Searching for the right hostel

Hostels are nothing new to vagabonders. Not only do they tend to be significantly cheaper than hotels, homestays, and guest houses, but by their very nature, they offer a communal experience that can be a blessing when in a strange new place. Who among us hasn’t sat in common rooms with travelers from all over, trading stories and getting the scoop on the best local hole in the wall restaurant or bar with the cheapest beer?

But how do you find the right hostel in Bangladesh, Botswana, or Belize? Tripadvisor has some. Hostelworld.com and Hostels.com are both owned by Web Reservations International, and tend to only have affiliate hostels listed (24k and 31k respectively). A smaller UK-based site, Hostelbookers.com has 17k. However, the largest source for hostel information is hostelz.com, boasting almost 39k listings in 8,200 cities.

Started in 2002 by backpackers, for backpackers, they try to be comprehensive and unbiased, giving as much information about a given hostel as possible, including contact information, pictures, and reviews. In addition to their extensive database, they pride themselves on their “brutally honest ratings and reviews” by both anyone who wants to review a given hostel, and by a team of paid reviewers. Unlike reports of some other sites, they do not censor negative reviews.

In addition to the hostels themselves, another unique feature of hostelz is that they provide a simple forum for users to comment on destinations themselves. They can be as simple as “Hogsback is magical,” or more specific tips such as, “Do carry a swimsuit in Goa — it’s impossible to get a decent one in Indian stores.

Posted by | Comments (1)  | May 20, 2010
Category: Hostels/Hotels


One Response to “Searching for the right hostel”

  1. Rebecca Says:

    Staying in a hostel is a fantastic experience. It becomes like a community after awhile with people sharing stories and getting to know each other. Plus, you can save a ton of cash by staying at a hostel.