Over winter break I spent nights in 3 different hostels for a grand total of 7 nights away from Paris.
What is a Hostel?
Hostels are like hotels in that they are a place to stay while traveling however there are some key differences between the two: the cost, amenities, and guests.
The price is the first factor which drew us to using hostels; for example, in Geneva, Switzerland, the cost of a hotel room was over $100 per night, whereas the hostel (located in the same neighborhood) was $36 per night. Since we all self-identified as poor college students, we thought it made sense to go for the more economical option.
The amenities at a hostel tend to involve bunk beds in a room with maybe eight other people and communal bathing and living spaces. In my opinion, these shared living arrangements tend to draw different kinds of patrons. The people I met tended to be very outgoing and open to making new friends. As well, I consider myself to be open minded and gregarious, but when it is 2AM and I am trying to sleep, I do not want to have a conversation with the new residents of the hostel.
Like hotels, all hostels are a little different. During this year’s Winter Break was the first time I ever stayed at a hostel and I stayed at three very different hostels in three drastically different countries. In this blog post, I will try to provide a brief review of the hostels at which I stayed. I hope my anecdotes help you decide if hostel style living is something in which you are interested and help you to go about planning your next hostel stay!
Carpe Noctem 
This was the first hostel we stayed at in Budapest. It was rated as the best hostel in Budapest and Oliver’s girlfriend’s sister strongly recommended staying there. Based on the judgements of online strangers and a person to whom I was tangentially connected, we decided to book it! The cost was 11€ per person per night which was basically nothing in comparison to the cost of staying in Paris.
Oliver told me it was a “Party Hostel” (what that was supposed to mean… I had no idea). The website stated the laid back nature of the hostel: “If you’re a sociable or a solo traveler and want to meet other people in a welcoming, friendly environment, please read on! Do you want to feel like you are staying at a mate’s house, chilling on bean bags, and drinking free tea and coffee until beer o’clock? Do you want to stay in a place that doesn’t believe in hidden charges and wants to give you as much for free as possible? We’ve travelled widely and know what you want to feel comfortable.”
Formerly a private apartment, Carpe Noctem is located inside of a residential building. There was no formal check in desk, it all felt very casual. There were four different bedrooms with space for 22 guests total. There were about 6 staff members in their 20s who helped to check people in and do the cleaning, but for the most part hung out with the guests. I loved the warm, informal nature of the hostel. Everyone hung out in the living-room and loved to share stories and learn about others. It reminded me of freshman year of college; everyone was so happy to be at school and eager to make new friends and have fun exploring the city.
The hostel did have some shortcomings: the shower water was finicky, breakfast was provided but simple, and there was little privacy. For example, at night I wanted to sleep but there was a new guest at the hostel who wanted to chat and did not get the hint that I was tired and really did not want to talk. To get school work done, I woke up early and studied in the living room before the others woke up.
Overall, it was a great stay and it was safe, had a kind staff, and great energy, everything you would want in a hostel.
Ostello Bello
The second hostel at which we stayed was Ostello Bello. Again, Oliver found it and booked us all. Located in Milan, Italy in a nicer building, the price was 30 € per night, still pretty good by hostel standards. After four days on the road and lukewarm showers, Ostello Bello was a nice change.
This hostel resembled a hotel in many ways. The entrance was very much like a hotel. The lobby was a bright café/bar where complimentary breakfast and dinner are served and in the basement, there is a lounge with a small stage, foosball, board games and places to sit and do work. The lobby and basement were open to the public and it was common for people in the city to come for lunch or cocktails. Everything was very clean and orderly.
To check in we walked up to the front desk, where the hosts greeted us and help us with our bags. We stayed in a 6-person, mixed gendered room, where there was a shared bathroom and shower (with ample hot water) for the guests staying in that room. There was also a guest kitchen on the third floor with more free food and pots to make food for oneself.
I enjoyed Ostello Bello a great deal, but for very different reasons than Carpe Noctem. Whereas Carpe Noctem could feel at times like a college frat house, Ostello Bello has a much more refined feel. For example, in the evenings, Ostello Bello patrons were sipping expensive cocktails and listening to live music. Carpe Noctem residents were downing cheap wine. However, I think there were some drawbacks to the more formal nature. I think the guests were less interested in getting to know each other, instead people stayed with their friend groups.
Urban City Hostel
The final hostel I stayed at was Urban City Hostel in Brussels, Belgium. Everyone went back to Paris on Thursday or Friday. When booking my flight back to Paris I noticed that there was a 10 € flight to Brussels. I could not resist such a good deal and I booked right away. My thought was that I could fly into Brussels, stay for one night, then take a bus back to Paris.
In Brussels, my goal was to spend as little as possible on the hostel. Urban City Hostel was the least expensive accommodation I could find within the city limits. At 16 € a night, for one bed in a 8 person mixed dorm, it sounded great. This was probably my least favorite hostel. This might be because I was traveling alone (versus with friends), or because there were many hidden fees and no atmosphere.
This hostel shared a lobby with the hotel next door, BRXXL 5. I thought this was a little strange, but the lobby was very nice and had good wifi, so I spent my evening doing school work in the lobby of the BRXXL 5. There was no attempt to foster a community atmosphere, for example the other two hostels offered board games, had omnipresent staff, and activities for the patrons. There was none of this at Urban City Hostel.
There was an incredible amount of extra fees. For example, to borrow a towel it was 5 €, borrowing a padlock to lock up personal belongings was 3 €, and breakfast was another 10 €. I skipped out on the padlock, shower, and breakfast.
Words of advice:
All in all, I loved my winter break and I am glad for the different hostel experiences with which break provided. If you are young and looking for a place to stay, I would strongly recommend you consider a hostel stay.
The one world of advice I do have is: check reviews before booking! Hostels are all different and I think it is good to know the idiosyncrasies of the particular hostel before booking a stay.
