Hoteliers looking to get into hostel business
Some hoteliers are eyeing the fast-growing hostel market.
“You have more guests who pay less but the cost of managing rooms is lower. Your decorating and servicing costs are also less,” said Niamh Ni Mhir, marketing director for Hostelworld.Com.
Her company is one of the largest in the market with 9,000 hostel properties in 155 countries around the world. Travelers can also pre-book tours, activities, bus or rail journeys, or bye air tickets at the Web site.
The biggest lingering misconception about hostels?
“That everyone has to stay in a large dorm room and share a single bath. People don’t always realize that most hostels have single rooms and private showers,” said Ms Mhir.
That makes hostels viable alternatives for families as well as couples, she says.
Other misconceptions about hostels: they have curfews, and residents are required to do chores. “That was years ago,” said Ms Mhir.
She adds that hostels have also become trendy. Hotelier Andrew Balazs cited hostels as the inspiration for his new boutique hotel, Hotel QT, in New York City.
Hostels traditionally have catered to younger “backpack” travelers, but that’s also changing, she says. Even seniors are frequently found in hostels.
Report by David Wilkening
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
AirlineRatings reveals world's safest airline rankings for 2026
Vietnam warns airlines of possible flight reductions amid jet fuel shortages
Fliggy opens AI-powered travel bookings and developer tools