During the last couple of months I have stayed in many places, met lots of people and resided in everything from a friends couch to a medium size hotel, and I have come to appreciate what is important and what is not important in a hostel, and I think that this is as good a time as any to write down a brief document about what I think.
First off, before you I think about what a hostel should offer I need to first identify the market that it is in, and there is a difference between those who chose to stay in a hostel against those who chose a cheap or expensive hotel, and this also varies slightly from which country the hostel is in.
Europe is the playground of other Europeans, Americans, Australians and those from the far east. Financially it is the most expensive region to visit, but flight wise it is easy to visit from just about anywhere and it is extremely easy to go from one country to the next by train, bus or car without having to worry about too many border patrols.
South America seems to be more populated by tourists from neighboring countries, Americans and the occasional European.
Since arriving in Brazil I have not met any Australians or Asians in any city except in Cusco, which was mainly for Machu Picchu.
The other travellers I have met have been all ages from early twenties to late fifities, but the majority seem to be late twenties and early thirties. Possibly because they have the most flexibility in their lives and are not yet too constricted with diets, family commitments, health issues and can always find jobs upon their return home.
Possibly because of their cheap and cheerful image, or just because of the lack of facilities, but I have not met any seriously handicapped or disabled people in any hostel that I have visited, and neither have I met any honeymoon couples, businessmen / women, retired or semi retire people, couples with new born children or stag / hen parties.
So, very broadly speaking, the type of person that I have encountered again and again are the young / semi young travellers, city tourists, sports enthusiasts and backpackers, be they single, with their significant other or ust with a group of friends.
Often I have met small groups of people that met up in other cities and decided to pool resources and ideas and travel as a bigger group, which shows time and time again the friendliness and openness of the travelling community, and the willingness to exchange ideas and cooperate.
This is one of the reasons why I think that most people should do some travelling in their youth, as it helps teach you about trust, cooperation and the ability to talk and understand people from different backgrounds rather than just your own private group of peers. It encouraged people to come out of their shell in order to maxiumise their experiences and helps to build character and confidence.
So the next thing to decide is how big to have the hostel, as too few guests will be neither profitable nor have many chances for people to meet each other but too many and you can feel that it is safer to stay by yourself or with the people you already know than try to make new friends, and for this reason I think that rooms for 16 to 20 guests is the ideal number, as that way it is confortable and still managable either half full or completely booked up.
As as a guest you want to know that you can have a lilttle quality time both alone and with someone who actually works for the hostel without having to take a number and join the back of a queue to see them.
To enable a variety of travellers with differing lodging preferences to stay in the same place at the same time I feel that the ideal size dorms are 4 bed per room complete with large lockers in the rooms, so that you can store your stuff near your bed and you can keep the place still tidy and secure. I feel that 1 or 2 x mixed dorms, 1 x all female dorm, 1 x all male dorm and a couple / few twin private rooms is the best format for maximum flexibility to cater for a variety of different groups without having to require too large a house.
If people are comfortable to stay in mixed dorms then it follows that they will probably be happy to use shared bathrooms, toilets, but I feel that the private rooms would benefit from having an en suite bathroom if the buildling can ammodate it.
Having identified that majority of people who regularly stay in hostels, it became clear that most of the guests do not spend much time in the hostel during the daytime or evenings, and few spend much time there at nights excepting if the weather is bad, as most use the hostel as just a base to leave their stuff someplace safe and go venturing forth to see the places that they really came to visit.
Thus entertainment, luxuries, sports and games are not really necessary for a hostel as very few of the guests will have the time to enjoy them, preferring to set out and visit whatever it is that the region / city is famous for rather than for just bumming around the hostel and killing time.
The busiest time of the day by far is the early morning and breakfast time, as this is when most people meet up to discuss what they are going to do that day, check in after just arriving or check out in order to move on to the next city / return home.
For this reason, and for the reason of helping people meet up and exchange ideas and plans, I think that a single large breakfast table is ideal as it means that it encourages people to sit next to each other and engage in conversation, and has proved much better for this than a few small tables where everyone is able / forced to eat seperately.
The other busy time is at night once all the tours are over and all the restaurants, bars and clubs have closed, and as many tours / activities can be physically demanding all group dorm rooms should be a place of quiet refuge with no drinking, parties or loud music allowed after 10pm.
All rooms should also be fairly well sound proofed from outside revellers / traffic, have adequate blinds / curtains for a good nights sleep and also heating or air conditioning depending on where the hostel is located.
Allowing friends and locals of guests into the rooms is often frowned upon as there is always the grey area of trying to prevent drugs / theft or prostitution going on in the hostel, and thus non paying guests should also be restricted in their movements and times when they are allowed to enter / remain in the hostel while still giving guests the option of meeting / entertaining friends in the hostel for a short time at least.
Security is always an issue that is preferred but not essential, so some form of intercom, gate or front reception open 24 hours a day that can allow entrance to guests quickly yet with a measure of control is the best option.
So now with the layout and most frequent guest identified, and their needs assessed, it just now requires me to give a list from most to least important of many of the features that I would think a good hostel wants / needs in order to be a success and good business venture.
:-
Free breakfast and coffee, tea and milk throughout the day
Free linen and bedding
Bilingual staff that are happy, willing and eager to help and assist you in even the most bizarre request and are familar with the local transport, cinemas, musuems and shopping complexes
Free wifi access in reception area and private rooms at least, if not all rooms
Use of communial computers, with a time limit of 30 minutes to one hour per guest. Webcam and headphones are a luxury and thus is not necessary, but might be a nice touch
Location in a safe area that is near at least one method of public transport if at all possible
Location near the end of a road or near a clearly visible landmark, as often you will be arriving early or late at night and the last thing you want to do is have trouble finding the place
Similarly a large sign or post that is on the outside of the building to guide you in from a distance
Maps and tour information of the city / surrounding area, including the best times to visit and how to get there
Lots of plug sockets in all rooms, as several guests are likely to want to charge their camera, phone, ipod and / or laptop at the same time
Additionally International plug adapters for use / sale would be a nice touch in case a guest has lost theirs or was unaware that they would need one / which one they would need
A good website with local maps, travel information, accurate and easy directions of how to reach the hostel and the ability to make online reservation bookings
Notice board with details of local events, up to date travel information, local tour guides, great places to eat, drink or dance and nearby cities hostels
Satalite / Cable TV in a communial tv room away from the breakfast room, complete with a DVD player and a variety of movies that can be borrowed, viewed
Use of kitchen and fridge by guests during the daytime and fliers / adverts of local restaurants that will delivery to the hostel
Information on language courses and volunteer / paid working options for travellers who decide to extend their stay beyond a long weekend / week stay
Vending machine / bar where juices, fizzy drinks, beers, chocolates and crisps can be bought cheaply and easily
Depending on the local weather / insects, etc, a variety of umbrellas, rain boots, sun cream, towels, insect repellent and other similar items should be either on offer to buy, or be near a shop where such items are possible to purchase
A storage room where people that are checking out but not leaving the city til later on during the day can leave their stuff while they go visiting during the dayday
