A call has gone out from legendary mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington CBE to help save a much-loved Welsh youth hostel.The future of YHA Snowdon Bryn Gwynant in Snowdonia National Park, is at risk unless a total of £2 million can be raised.Owned and operated by the leading youth charity YHA (England...
There are literally conferences for anything you can imagine, and tourism seems to have more than it's fair share. That is great news for us in the hostel industry because we have multiple chances to connect with others, and connections are key. Beside listening to the key note speakers, there is...
A few years ago, I had a staff member explain why he didn't vacuum that day, "Because we just vacuumed yesterday!"I think I just blinked at him for 30 seconds, waiting for him to crack a smile or wink. He was kidding, right? Uh, no. (I continue to blink in disbelief as I think about it now.)Clearly...
The Hostel RoadTrip Podcast is currently traveling around the USA, with some plans to venture out to other areas later on. But when I listen to these American casts, I notice a recurring topic: America does not have a firm grasp on what a hostel is. The word “hostel” has a stigma in the States...
I am currently traveling around the UK, England and Scotland mostly, with some friends and their dog. This little dude is a super chill dachshund who only makes a peep when he is desperately straining on his leash to go play with other dogs. He’s got this show-stopper fur, long-haired, mottled blue...
One of the questions that we frequently come across in the forum and Facebook group is about TripAdvisor Business Advantage listings, and if they are worth it. In particular, this is asked by small to medium size hostels because the budget for marketing is generally smaller than that of larger...
Ya can’t get much more idyllic than catching sight of a whale in the ocean during the day and photographing the sparkling Milky Way during the night. Walking through the massive redwood forest at the nearby state park, and maybe the tide pools have a baby octopus to seek out during low tide....
What is Airbnb?Airbnb is a very social booking platform that can be very useful to connect your hostel with potential guests. It isn’t just for private holiday homes or B&B’s. Airbnb appeals to a wide variety of demographics: business travelers, long term digital nomads, and backpackers who are...
Hostel Roadtrip Podcast talk to the new owners of Cerro Gordo, California, Brent and Aaron. They share their stories about the familiar woes of opening a new hostel: the nonsense of bureaucracy, city official ignorance, and the exhausting chore of finding staff.Cerro Gordo is an abandoned 1865...
After a short break, the guys from the Hostel Roadtrip Podcast are at it again. Hostel owners/enthusiasts Jimmy Black, Bobby Dyer, & Eric Faria cruise the highways, stopping at various hostels along the way. This April past, they sat down for a chat with Dean Fernandez and...
I often see disgruntled hostel owners posting "influencer wannabe" emails into various forums in order to vent. Their frustration lies in the fact that the emails are usually filled with nonsense like, "My Instagram has reached 48K followers in 2 days due to my influence. Your hostel could be the...
YHA (England & Wales) is set to eradicate half a million single use plastic bottles from its 151-strong network of youth hostels next year thanks to support from Waitrose & Partners.The leading youth charity has received a £170,000 share of the supermarket retailer’s £1 million grant fund...
