Hostel vs Hotel share your good and bad experiences

davepatr07 · 15-01-2011 07:06PM #1

Gota feeling this might be moved to the travel thread but sure it may contain some AH language

Hostel or Hotel, any preference when travelling and any really good, bad or even unusual experiences?

Still Hostelling in my 30's, not really into the 5* home comfort ****.
Worst thing about hostelling of course is people coming in all hrs of the morning in a 10 bed dorm or having your room situated right over the local Copper Face Jacks. Remember a tramp staying in the same dorm as me in Toronto, never forget the smell of the place.

15-01-2011 07:09PM

Each have their benefits.. I only do hotels if I feel really rough or if I arrive in a place really late and just want a good sleep. Hostels all the way.

Rabies · 15-01-2011 07:19PM

Last time I stayed in a hostel was when I came here first over 4yrs ago, even then I stayed in hotels too. I was 26 back then.
Now, only hotels. Quality isn't a major factor. Safety and comfort are.

Badgermonkey · 15-01-2011 07:20PM

Blood on a hotel mattress displays with a chocolatey hue.

Hostel, much more of the vivid traditional reddish colour, particularly in Wet Hostels I find.

ScumLord · 15-01-2011 07:21PM

Many hostels have private rooms too, they can sometimes be just as expensive as hotel rooms but it's the best of both worlds.

kowloon · 15-01-2011 07:22PM

Stayed in a hostel in London that had the highest density of beds I've ever seen. The room had stairs up to a second level but both levels were open, like those bed decks you see in some open plan barn conversions.
The layout was like one of these pod hotels with three tier bunks, and another three tiers above that with access from the stairs.
There was a thin sheet of ply between one bunk and the one adjacent and a similar sheet at your head/feet for bunks either end.
The air was unbreathable and every movement by the person opposite, above or either end of you ended up in them banging the wooden partition.
I would never stay there again.

I stayed in a Hostel in Cashel that was the complete opposite, lovely place.

mickdw · 15-01-2011 07:25PM

Hostels? yuk. Last time I stayed in one of them I was a student.
A decent hotel room can be had for under €50 per room per night.

strokemyclover · 15-01-2011 07:26PM

I wouldn't be too surprised to hear of another immaculate conception in the next few years caused by faulty springs and remaining stains left on Hostel matresses.

Jesus freaks will be making pilgrimages to Clifden and Salthill in their thousands from all over the world after that.

This will cause the end of the recession in Ireland.....it has been predicted!

Badgermonkey · 15-01-2011 07:35PM

I stayed in The Mercure in Indonesia in 2009 and received a phone call from the lead singer of the band playing in the lobby.

She apparently had missed her lift home and needed to lay her head somewhere for the evening.

Also, in Tokyo Hotel Hanzomon, I had a tough looking guy knock on my door with a pretty girl on his arm, He preceded to speak to me in Japanese but I think I caught the jist.

The Samoan U-20 Rugby team were staying in the same hotel, big boys, so I imagine it was their room service of sorts.

roxybalboa · 15-01-2011 08:24PM

stayed in a hostel once.... just needed a place to nap. lifted the covers to find a used condom.... NICE!!!! :eek:
pretty lame but all i got

HalloweenJack · 15-01-2011 08:43PM

I stayed in a hostel in Madrid before that was a nightmare experience, though it was the people I stayed with, not the hostel.

I was sharing a room with three North Americans who were the noisiest shower ever. While they were there, they would talk to each other unnecessarily loudly and would dump their dirty clothes all over the place. There was a fridge in the corner which they'd stuffed their boxers in to keep them cool in the Madrid heat. They soaked their dirty clothes in the bidet too.

They'd come in at five or six in the morning after a night out. After being in a club, they'd still be shouting to each other when talking. All three would proceed to have showers before heading to bed and then one of them would listen to his CD player full whack til he drifted off. I was raging though thankfully I only had one night there.

orourkeda · 15-01-2011 08:50PM

It's more difficult to **** and shag in a hostel.

WindSock · 15-01-2011 08:53PM

I don't have any interesting experiences but I am going to take this opportunity to list all the exotic places I've been to to show how well travelled I am.

Fart · 15-01-2011 09:11PM

Bru Bar hostel in Cork, 2006.

My mate and I needed somewhere cheapish to stay in Cork City because we were going to see Robert Plant play at the Marquee.

We got to the hostel, got the keys and told what number our room was. We entered it, this American guy on the bottom bunk was lying down but jumped a bit when we got inside. He had a red face... speculations were flying :eek:.

Anyways, we got to know him and he was cool. The next day, along came a girl from Bray. She was staying with us in our room. (2 bunk beds btw).

