The “Hostel Vibe” Explained
People travel for experiences; some people travel to see exotic parts of the world, others to taste cuisines that can only be perfected in certain parts of the globe, and many people, whether they mean to or not, travel to get out of their comfort zones.
Hostels, by their very nature, can allow someone to achieve all three of those things, with how expansive and also inexpensive they can be, depending on the city or country. But what hostels offer, more than just a chance to be in a faraway place at a budget-friendly price, is a specifically unique vibe that separates them from other forms of travel.
What Hostels Provide
By providing someone a chance to connect with other travelers from all over the globe, putting them together in shared spaces, perhaps by incorporating social activities, or simply through their communal nature, hostels have a way of connecting someone with all walks of life, without ever having to leave the main room or kitchen. The connections that can be made in a hostel are, moreover, why many travelers choose to stay at hostels in the first place.
As someone who has spent significant time in hostels, I have heard on many occasions a hostel guest comment about how they could have stayed at a hotel or motel, but no sooner asked out loud, “Why?” It’s because, as that same guest will often explain, they found hostels, and now, after doing so, they would much rather be in a shared space with other travelers, even if it means sacrificing a bit of privacy or certain comforts that a hotel or home rental might offer. After finding hostels, the idea of spending a night alone in a hotel or motel room watching television begins to sound quite boring.
The access to different people, with their wild stories and travel tales, plus the opportunity to always be doing or learning something new, are a large part of what makes them so cherished by backpackers who choose to stay in hostels. It only takes one experience to see how sitting down across from a certain person at the dinner table at a hostel can change the experience entirely, and shift one’s perspective on what they can be, simply because they decided to book one. Purely based on how they operate, hostels provide travelers with a seemingly infinite amount of new experiences because of the vibe they possess.
How the "Hostel Vibe" Can Vary
While the term "hostel vibe" is used universally, it can also be unique to a specific hostel. Each hostel, moreover, provides its own specific energy or ‘vibe’, depending on its location, set up, staff, and social pulse. Some would say that the best hostels are ones that are out in nature, built as a retreat center rather than a place to party. To others, the term ‘best hostel’ might entail having the most social and eclectic mix of backpackers who all booked at the same time. Someone else might perceive ‘best hostel’ as being where they met a new best friend or future lover.
Like hostels themselves, the "hostel vibe" can range immensely. It's typically not something that can be described or necessarily found in photos, but rather something that must be experienced in order to fully understand it.
