What is a Hostel? | All About Hostels

What is a hostel? In summary, hostels are small hotels used for short stays in hostel style, where people make their travels more meaningful by sharing culture and information with each other.. You can also think of it as a shared house.. While everyone can have different rooms, there are common rooms.. These are known as dorm rooms and these rooms serve as 4-6-8-10 people.. Of course, sometimes this can be up to 24 people.

Hostel is a lifestyle.. It’s not easy to get used to it and let it go once you get used to it.. After seeing that magnificent atmosphere, you will not want to stay in hotels again.. Hostels are not just cheap places to stay. While there are many people who stay in hostels just because it is cheap, the permanent customers of hostels are those who come for the atmosphere of these hostels.. After working as a hostel receptionist for 8 months in Kuala Lumpur and 1-2 months in Bangkok, I can say that I gained much more knowledge about hostels.

What is a Hostel?

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In more detail, Hostel is the most used hostel-style places for people who aim to travel “Cheaper, Better and Longer”, more commonly called Backpackers.. Hostels are much cheaper and much more fun than hotels.. Since there are generally no televisions in the rooms, they are extremely social places where travelers can spend time chatting or playing games together in common areas when they are bored.

You can become a more knowledgeable traveler by meeting many new people and sharing your experiences.. Although there is an atmosphere as if everyone has to greet each other, believe me, you will inevitably be one of them and try to greet every traveler you see.. Especially when you stay in shared rooms, you will find that people struggle to talk to you and make friends.. In this way, even when you are traveling alone, you will have the chance to discover the country you are visiting with your new friends.

There Are Mice and Bedbugs in Hostels, Is It True?

Of course TRUE. Is there any hostel without bed bugs? Kidding aside, it is possible to come across bed bugs, especially in very low budget hostels in Asia.. However, the higher the hostel’s rating, the more modern, the more popular it is, the less likely you are to run into monsters called Bed Bugs.. For example, at the Step Inn Guest House (Kuala Lumpur), the hostel where I used to work, we rarely encountered bed bugs.. However, these bed bugs are usually carried by travelers.. But where can it come from in my bag? If you ask, the hostel you have been to before is either very dirty or you may have kept your bags in the common storage rooms.. You may have stayed on very hot islands. They may have settled in your bag for many reasons.. I have not seen the mouse in any hostel. I have not heard of. However, if you stay in dingy hostels in very remote corners, you can make friends with rats.

Therefore, it is possible to encounter bed bugs.. I’ve never been in Europe. However, I can say that I read a lot in the comments. Besides, you are more likely to come across in Asia.. That’s exactly why you need to be careful when choosing a hostel.. Be sure to read the references and take a look at whether the hostel is made of concrete or wood.. Wooden ones are more likely to have Bed Bugs.

I have never had a hostel experience before, what should I do?

First of all, you need to get rid of your prejudices.. Hostels are not as dirty or uncomfortable places as most people think.. In a hostel you can find a swimming pool, bar, kitchen, movie theater and many activities that are not available in hotels, unless you can expect the same from an ordinary hostel.. Therefore, when choosing a hostel, you should learn all the information about the hostel you want to stay in.

How Much Are the Average Accommodation Fees in Hostels?

This is a very general question.. However, you can easily find hostel rooms in Asia for 35-60 TL.. If a 3-star hotel is £100 in Europe, average hostel fees are £30-40.. However, you can easily find hostels in Europe for an average of £20.

Who is the hostel for?

For everyone from 7 to 70. While I was working in Kuala Lumpur, I met many families with children as well as travelers over the age of 65.. However, the majority of those who prefer hostels are young people.. This makes hostels more fun. Since you can find private rooms in hostels, people who are comfortable can stay in hostels.. In short, almost everyone who keeps their expectations low can leave happily by staying in hostels.

NOTE : There is an age limit in some hostels.. This age limit is usually 35.. So, keep in mind that there may be hostels where customers over the age of 35 are not accepted.

How Many Kinds of Rooms Are There in Hostels?

In hostels, dorm rooms, double (single bed) rooms are available. ) you can find private rooms, double (single bed) private suites, double rooms with two different beds. Dorm rooms can accommodate a minimum of 4 people and a maximum of 30 people.. In hostels, all rooms, except suites, generally share bathrooms and toilets.

NOTE : There are also dorm rooms for girls only.. If you say you can’t stay in the same room with boys, you can find common rooms for girls only.. However, there is no such application for men.. That is, there is no dorm room for men only (I haven’t seen any of the customers who requested it before ).

What’s in the Hostels?