The last night, I drank too much so went to bed early. The next bunk was shaking, I was on the top and my mate on the bottom of ours.
My mate got up and said: "Here man, **** that, I'm going to Leisure Plex for an hour or too, yer mans balls are flapping in my face, can't get a sleep".

He fecked off to Leisure Plex and I was left there with a squeeky bunk next to me. I didn't have a fap, even though I should have. It was really awkward, and didn't know what to do.

So the next morning the American dude said: "Sorry about that lads".

Jahsus, I'll never forget that.

Oranage2 · 15-01-2011 09:19PM

Haven been in 25+ countries I've stayed in a hostel or 2.

I've seen and did crazy stuff!

rossie1977 · 15-01-2011 09:21PM

hostels, wow have had some interesting experiences in those, a hostel in dublin down near the green, communal showers, walk into the bathroom one morning, huge, fat, old hairy guy buck naked wiping his ass with a towel, this guy was just behind the door and there was a girls dorm directly across with the door (with their door open) so they got an interesting morning view :eek:

hostel in vegas in the middle of a ghetto, walk outside two steps and you had people coming up to you asking to buy crack or hookers, the 7/11 on the corner had someone getting arrested every day i went by there, the hostel itself had metal bars on the windows, i had a private room (private outside the giant cockroaches that is)

stayed in a lovely hostel in geneva, generator hostel in berlin get the thumbs up from me too, very good bar, stayed there couple of days before and after new years eve couple of years back

usually i will always choose a hotel before a hostel

MagicMarker · 15-01-2011 09:21PM

Oranage2 wrote: »

Haven been in 25+ countries I've stayed in a hostel or 2.

I've seen and did crazy stuff!

Cool story bro.

Oranage2 · 15-01-2011 09:24PM

MagicMarker wrote: »

Cool story bro.

Thank you -

ejmaztec · 15-01-2011 09:29PM

With my relatives spread across the planet, I never needed a hostel, and was always quite happy to do a bit of sponging.:o

I do like reading reviews though.

http://www.tripadvisor.ie/ShowUserReviews-g186613-d282951-r75036517-Finnegan_s_Holiday_Hostel-Tralee_County_Kerry.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT

“A scary night's sleep - such a shame”
Finnegan's Holiday Hostel - Tralee

aimeemac 11 contributions
Bradford
13 Aug 2010 | Trip type: Family

Such a shame. We stayed here twice in the last two weeks during a walking holiday and both nights we had a terrible nights sleep. The first night was due to rowdy guests but the second night was due to the actual staff. The 'host' got incredibly drunk and proceeded to assault his friends, guests and people in the street. We were awake for 3 hours in the night listening to swearing, screaming, glass smashing, fire extinguishers being let off, music played at full volume and the 'host' running into the dormitory and calling the guests names and trying to get in their beds!!!
It's a real shame because the hostel is beautiful, in a great location and has a good kitchen and good rooms.
Good luck if you stay here!

Stinicker · 15-01-2011 09:50PM

Have done Hostels and it was experieince as part of the "oz thing" when I went around the world this summer. Hostels weren't really nice at all and for the price for a private room you are better of stretching a few more dollars for somewhere like the travelodge etc.

Memorable incidents, I spent several nights in Perth two of which were in a place called Underground Backpackers and it is full of Irish mainly - (not good!)

This was the first time I ever stayed in a Hostel in my life and we decided to do it for the craic and to test out our "Lonely Planet" guidebook!! and I had to make my own bed, like jeez I'm after travelling half way around the world, the last thing I want is to be doing that, I'd have brought the housekeeper from at home if I knew I'd have to do that! I also injuried my back hauling the girls 38KG suitcases up their stupid stairs (No lift)! The whole place was occupied by hippy type backpackers (complete with dreadlocks!) and Irish alcoholics. Weird incidents being when one dreadlocked fellow decided to take a shower while I was shaving, I left the bathrooms with exactly one side of my face shaven. After two nights (mainly sleepless) I booked us into a 5 star hotel in Perth and oh the joys of hot water and privacy.

I think I have had my fill of hostels for my life !!
Got booked into a pure dump hole in Hungary another time but immediately left and found a nicer hotel. It had bedbugs and I always check the bedsheets and mattress in every hotel etc. I stay in and had I been stupid not to check and had stayed there I would have been eaten alive!

Kerikosan · 15-01-2011 11:20PM

I've never really had a problem with the actual hostels themselves. I've always booked well reviewed places in the counties I was staying in.
but I wouldn't go back to a hostel unless I was with a group of friends.

