NOT EXACTLY THE GRAND TOUR, BUT NOT EXACTLY ROUGHING IT, EITHER
Low cost and chic, urban hostels are a viable alternative to the boutique hotel. In the world of hip city hostels, who cares if your room has nothing but a bed (often a bunk), a simple bath (a shower with no bath products) and a small cupboard with no hangers? Common rooms, meanwhile, are often minimally — but stylishly — furnished with Scandinavian-style sofas and tables.
Countering the lack of amenities, there is usually an eclectic bar, a 24-hour Internet cafe with Wi-Fi, group tours around the city, entertainment (D.J.’s, live music and karaoke nights), kitchens where you can make your own meals or a restaurant where you can buy one — all providing a built-in social life for travelers.
Hostels across Europe have undergone a transformation over the last decade. Tim Hierath, one of five owners who founded the Circus hostel in Berlin nearly a decade ago, has noticed a changing demographic in his guests, too. “Beyond the classic student backpackers,” Mr. Hierath said, “we get young urban professionals on a city break, families vacationing, business travelers and even older tourists.“This is actually better than a hotel,” said David Jones, 23, from San Francisco, who was also staying at a hostel in paris. “It’s easier to meet people, and cheaper.”
So what is the difference between a hostel and budget hotel? “A hostel is about community spirit,” Mr. Hierath said. “The entire atmosphere here is one in which it is easy to get to know other people. It is not uncommon for guests to make friends and go off and do things together.”
Via: New York Times
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