While hostels may generally have a less than favourable reputation, with many thinking that they are really just for 18 year old backpackers who would be happy sleeping anywhere, this really isn’t the case for a lot of establishments and most hostels offer fantastic facilities at a very reasonable and appealing price. In recent years hostels have become more and more trendy and up-to-date, with many offering free WiFi services, transfers to and from airports as well as tasty all inclusive breakfasts.
There are even some hostels which host wine and cheese nights! Consequently, it seems as though hostels are becoming increasingly popular with business travellers who are looking for a convenient and affordable place to spend the night while travelling for work purposes.
A survey which was conducted by the New York Times found that a number of hostels were noting that bookings were increasingly being placed by business travellers and while this certainly wasn’t the majority, it is still very interesting to see that individuals who were perhaps used to staying in three or four star establishments were opting for hostels.
What’s more, tourism-review.com stated that experts believed that this trend in business travellers staying at hostels will continue to get stronger every year.It is of little surprise, especially for those who are frequently visiting large cities for work, especially as many hostels actually offer private rooms, some of which even have their own bathroom. The fact that many also include free WiFi will also undoubtedly be appealing to those who are travelling for business purposes as it means that they can continue to work and be easily accessible during their trip.
Hostels are the perfect way to meet others and network within the city, and brand new designs which create state of the art communal areas actually make this a lot more possible than it is to do so when staying at hotels where customers tend to be a bit more private and reserved.
The fact that a lot of hostels also have fantastic kitchens to offer is another charming factor which is undoubtedly appealing to those who travel so often for work that they would just like to sit down with a home cooked meal after a long day at work. Many hostels now have rooms which feature high quality televisions, making it possible to wind down and relax.If you are really lucky, you may even find a hostel that comes equipped with a pool – they do exist and are perfect should you wish to have a relaxing swim either before or after the work day.
Generator is one hostel chain in particular that is really helping to revolutionise the way in which people envisage hostels and the fact that it is a chain only further likens it to a hotel. The company has eight design-led hostels in Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, Dublin, Hamburg, London and Venice, with establishments in Paris and Rome soon to be opened.
According to Generator, ‘Each property takes influence from their unique surroundings’ and the Generator Hamburg was even once used as a recording studio for the Beatles! The company is also supposedly in talks to expand to the United States, with a Generator New York possibly on the cards.With such high-end hostelling experiences, it really wouldn’t be much of a surprise if the New York hostel did come into play and proved to be very popular with those who travel to the Big Apple for work. As it is a rather expensive city, the thought of being able to stay somewhere affordable while not compromising on facilities will be undoubtedly very appealing.
