When a friend told me she was staying at “a nicer hostel” during a recent trip to Bali, I forced myself to rethink everything I knew to be true about shared accommodation.
What even is a “nicer hostel”? Did it have blankets thicker than your average bed sheet? Bunks that don’t look like they belong in a hospital ward? I was curious and sceptical over the mere existence of a hostel that’s been able to exceed the bare minimum.
I quickly opened Booking.com, and to my surprise, this hostel (Kos One) had built-in wooden bunks with individual shelving, natural light, a pool, and even free yoga sessions. It wasn’t giving skint Eurotrip, it wasn’t giving tinea and it definitely wasn’t giving bed bugs.
“Genuinely one of the best hostels I’ve ever stayed in,” one review read. “Was more like a resort than a hostel.”
This hostel was more aesthetically pleasing than some of the more expensive options showing up underneath it; I’ll give my friend (and this random reviewer) that. But could I really be open to hostels again, even though I now had more budget and — let’s be honest, standards — than my gap year?
The reality is that hostels have always been enticing for travellers who prioritise new experiences and friends, no matter their disposable income or age.
For a long time, that came at a sacrifice for comfort (usually sleep, sometimes dignity). However, this new travel trend of upmarket hostels could change the game completely.
Think about it: what if you could have the perks of a hostel, like meeting new people, affordability and prime locations, without worrying about all the things that turned you away from it in the first place?
Hostel chain The Village, for example, just poured millions into a three-month-long refurbishment at their Bondi Beach location. “We have looked to enhance our venues from the hostels of old,” Josh Hunt, CMO at Leisure Accommodation Collective (otherwise known as LA Co, which owns The Village) explained.
Their bunks are impressive by any hostel calibre with storage draws, curtains to ensure privacy, and charging points and lights for each bed.
But The Village Bondi has gone above and beyond with details that make the accommodation feel less like “just a place to sleep” — something so many budget travellers can relate to — with location-inspired artwork, curved wooden mirrors worthy of an Instagram Story and toiletries to rival a hotel’s offering.
YHA also recently underwent multi-million dollar refurbishments this year at their Sydney Central, Sydney Harbour and Brisbane City locations, an investment YHA’s CEO, Paul McGrath, says is to meet “the changing expectation” of travellers.
Even if you can’t comprehend sharing a dorm room with several strangers, many hostels now include private room options, including YHA and The Village Bondi. YHA’s McGrath says this avenue allows travellers to “foster both privacy and connection”.
A private loft room at The Village Bondi. Image: The Village.
On the flip side, traditional hotels are also offering dorm options alongside their usual suite of rooms—all without compromising on the aesthetics and inclusions you’d get from a more private stay.
“For holidayers used to staying in a hotel, they get all amenities they would typically find there, but also the energy and community typically only seen in shared accommodation,” LA Co’s Hunt explained of Drifter Christchurch, a hostel-hotel hybrid.
“For backpackers, they still retain that communal experience with the amenity traditionally reserved for hotels.”
Drifter has a leisure club, bar, library, cinema, coworking space, terrace, study, and boardroom for all guests, regardless of room type. This not only shifts the typical perception of hostels, but it also evens the playing field for travellers with varying priorities.
Freehand Los Angeles is another hybrid example that resembles your typical swanky hotel. However, it offers bunks that sleep four, six or eight guests — something you’d never have guessed while having lunch at the hotel’s restaurant or a drink at its rooftop bar.
There’s air conditioning, the bunks are made from beautiful cedar wood, towels are provided, and dorms for six or more have two private ensuites.
The shared accommodation can be booked as an entire private room (for a group) or as a single bed in a shared dorm. These booking options are also available at Freehand’s Miami and Chicago locations, subtly suggesting that it’s a compelling offering.
Hunt explained that hotel-hostel hybrids like Drifter Christchurch and Freehand create opportunities for those who want the hostel experience but want to “stay somewhere nicer.”
“And when we say nicer, we mean a lot nicer,” he added.
At the crux of it all, the growing trend of hostel-hotel hybrids — and upmarket hostels more generally — really caters to the greater desire of every traveller, which is a new experience in some way, shape, or form.
“What’s universal is no matter the room type, they’re coming to a place based on community where they can meet new people and experience new things,” Hunt said.
Whether you’re a solo traveller who feels you’ve outgrown traditional hostels or are looking for a more appealing option to travel in a cost-of-living crisis, upmarket shared accommodation and hostel-hotel hybrids could be the perfect fit.
And not to get all Hannah Montana on everyone, but bougie hostels are the best of both worlds for conflicted travellers, no matter which room you’re checking into.
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