Travel question for the FG hive mind: Hotel vs Hostel

CrzRsn

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FG hive mind! I need help, and preferably quickly.

I'm going on a trip in just over a week and I still can't decide if I want to stay at a hotel or a hostel. I've currently have a bed at the hostel booked, but I keep having 2nd thoughts about it. I've never stayed at a hostel before, but understand it can be a great social experience, especially for a solo traveler. A friend of mine told me to do it because he says he always only stays at hostels because of the parties and meeting new people aspect of it, but frankly I booked the bed because it was half the price of the cheapest reasonable hotel ($163 for 3 nights vs $331). That said, I'm not the most social person, and do like personal/private space. And while I was being a cheap bastard by considering nothing but price, $331 won't break the bank, especially if it means I'll have a more enjoyable trip. Looking at photos, the hostel does seem pretty dingy, with uncomfortable looking tiny bunk beds in a shared dormitory, while the hotel is a proper western style hotel with white linens on a big queen bed. The one thing that the hostel does have going for it though is that its the only property in this city with an outdoor hottub and considering it will be cold and snowy, that will be a huge plus in my book. The hostel also has an 8.3/10 on booking.com for what that's worth - same as the hotel.

So, FGers, thoughts? Should I give the hostel experience a try? Should I say fuck it and pay the premium for the proper hotel?
 
i once stayed at a hostel, and hated it

at the evening you had to be in by 10, because that's when they lock the door
the morning you had to be out by 9, because that's when they start cleaning your room
there are 7 other people sleeping in your room, with all the odors, noices and awkward silences

they might be great if you're a student on a very tight budget, but i have a job, i can afford a hotel, fuck hostels!
 
I stayed in hostels many times when I was your age or younger and really enjoyed them. Great if you're travelling alone, even if you are more of an introvert. Even if you never do it again it's worth doing for the experience so I wouldn't change things now.

We tend to use AirBnB these days when we travel. We've had some great deals and stayed in some really cool places.
 
I used to stay at hostels for church youth group events. It’s fine for that but honestly, sharing space with unknowns from across the globe would concern me. I don’t want to have to take all my belongings with me every time I leave the room for fear of things being snagged. The only benefit I saw was that you had a community kitchen with all the tools available and a lovely view of downtown Chicago while you eat said meal.

If you know the group in the room you’re staying in and can handle noises and smells other people bring, go for it.
 
I had a really annoying hostel experience in Prague years ago and haven’t stayed in a shared room since.

In the evening, some old guy from the US who was either jetlagged or off his meds (possibly both) started talking to me and just would not stop. And then during the night, my bunk bed started rocking and I heard someone say “Mete, gostoso!” which is Portuguese for “Give me your cock!”

Since that stay, the most I will share in any type of accommodation is a bathroom.
 
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I heard some say “Mete, gostoso!” which is Portuguese for “Give me your cock!”
?
What are the chances that some people in Prague would be having sex talk in a language you can understand?

Also, was it "mete gostoso" or "mete, gostoso"? The placement of the comma completely changes the meaning!
 
?
What are the chances that some people in Prague would be having sex talk in a language you can understand?
“better” than you’d expect, sadly

Also, was it "mete gostoso" or "mete, gostoso"? The placement of the comma completely changes the meaning!
It’s not always easy to hear commas, but I remember this particular one rather more clearly than I would like to.
 
I stayed at a hostel once - by mistake. It was in Florence and the website made it sound like a regular hotel. Then I noticed that the confirmation email said I'd be sharing a bathroom so I called the hotel and made sure I got a room with its own private bathroom. It was cheap. However, it was also kinda dirty, had a single dim lightbulb, an uncomfortable bed, no air conditioning (in the middle of the summer), and they fucked me over on parking (they seemingly forgot to mention that driving through the heart of Florence is a no-no so I got a ticket). I will not stay at a hostel again - I'd rather pay more for the luxuries of a hotel.
 
It’s not always easy to hear commas, but I remember this particular one rather more clearly than I would like to.
Oh, if it was "Mete, gostoso" then she was calling him hot. "Fuck me, stud"

Sorry for derailing the thread.
 
I suppose you can try it for a night, and if it's not your thing, then move to the hotel?
Assuming it's not booked out of course.

Except for the FG roadtrips, I have not done the hostel thing. I too like having a private space when things get too peopley, and some kind of security for my belongings.
 
I like places with common rooms, like many B&B's in Britain have, so you can sit around a fireplace and have a chat with other visitors. I grew out of the "shared room" Idea in my early 20s, though. Sharing bunk beds with Karlos and @loose_unit at Finnmeet is all I can still handle.
 
My wife and I used to use “hostel” to save some money on long trips - in quotes because we always made sure they were places with private, lockable rooms. Conceptually, I don’t mind (it worked fine for Barcelona), but after one particular Japanese town (Kanazawa), I had enough between the paper thin walls, shared bathroom, and hearing a bunch of stupid 20 year olds expounding on their meanings of life down in the common area.

Long story short: if you wanna mingle and don’t have any valuables to worry about, go for it. If you value privacy and a sense of isolation, don't do it.
 
Considering I leave on this trip tomorrow, hostel it is. It’ll be an experience to check off the list. Traveling with nothing but clothing this time so not much, if anything to be stolen. Worst case, if its REALLY bad, I’ll go and get a room at a hotel night of and pay the penalty.
 
Well I'm back, and I survived the hostel experience!