• Kitchen where you can cook (You may not be allowed to cook in every hostel)
• Common areas (You can sit and chat with other customers, play games or watch TV, movies)
• Free Wifi (Free Wifi in every hostel) available)
• Free breakfast (May not be available in all hostels). It is also a very simple form of breakfast for those who have it)
• Laundry (Washing Machines). It may not be in every hostel.
• Pool (Not available in all hostels)
• Bar (May not be in every hostel)
• City map (Available in almost every hostel)
• Bath Towel (A must for every hostel)
• Lockers (For dorm rooms only). You can also find hostels with safes in some rooms)
• Heats for Tea/Coffee
• Internet cafe (Some hostels have only one computer)
• Barbecue parties (On certain days of the week) You can find hostels that do it)

Do I Need to Make a Reservation?

Absolutely necessary in Europe. Because if you go to the hostel you like on the internet, you may not find a place.. However, you can also make a reservation in Asia by texting the hostel.. Sure, most hostels will ask for reservations. However, if the hostel is not too crowded on the dates you want to go, they can book it for you.. It’s up to the discretion of the receptionist.

How Does Check In Check Out Happen?

Check in-check out is the entry-exit hours. Check In time for most hostels is usually 13:00 or 14:00.. Of course, it is possible to find rare hostels where you can check in earlier.. However, if you go to the hostel before these hours, your room may not be cleaned, there may be a customer in your room who has not yet Check Out, or the reception may not want to deliver the room to you before its time, which is ready to annoy.

Check Out at Hostels. ), usually 11:00 and 12:00. I would say don’t stay at the hostel that has an earlier exit.. You must have left your hostel room by these hours. Thus, the cleaner will clean and prepare your room for the person who will check in (check-in) at 14:00. , note that you may pay extra. Wow I fell asleep, wow, this happened, they can’t rest. You may have to pay an extra day fee.

Before Choosing Your Hostel

The first thing you should do is find out if there is a discount card for hostels in the countries you will be visiting.. The most common is the IH (International Hostelling) card.. You can even get discounts on your shopping with such cards.

Some countries have their own hostel cards.. For example, Australia and New Zealand have their own special cards. New Zealand has a BBH (Budget Backpacker Hostel) card and you can get 10%-20% discount on hostels with this card.. You can also accumulate points on your card with your purchases.. So, search for these types of cards in the country you want to go to.

Keep your expectations low

Many hostels are generally simple, ordinary and not modern.. However, it is sometimes possible to find hostels that are more modern than hotels.. You can easily choose according to your budget and expectations, and you can easily find hostels with any budget and modernity from hostel search sites such as hostelworld and hostelbookers.

In many hostels, breakfast is free and usually consists of toast bread, butter, jam and tea/coffee.. Keep your expectations low for breakfast.

Many hostels have washing machines where you can wash your clothes for a fee.. Keep your expectations low as they are washed at standard degrees.

Most dorm rooms are generally 4-10 people, but they are available in dorms that are 20 people and above.. That’s why, when choosing your hostel, check the number of dorm beds and remember that you can’t turn off the air conditioner when you feel cold in air-conditioned rooms.

Those staying in shared dorm rooms use shared bathrooms.. It is also useful to bring your clothes when you go to take a bath, as there is no men’s and women’s section for the bathrooms.. If you might be offended by this, when choosing your hostel, you can ask if the bathrooms and dorm rooms are for men and women.. Since most of them are shared, you should look for private suites in such cases.

Working Volunteer or Continuously in Hostels

Do you have a plan to travel and earn money? ? You can work tirelessly in hostels and visit the country you live in and even the surrounding countries.

Almost all hostels call people from all over the world who want to work (it would be nice to give you 1000 TL instead of 3000 TL).. Americans, Brits and Australians no longer choose to work in hostels, even though they usually prefer native English speaking countries.. The biggest reason for this is that they can find jobs where they can make more money and travel.. You do not need to have a high level of English.. If you can understand the other side very well and can express yourself more or less, you can do this job very easily.

So what is volunteer work? ; Volunteering is working 4-5 hours or more just for accommodation and food. Don’t volunteer too much.. Hostel owners give you a room to stay for free and your monthly meal fee or meal. You can work between the hours determined by the hostel.

But why should I work for free? you can say. You are right. Nobody wants to work for free. If you’re already looking for a real job, you don’t have to deal with such a thing.. However, if you plan to travel without spending a lot of money, you can consider this business. For example, you are planning to go to Asia and stay in each city for 2 weeks.. By working in these volunteer jobs, you can explore cities for the rest of the day, or even tour neighboring countries with a permit.. Anyway, they don’t expect a performance of 3000 TL from you.

