Staying In A Hostel When You're 30: The Grown Up's Guide To Hostels

Staying in a hostel when you're in your 30s, 40s, or even beyond can feel a bit, well, strange. But it can also be wonderful! (And wonderfully frugal too...)

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As a solo backpacker in my early 20s, hostels were invaluable to my budget travel strategy. Before online booking sites, this was back in the dark ages, so I accepted the hostel reviews in guidebooks like Let’s Go as the gospel truth. They never once steered me wrong, and despite having a minuscule budget, I always had a clean, safe, friendly place to stay.

Fast forward 10 years, and I was suddenly part of a couple. I had slowly drifted away from the hostel world in favour of shorter road trips. We embraced emerging travel tools, like hotel bidding sites, and we often found gorgeous rooms whose prices rivalled the cost of two hostel dorm beds. In Honolulu, for instance, we successfully blind bid on a 4-star hotel and were thrilled to pay just $90 a night – not too shabby when dorm beds would cost us about $30 each!

But even with the private balconies and plush beds, I missed the hostel community. I missed meeting new friends and the endless resources designed for budget-minded travellers. I missed the funky properties and craved more personality in my accommodations. But I’d been deterred by hostel horror stories of wild roommates and hoards of school groups. And, frankly, no one wants to be the weird old person, boring everyone with tales from your glory days! I tried to reconnect with the hostel world, but I needed the right place and hostel.

I got that opportunity in Sydney, Australia. I was eager to soak up the beauty and energy of downtown, but I knew harbourfront hotels cost a small fortune. Make that a large fortune – some were advertised for over $1000! If there was ever a time to see if hostels could work for a couple in their 30s, this was it! Thankfully, I found everything I was looking for - along with some essential lessons on hosteling for “grown-ups.”

A Tale Of Two Hostels

First, a key lesson in hostels. There are two fundamental categories every traveller should know about. The first is independent hostels. These are individually owned and operated, and the standards can vary widely, from gorgeous boutique posh-tels to cockroach-infested hovels. And while there are incredible properties out there, this is also where you’re likely to find intense parties and a very young crowd. The name of the game here is research, research, research. Do cleanliness and security ratings shine? Does “social” mean well-organised walking tours and a friendly dining room with free cookies - or does it mean generous travellers who are always happy to share their beer and drugs?

The second category is hostels that are part of the Hosteling International network. Hosteling International is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to spreading cross-cultural understanding and building healthy communities by bringing people together. Any profits earned are returned to the organisation and used for everything from renovating older properties to hosting community events. 

You can still find “party hostels” here, but it’s much less likely. When in doubt, we always chose HI properties; they have always been clean, secure, and welcoming.
 
Rooms Plain And Posh

I’ve stayed in some mighty big dorm rooms in the past, swapping just about every ounce of privacy in favour of low, low prices. But as a self-declared grown-up, I’m willing to spend a little more now to ensure my comfort and peace of mind. 

Private rooms are the way to go. Similar in standards to a 2-star hotel, you’ll get a room all your own with a locking door. There may be one double bed, two twin beds, or even a bunk bed. You can expect decent mattresses, towels, fresh sheets, and duvets that are nicer than in the general dorms. In all the private rooms I’ve stayed in, there’s always been at least one other piece of furniture, like a desk or dresser. And in some rooms, I’ve even had a television, a coffee station, and a bouquet of flowers. Not too shabby!

What About Washrooms?

Whether or not you’ll have a private ensuite washroom depends entirely on the layout of each property. Research in advance if this is your priority (and I argue it’s well worth seeking out). In general, historic properties rarely have private ensuite washrooms, thanks to the limitations of their layout and older plumbing networks, but newer builds almost always do. 

(In case you’re wondering if there are bed bugs in hostels, in my experience it’s no greater risk than staying in hotels or AirBnBs. There’s no relationship between the price of accommodations and the bed bugs that live there, as I found out in Italy and Slovakia!)

Benefits of Staying In A Hostel 

A clean, comfortable basic room at an affordable price is reason alone to visit hostels, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Many hostels are exceptional properties. Some have tremendous historical significance (like HI Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, a former military barracks), while others are incredible environmental leaders. YHA The Rocks - the property I stayed at in Sydney -is one of Australia’s greenest buildings!

This willingness to respect history and the environment permits organisations like HI to operate in some of the most exclusive parts of town where traditional hotels wouldn’t be a good fit. My private room in Sydney had a phenomenal waterfront view of the Opera House and was built on stilts to protect an ongoing archaeological dig - a priceless experience unavailable elsewhere.

A Second Layer of Savings

Private rooms, unique buildings, and a low, low price - what could be better? Try a second layer of savings. Many properties include breakfast and even dinner. At HI Boston, I feasted on a massive dinner as one of their regular community nights. Other properties offer free tours, movie nights, complimentary bike rentals, yoga classes, and lending libraries. A clean bed is just the beginning of the value here.

And while it doesn’t exactly sound all that exciting, most hostels offer laundry facilities. This rather mundane feature is a lifesaver if you’ve been travelling for a while, especially if you only pack one carry-on bag. I’ve done laundry at a privately run hostel in Vienna and Denmark, stopping for a drink at their bar while the rinse cycle was in progress (see - some of those super social hostels aren’t so bad!). Hostel laundry is always much more affordable and accessible than the alternative of tracking down a laundromat halfway across town.

Hostels = Happiness

Of course, the best thing about any property isn’t the great deal you scored, the incredible view, or the complimentary breakfast. It’s the connections and memories you make when you’re there. Social travellers will greatly appreciate the opportunity to meet with travellers from around the world, and solo road trippers will be grateful for some new company. As one part of a couple with varied sleep schedules, I love my morning conversations with other early birds around the breakfast table - and I don’t feel bad about going to bed early, knowing my spouse has plenty of entertainment on site. And more reserved travellers will enjoy hostels equally well. You can be as social or as private as you like.

I don’t stay in hostels every time I travel, but including them in my broader plans has greatly enriched my travel experiences. Thanks to the great prices, my wallet is a little heavier, and my heart is a little fuller thanks to many memorable experiences. 


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