Overall, it wasn't as bad as I thought. I actually quite liked the social aspect of hanging out in the living room with people and chatting. We played Cards Against Humanity one night, and overall it was pretty good. I also got lucky that the people sleeping in my room were just never around. There were 4 beds in my room, all were occupied, but I almost never saw anyone. One guy did snore quite a bit on the first night, but other than that it wasn't that bad. The bed itself was ok too, but the amenities (linens, pillows, towels) were very sparse and cheap. All-in-all, I probably wouldn't say in a shared bedroom hostel again, but if I could find one that had a nicer private bedroom, I would certainly consider it over a traditional hotel solely due to the social aspect.

One thing that did stand out to me though was the mentality of the travelers. The place I went to was incredibly remote which means every tourist there made a conscious effort to be there. It is also known to be an expensive place, but I took that into consideration when planning the trip and figured that if I already travel halfway around the world to see this place, I'll deal with the cost of food, activities, etc. Apparently this is not the case with the typical visitor to hostels, at least not this particular hostel. The first night I got there, I asked if anyone wanted to go out to a restaurant and/or bar with me for dinner and everyone looked at me like I had 2 heads. "But its so expensive!" were most of the comments. I was fairly confused since you know, everyone has to eat and its no secret that this city was pricey. Turned out that most people just bought some frozen food at the supermarket across the street from the hostel and ate that. I guess its a different mentality, and everyone is free to make their own choices, but I didn't fly halfway across the world to eat the same frozen fishsticks and dry pasta that I can eat back home. One of the guys I talked to there was complaining so much about everything being so expensive that he didn't ever leave the hostel - no tours, no restaurants, no bars, no anything - just sat in the hostel living room on his laptop all day every day. He had traveled 14,000 km from Brisbane, Australia to sit in a hostel living room eating cheese slices on crackers? Um, sure, I guess - whatever floats your boat. I even got gasps when I said that mailing 2 postcards (for FG members) cost me the equivalent of 5 euros in postage.

I guess part of this was that I was one of the older people there - at least out of those being social. Most were students, meaning they were living on quite limited budgets with no income, but even the few people that were employed didn't want to do anything. And I'm not trying to judge anyones' financial situations or budget planning abilities, I just don't really see the point of paying good money to fly and stay somewhere exotic if you're not even going to take in the local sights, experiences or food. If money is that tight, just stay home or go to somewhere more reasonable/cheaper.
 
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You have me intrigued. Where is this mysterious and exclusive place?

I guess I never divulged that, did I?

https://goo.gl/maps/rrDK1Kfou1wfTo6K6

Absolutely gorgeous place. Highly recommended. But if you go, take the phase of the moon into consideration. I was there during the full moon, which really puts a damper on northern lights spotting - the one thing I didn't think about (or even realize I should think about) when planning the trip. Still managed to see the lights, but the guides said it was nowhere as vibrant as it could've been with a less bright moon.
 
I guess I never divulged that, did I?

https://goo.gl/maps/rrDK1Kfou1wfTo6K6
I don’t think you did, but may just have missed it.

Anyway, I very much agree with your recommendation. TOS is always worth a trip.

One of my funniest travel memories is from the mountain high above town, the one with the aerial tram. I was walking through the snow with a friend and suddenly, our conversation was interrupted by a loud “Oh shit!” from him. His leg had just disappeared into a snow drift, and I do mean the entire leg up to the hip.
 
One thing that did stand out to me though was the mentality of the travelers. The place I went to was incredibly remote which means every tourist there made a conscious effort to be there. It is also known to be an expensive place, but I took that into consideration when planning the trip and figured that if I already travel halfway around the world to see this place, I'll deal with the cost of food, activities, etc. Apparently this is not the case with the typical visitor to hostels, at least not this particular hostel. The first night I got there, I asked if anyone wanted to go out to a restaurant and/or bar with me for dinner and everyone looked at me like I had 2 heads. "But its so expensive!" were most of the comments. I was fairly confused since you know, everyone has to eat and its no secret that this city was pricey. Turned out that most people just bought some frozen food at the supermarket across the street from the hostel and ate that. I guess its a different mentality, and everyone is free to make their own choices, but I didn't fly halfway across the world to eat the same frozen fishsticks and dry pasta that I can eat back home. One of the guys I talked to there was complaining so much about everything being so expensive that he didn't ever leave the hostel - no tours, no restaurants, no bars, no anything - just sat in the hostel living room on his laptop all day every day. He had traveled 14,000 km from Brisbane, Australia to sit in a hostel living room eating cheese slices on crackers? Um, sure, I guess - whatever floats your boat. I even got gasps when I said that mailing 2 postcards (for FG members) cost me the equivalent of 5 euros in postage.

I guess part of this was that I was one of the older people there - at least out of those being social. Most were students, meaning they were living on quite limited budgets with no income, but even the few people that were employed didn't want to do anything. And I'm not trying to judge anyones' financial situations or budget planning abilities, I just don't really see the point of paying good money to fly and stay somewhere exotic if you're not even going to take in the local sights, experiences or food. If money is that tight, just stay home or go to somewhere more reasonable/cheaper.

Ah yes, these sound like the people that "go backpacking" around Europe in college. Free Spirit!

That said, that whole experience is quite funny to me, yeah, I totally agree with you, the whole point of traveling is to see shit, not to just basically change your bed and see how the internet is. Traveling is expensive, yes. If you can't take advantage of going out even once, you can't afford it. That's my opinion of course. Though, it seems like a complete waste of time to fly so far to go nowhere, not even walk around outside.

Regardless, sounds like you had a great time and made the most of it.
 
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