One time I went up to a seminar up in Dublin on my own and stayed in a hostel only 18euro for the night. I was on my own in the room for most of the day and that night then the biggest ****ed up druggie id ever seen walks in I knew at that moment I

1. Was not going to get any sleep
2. Possibly Robbed
3. Had to deal with this ****er

That night when I came back my stuff was still in my locker (thank god) but when I went to bed he started crying and screaming all angry looking my way and then rambling.. ****ing Scary **** :eek:

I didnt get a wink of sleep that night for fear of getting stabbed or god help having to talk to this mess. I left the hostel at 7am and got the first bus home.

Never again!

W.Shakes-Beer · 16-01-2011 12:04AM

I remember years ago on a transition year trip to London; we got into the room and a friend of mine decided he'd take one of the bottom bunks, he lay down and hanging out of the bottom of the top bunk was a used condom, hanging fairly close to his face, thought he then had aids.

There was also a piece of **** in one of the other rooms wardrobes.

Carl Sagan · 16-01-2011 12:30AM

I'm young and don't have a lot of money, so hostels. I'd normally get a private with my friends if possible - it's a bit cheaper than a hotel but there it usually feels less strict or something, and there are generally a lot more people our age around that are willing to talk.

kumate_champ07 · 16-01-2011 12:39AM

if you want a good night sleep and can afford the extra cost choose a hotel.

if you want a bit of craic and the chance to meet people(usually 18-30yrs) from aound the world choose a hostel. Ive never had anything bad happen to me in any hostel, you just gotta be smart with valuables.

best hostel experience I had was in NYC. London also has some great hostels, Ive made some lasting friendships from alot of my hostel experiences

If you plan on staying in a hostel for a week its probably a good idea to book a private room for the last 2 nites, just for comfort and privacy. it can be a bit tiring after a while having guests coming and going at all hours from your dorm, early flights etc.

worst,best and most bizarre hotel experience was the Chelsea hotel a few summers ago..

Sergeant · 16-01-2011 12:44AM

While I'm getting a bit long in the tooth for hostels, I stayed in many brilliant examples over the years. Just see what others are saying on hostelworld.com and follow that. The shítty ones always seemed to be in major cities, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome. The only one that was so terrible that we couldn't stay was in Nice, like something from a Saw movie.

Gummy Panda · 16-01-2011 12:47AM

Hostels? Fúck that!

I'd rather pay the extra for a hotel

bnt · 16-01-2011 01:04AM

I did one night in Glendalough (which was OK-ish), and three nights in Cork about three years ago with a bunch of fellow students from UCD, all of them half my age.

The Cork place was like a jail - breeze-block walls, tiny barred windows - and no-one wanted to go to bed sober. (Now I know what those half-size bottles of vodka are for: they fit neatly in to girls' handbags.) I took the bed next to the door, so I got more fresh air, but I also got all-night door slamming next to my head. By the last night I was putting out my arm to catch the door in my sleep, at the risk of losing my fingers. I think I've learned my lesson: I'm too old for that sh!t.

Dave! · 16-01-2011 01:16AM

Hostel if you want to meet people, otherwise hotel

El Horseboxo · 16-01-2011 01:22AM

I've stayed in a couple of hundred hostels over the years and i reckon 90% of them have been grand experiences. I would read the reviews beforehand and you'd see people going to the whole bother of logging on to review it and complain about their pillows not being fluffy enough or some stupid shít like that. The 10% that were bad experiences were just filthy lifeless ones with horrible showers and dickhead staff. I love loud party hostels with a bit of a heartbeat in them so i've a high tolerence to what people might call a bad experience.

Dudess · 16-01-2011 01:48AM

Prefer hotels - I

hotels

. And you can get very reasonably priced hotels which are still really good quality. Not fancy but any hotel at all that's clean and comfortable and I'm in heaven. Hostels are a great laugh though - and you can get a room for just two, it's not always the several-to-a-room thing. That's fine but it can be a bit weird at times sharing with loads of strangers - although it's mostly good fun. The last hostel I was in (Barcelona) a really big fight spilled from the street into the hostel itself and it was a bit of a big deal - knives and all, and the police arrived. So we were kinda freaked... but no probs in the end.

It tends to be an age, and moreso money, thing.

Sergeant · 16-01-2011 01:57AM

Dudess wrote: »

It tends to be an age, and moreso money, thing.

I wouldn't always agree. I won't mention the place, as saying you've visited anywhere outside Ireland seems to annoy certain posters, but I was in a very large city in another country in another continent. I was getting paid and was staying in a lovely hotel.

After about a week I realised I was going nuts. I moved to a hostel around the corner, met interesting people from all around the world, had a lovely private room, experienced different cultures, and the owners of the place remain good friends of mine to this day. And the restaurants off the tourist trail were astonishing.

What could have been a very long and lonely 4 months, became an interesting and enjoyable experience.

Hostel vs Hotel share your good and bad experiences

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