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Flashpackers and Flashpacking

Hostel Trends and News

Josh started this discussion 16 years 9 months ago

Below is an excerpt from a news article about "flashpackers" and "flashpacking".

The end of the article has a "10 key signs of a flashpacker" list, including "You don't spend all day emailing friends to tell how you hitch-hiked to Paris and saved $12. You're shopping on the Champs Elysees" and "You have a keen eye for media hype, recognise this is all a joke and would cut off your own arm and eat it rather than actually call yourself a flashpacker".

Any thoughts of flashpackers/flashpacking?

Here is the article excerpt:
(I added the bold.)

Flashpacker is a fairly new term. . .used to describe independent travellers who journey in style. It applies to adventurous men and women, usually in their 30s, who have established careers and money to burn. . .
[...]
There is no set amount that flashpackers will budget on accommodation a night. "In Thailand, we paid £5 [$11.80] per night for beautiful seafront cabins, then stopped off in Singapore and stayed at the Fullerton Hotel, one of the most expensive. But the key is choice."

In three months, the couple spent £20,000.
[...]
In Australia, the word has been seized by accommodation chain Nomads World Hotels, which rebranded its backpackers as flashpackers about six months ago.

"We have six properties in Australia and New Zealand and Fiji and our properties were getting better and better," Penny Brand, the company's sales and marketing manager, says. "And backpackers . . . the name just didn't cut it. We have en suite doubles as well as the dorm rooms. Some of our properties have cinema lounges, resort-type pools, air-conditioning."

Coming up with the concept was simple (although Nomads' definition differs from that at Flashpackerdiaries.com). "To us, it was like, it's a flash backpackers, so it's flashpackers!" Brand says. "We have one property that doesn't fit that market - it's called our partypackers."

A double room at a flashpackers costs $70-$95 a night. "We have king, en suite rooms with televisions that go for $95 a night in Melbourne," Brand says. "That price is on par with a lower-end hotel, but you've got a bar with a cafe, wireless internet through the whole reception-bar area, a kitchen, a cinema lounge - facilities a traditional hotel doesn't have."

Nomads aims to offer the social interaction of a backpackers, but with the comforts of a hotel, Brand says.
[...]
Rob Hart, general manager of Flight Centre's Student Flights in Brisbane, has noticed the change in the market. "We're a student flights brand, so we focus on backpackers and students, but the majority of our customers are actually professionals," he says. "There's a greater trend to take career breaks - a lot of corporations are giving people time to actually do that.

"Probably 75 per cent of of the backpackers who come to Australia come from Europe, and a lot of those backpackers are professionals," he says.

"So they can afford to flashpack rather than do it on the ultimate cheap, as, say, an 18-year-old or a gap-year student would do."
[...]
Brand says another trend is that traditional backpackers are getting older.

"Instead of it being an 18 to 25 market, it's a 25 to 40 sort of thing - [including those] taking a gap year off life, or those just married who decide to take a year off before having the kids."

Hart has noticed a similar shift: "We definitely see lots of older people, particularly 30 to 40, who are still doing flashpacking around the world. One trend is that they've been backpackers before, but they are over the sharing of dorms, but they still go to backpackers."

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santa klaus

16 years

And you are talking about those Europeans who barely knows what a hostel is... right?

Yes. So far, they don´t even have to find out because when they travel, they go to Brazil or Thailand.

No, we don't. But our guests may have, right? I mean budget is a factor which can affect travel patterns...IMHO. Or what else you have in mind?

What I have in mind is that expensive fuel does not only keep guests away from us, it also keeps Europeans from going overseas. It doesn´t actually matter how many miles travellers get for the Euro just as long as they travel. To exaggerate my point: if transport would get totally prohibitively expensive people would still make holidays -near where they live. You would fill your hostel with people who came in donkey carts from the Puszta.

On a more serious note: let´s wait and see if we don´t get an unexpected renessaince of rail travel. All the railway companies in Europe got it totally wrong in the last decades. They tried to make trains at least half as fast as planes, with some success, but the result is that now they are twice as expensive as planes, too.
Maybe cheap interrail will be back?

According to my experience, high season is between May and September, thats when the students start traveling still by Interrail and Eurail... So how'bout a survey anywhere between September and May, when the flight weekenders are more popular? Also just another tip: We have a survey as part of the check in form, so people fill in how they know about us, how and where from they arrived, where they plan to go, etc. So even you can have a more detailed picture of your guests! ;)

The story is: we hand out feedback forms to everyone who checks in - asking exactly those question. I just haven´t counted the answers since May. Will do ASAP to ckeck if people in Winter travel by other means.

That's right, but on competing markets you have to constantly develop more and more services in order to be better than your competition...

The bigger the competition is, the better you should be... and if there ain't no more guests but expanding competition, the racing bubble can just burst one day.

Sure. How about having a restaurant, a swimming pool, a gym and a sauna? Is this what hostels going to be in the 21st century?

Don´t get me wrong. I don´t suggest to build PLUS hostels (haven´t seen it so no comment on it). I am talking about mold-free, clean bathrooms, comfy beds, no overbooking, really stuff you would consider "basic". Most hostels in Europe have to improve A LOT in simple things like that.

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santa klaus

16 years

Don´t get me wrong. I don´t suggest to build PLUS hostels (haven´t seen it so no comment on it). I am talking about mold-free, clean bathrooms, comfy beds, no overbooking, really stuff you would consider "basic". Most hostels in Europe have to improve A LOT in simple things like that.

