my brother and I backpacked in Europe but that was a long time ago.

Had a great experience at Hostels in Maui and Kauai! Not so good in Banff, Canada. It got hostile at the Hostel in Banff! Someone stole someones pants in our room and the guy who wanted to have sex with his girlfriend with everyone in the room threatened to beat everyone up! He heard me make a loud sye and was ready to kick my ass! I was able to think quick and told him I was then worried someone took my stuff and he cooled down. Then the guy found a note left by the guy who stole his pants. The note said "Sorry I took your pants but I had nothing" bla, bla, bla! So then the guy felt like an idiot because he had woken everyone up and accused us of steeling his pants. He apologized to everyone and everyone went back to bed and he proceeded to have sex with his girlfriend in our room with like ten other guys in there. They were right below me. It was a very disturbing but interesting night!


They are great if you have a private room but can be risky when you room with ten people.

..that was my experience (Europe, 1980s)- For me, it is worth spending a little more for some personal space, and for security. Meeting new people doesn't necessarily always mean that you'll meet 'decent' new people.

No way am I going through that again.

i am not actually very out going and don't care if i meet people, but the way they are set up, it IS very easy to meet people who travel from all over the world and swap stories, it's fun

i am a budget traveler and like the savings, also, i like to be able to use the kitchen to fix my own meals rather than constant restaurant meals, it just makes it nice

with a private room, you can come and go as you like, you can meet people in the kitchen or often there's somebody playing music in the lounge and you can hang out -- and then when you're overloaded you can vanish into your own territory, so i do like going that route altho it's cheaper to do the dorm

i don't carry my own computer when traveling and often they have public computers set up, sometimes for free, sometimes at low cost, so that's nice too

i've only stayed at hostels in europe and japan, if it matters