I worked voluntarily in Kuala Lumpur for the first 2 months.. In these 2 months, I had the chance to see the islands of Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia on weekends.. Of course, after these 2 months, I worked for 6 months with a salary slightly above the minimum wage.. In this way, I was traveling to and from the countries close to Malaysia on my weekends off.. Of course I couldn’t save money. But I was seeing many countries I wanted to go to. That should be your aim too, TRAVEL. If you have different ideas like saving money, go to Singapore, go to New Zealand. go to korea. Finding a job to save money is not easy in Kuala Lumpur.

The benefits of volunteering in hostels are; You can improve your English in a mind-blowing way. Your human relations improve, your patience stone gets stronger, you always learn to smile, you have fun, you make new friends, you learn about the cultures of countries, you learn about life, your horizons expand.. In short, working in hostels will literally change your life.

Well, how will I find a job in a hostel? : First of all, of course, you can work at the Step Inn Guest House (Kuala Lumpur) where I work.. You can send a message to a Pakistani employee named Malik on his Facebook page and tell him that you want to talk to Alan (Elen) or Kumar or that you want to work directly with him.. If your English is good, you can even refer me as a reference But, this hostel asks you to study for at least 2-3 months and work 8 hours. Breakfast and accommodation are also free.. In addition, you will receive an average of 750-1000 TL as a meal fee.. Even if they like you, you can work for a long time for a salary of 3000 TL or more.

But what about the work permit? If you plan to work for 2-3 months, you do not need to take leave in Asian countries.. Not necessary doesn’t mean legal.. Of course it’s illegal. However, no one comes and checks you out, as the inspectors are kept away from the hostel by bribery.. Even so, hostel owner gets fined. In other words, it doesn’t really concern you.

Other than that, you can find different jobs in hostels or different places through some platforms.. The best sites where you can work as a volunteer and find a job are; You can use sites like gooverseas.com, wwoof.net, openmindprojects.org, volunteerforever.com, volunteerhq.com, proworldsc.org.

What are Hostel Rules?

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• If you’re staying in dorm rooms, don’t stay out late into the night. If you’re staying, be quiet and don’t turn on the lights when you enter.
• After taking a bath, don’t leave your hair in the drain (Long-haired customers beware).
• Do not eat or drink alcohol in the dorm rooms. Remember that rooms are for sleeping only.
• After getting out of the shower, don’t bother drying yourself. Don’t move in the corridors without leaving a trace behind you.. Don’t forget to wear something under the towel, too.
• Do not open the windows or air conditioning in the dorm rooms according to your head.. As a courtesy, ask those staying with you first.
• If you use the hostel kitchen, you have to wash the crockery you use.. Yes you have, because you may be offended if you don’t and you get caught.
• Don’t occupy the dorm rooms with your lover. If you are traveling with your lover, book private rooms. Do not force other people in the room to listen or watch you.
• Do not use the kitchens with your lover.. Even though the kitchens are quiet late at night, remember that someone will come knocking.. Also, how do you get up in the morning and eat in the same place ?

Security

Almost most hostels have 24 hours There is a reception service and in the evenings, you enter most hostels with the passwords given to you or with your hostel cards.. Therefore, many dangers that may come from outside in terms of security are prevented.. However, you don’t know anyone in the hostel and you don’t have any information about the people you share your room with, so it’s a good idea to put your belongings in lockers.

Some hostels may have security problems.. But if you leave your belongings in public, it is inevitable that your belongings will be stolen.. Therefore, I strongly recommend you to use the lockers in every hostel.

Many of the hostels have camera systems.. But this is only for Lobby and common areas. Therefore, do not remove your personal belongings from the lockers unless necessary.

The Benefits of Staying in Hostels

• You can learn all the detailed information about the area you want to visit from the receptionists as you wish.. Where you can find cheap and delicious food, where are tourist attractions, where are safe and more importantly, a good receptionist can plan an amazing trip for you.. You can get all the necessary advice about nightlife and the region from the receptionist.
• By making cheaper accommodation, you will make a budget trip.
• Chat with someone who has been to the country you want to go to next, and you can find out about that country. or you can get detailed information and advice about the city.
• You can have a lot of fun. In general, most hostels organize Pub Crawl or barbecue parties.. In this way, you can improve yourself by making new friends, sharing culture and having fun.
• You can improve your English perfectly; The people you want to talk to and chat with in hotels may not want to have very long conversations with you, as they are generally either not good at English or are the types who do not like to chat.. However, trying to chat with even a little English in hostels is very valuable to the other party.. Because if the other person’s native language is not English, he will modestly remember that he once had English and will try to help you.
• You can improve yourself ; You may not have had any Japanese or Chinese friends before. Instead of getting information about Chinese culture over the internet, you can get detailed information from your Chinese friend in the hostel.. Or you are very confident in your English, but you have never had a conversation with someone from Liverpool or with an Irish person.. By catching this chance in hostels, you can improve yourself more by talking to people with strong English.

People Types and Characteristics in Hostels by Country