We recently did a two-part, in-depth blog post on Guest Screening. Both of these generated a lot of feedback, both here on Hostel Management and on our Facebook group. This is a very tricky topic, with a lot of considerations, and we want to encourage further discussion. To aid in this,...
Last month we published a blog on the importance of “Guest Screening”. This is a tricky topic, and we received a lot of feedback and multiple points of view. One thing remained certain, many hostels around the world take precautions in some form to keep “bad apples” out in an attempt to maintain...
No accommodation provider, or any business for that matter, wants to have dodgy or dangerous guests. However communal living, a foundational aspect of hostels, presents a unique challenge in this respect. Beyond the obvious issues with someone who is dangerous or a potential thief, having the wrong...
On 25 May 2018 the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will take effect and become immediately enforceable.As a hostel operator, this DOES apply to your business, regardless of where you operate. It’s a big deal, so we’ll cover some of what you need to know about it.Important note: I am...
After attending the American Hostel Conference last month, I gained great insight into the many types of hostels in the US, especially those opening up. Several attendees were in the process of starting a new hostel or had the dream to do so. The conference had some great presentations for both...
A hostel owner in Victoria, Australia believes her businesses are no longer viable because of competition from Airbnb.Mohya Davies has run a backpackers hostel and holiday apartments in Foster, near Wilsons Promontory in eastern Victoria, for 15 years, but is shutting both businesses at the end of...
I recently attended and presented at the wonderful first annual American Hostel Conference, hosted by Vicki Matsis of NotSo Hostel in Charleston, South Carolina. It had been awhile since I was able to attend a hostel conference, and I had a good laugh when old friends greeted me upon arrival with “...
Hostelworld have announced the winners of the 2018 HOSCAR Awards. Here are the winners from the Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large categories.Best Small Hostels (1-75 beds)1) Sungate One - Madrid, Spain2) Hostel Majdas - Mostar, Bosnia And Herzegovina3) Cozy Nook Hostel - Da Lat, Vietnam4...
Starting on 01 February 2018 Hostelworld will raise the commission to 15% for properties that previously paid only 12%.Back in 2014 HW raised their commissions from 10% to 12% for existing hostels. All other property types as well as any new hostels to open after that change went into effect were...
Website Campaign Live has reported that former Ladbrokes Coral marketing boss Kristof Fahy has joined booking website Hostelworld as its first chief customer officer.He started at Hostelworld this month (January 2018), filling the vacancy left by former chief marketing officer Otto Rosenberger, who...
Peter Gaines has marked his reappointment as the Chairman of the leading youth charity YHA (England and Wales) by signing off a £2.5 million investment in Bath Youth Hostel, the single biggest investment in a Youth Hostel in the South West.Peter Gaines was originally appointed as chairman of YHA in...
Finding the right manager for your hostel can feel like a huge task. Between finding applicants, testing them out to see if they are a good fit, and then fully training them, there is plenty to think about. -Where are the best places to find suitable managers?-Should you only hire management...
