Hostel or Hotel? Which is better accommodation when travelling abroad with friends?
We all have that one friend that refuses to stay in a hostel when abroad, will NOT be sharing a bathroom or living out of a rucksack for the duration of the holiday. But which is better Hostel or Hotel?
Many student’s will already be scrimping on their weekly shop and piling the pennies into saving for their next summer vacation. Even more students will be bombarding the group chat with ideas about the next squad tour. So here is all you need to know in the battle between Hostel and Hotel.
Let’s start with the beds!
Now with a hostel you know what you are getting. The bog standard. Springy, cranky, maybe wearing a few peculiar stains but reliable. With the hotel it is a completely different story. You are dreaming of the soft pillows, crisp white sheets and overall comfort. You are wishing for the Lenny Henry experience when he falls back onto his premier inn bed. In actual fact you are lying on a mattress made of wood and pillows filled with air. Pointless and uncomfortable. On some rare occasions you have found the perfect dreamy bed but on those occasions you have also lost sleep researching your accommodation for the week.
Next there is the lighting.
Now some may deem this irrelevant but good lighting can lead to a good holiday. For one the holiday ‘off to the beach’ selfies will be on point and doing your make up in the mirror doesn’t end up with you looking like an umper lumper. Normally hotels can be very good with this however, from past experience hostels can lack in sufficient lighting causing a few stubbed toes on the quest towards the bathroom.
Bathrooms are a whole other topic!
From personal experience having to share a bathroom isn’t so bad as long as everyone is respectful and you remember your toothpaste. One thing to remember is the flip flops. An essential travel companion for the walk to and from the bathroom. Hostel bathrooms are known for their grubby toilets and pube filled showers but who doesn’t love that when travelling abroad. It adds to the experience doesn’t it?
Hotel bathrooms tend to be well maintained, warm and full of free shampoo. But, you can’t blame the other travellers for the awful smell when it’s just you in the hotel bathroom. And that may get awkward.
And what about the food?
FOOD! The best thing in life since sliced bread.
Can you picture it now, the hotel breakfast buffet? The crisp croissants and coffee on tap. The piles of bacon and glasses of orange juice. Mmmmmm! There isn’t anything quite like it. This may be one thing the hotel wins at! Feeding people! For the hostel stayers, breakfast may be overshadowed by the everlasting queue for the bathroom and ending with a cereal bar with ingredients written in a foreign language. But isn’t that exciting too? Maybe?
Finally, THE PEOPLE!
As a student, travelling is a MUST! Go out and explore the world, find out more about yourself, eat great food and drink great drinks. Hostel environments aren’t always as Hostel as they seem. Sharing dorm rooms may seem daunting but when you are all in the same boat it can be such a great place. Unless you are James Bond or Pitbull, it is very hard to meet new friends in a hotel unless you want to spend all your time in the hotel bar. Hostel’s get rid of the awkwardness by making it a necessity to have to live in such close proximity.
In the end, who really knows who the winner is as long as it’s cheap as chips and higher than a 2 star rating, you can’t go wrong!
WELCOME THE SUMMER WITH OPEN ARMS! Unless you haven’t showered in a few days because the bathroom queue was too long. In that case maybe apply some deodorant and then continue as before.
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