To clarify my point further I will give you a few examples. I am NOT suggesting to upgrade 500 hostels in Europe with swimming pools or gyms.

Example #1
We still get great feedback about our showers. Our showers are... well, showers. Good pressure, hot. Something you would expect, really. Our guests wouldn´t mention our showers if good pressure and hot water would be normal standard in hostels. They indulge in lengthy showers here because they don´t get good showere elsewhere. Our water consumption is 150 liters per bed night. I am really sick of ice cold moldy push-button deals with no hooks to hang up your stuff. That alone would keep me from staying in hostels in Amsterdam, Paris and London if hotels wouldn´t be so expensive there. Honestly. Is that too much to ask for?

#2
Thin, uncomfortable, dirty matresses. If you can´t sleep in a hostel because the bed breaks your spine what´s the point of paying for a bed in the first place? I have often slept on in our beds, the matresses are fine. They cost 45 Euros. That´s not too expensive to replace them once in a while when they start to look grungy. I also hate those steel pipe beds with spring wires instead of a wooden slat base. That costs 5 Euros at IKEA. The cheapest bed frame (IKEA "Dalselv") costs 19 Euros. So - for 19+5+45 = EUR 69 you get a pretty good bed the guests won´t complain about

#3
Mold in bathrooms, dirt under the beds, outworn carpets. All easily avoidable.

#4
Overbookings. What´s so difficult to avoid bumping guests? "Lost reservations" - it happens all the time. Easily avoidable. Some hostels even overbook on purpose. Not clever. I know, airlines do that, too, I have read some flights are 150% booked, but they have sophisticated software and staff to avoid bumping passengers. I have never been bumped by an airline, but quite often by hostels.

#5
Small details like hooks in the showers, bed lights, large mirrors (girls love them!), other things like that. Not expensive.

I could go on and on. My point is: Hostel prices went up dramatically in the last ten years, but many, many hostels still offer quite unprofessional service. If at least most of the hostels could get those rather small things right, the term "Hostel" would sound a lot more appealing to travellers who are not your classic 20-year-old backpacker.

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Scotch Argus

16 years

Tell me about it! In Budapest the cheapest bed right now is around 7EUR which goes down to 3EUR during winter... We have a 15EUR starter now and still fully booked and able to sell beds even for 10/12EUR during winter. So it is the marketing and the quality service which plays a major role and we keep our prices until the very last minute, when we've done all efforts to get more guests.

That's right, but on competing markets you have to constantly develop more and more services in order to be better than your competition...

I find the pricing part interesting. In Edinburgh now you'll find beds for £6 in September. These may be partially subsidised by the high season, but it's certainly very competitive outside August. The reviews you'll see of some of these places are terrible at times, but I fail to see how they could have a really high standard and make any money at those prices. Given the high level of costs that exist in the UK I wouldn't see it as profitable in the long run at those prices. Some of the businesses may be subsidised by other locations or a parent company, and others by customers spending in a restaurant or bar onsite. But a lot of them will struggle and I'd imagine the first thing to be cut would be wages for staff - cleaners and receptionists.

So maybe with all the talk of flashpackers perhaps there'll also be a corresponding drop in standards as hostels have to slash costs to compete. The thing is that people don't make allowances for the cheaper price - if they feel it's a dirty or unfriendly place - they'll leave unhappy and leave bad reviews.

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santa klaus

16 years

So maybe with all the talk of flashpackers perhaps there'll also be a corresponding drop in standards as hostels have to slash costs to compete. The thing is that people don't make allowances for the cheaper price - if they feel it's a dirty or unfriendly place - they'll leave unhappy and leave bad reviews.

That´s why I think the race to the bottom won´t work in the long run. I have seen ridiculous rates like that in Berlin this summer, too. My guess is that prices like that are made to generate at least a little bit of revenue. It´ll only delay certain death.

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Scotch Argus

16 years

That´s why I think the race to the bottom won´t work in the long run. I have seen ridiculous rates like that in Berlin this summer, too. My guess is that prices like that are made to generate at least a little bit of revenue. It´ll only delay certain death.

I agree - a business can survive with some paying below cost prices, as long as others pay much more (e.g. Ryanair) but if everyone is paying at a level near or below break even then your days are numbered

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santa klaus

16 years

I think Ryan Air gets the same bill soon like those slash-rate hostels.

They have slashed costs too much IMHO. Alone the airports they use. What they call "Frankfurt" is in fact a tiny airport in Hahn, 1 hour and 45 minutes by bus from downtown Frankfurt. Hahn is in fact closer to Luxemburg than to Frankfurt.

In Austria, they don´t fly into Vienna at all, only to Bratislava.

Last time I went to London I was so glad I had at least the return flight from Heathrow. I happily paid 20 Euros more to avoid the trek to Stansted or Luton.

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Scotch Argus

16 years

I think Ryan Air gets the same bill soon like those slash-rate hostels.

They have slashed costs too much IMHO. Alone the airports they use. What they call "Frankfurt" is in fact a tiny airport in Hahn, 1 hour and 45 minutes by bus from downtown Frankfurt. Hahn is in fact closer to Luxemburg than to Frankfurt.

In Austria, they don´t fly into Vienna at all, only to Bratislava.

Last time I went to London I was so glad I had at least the return flight from Heathrow. I happily paid 20 Euros more to avoid the trek to Stansted or Luton.

Whether Ryanair will survive is a good question - they seem pretty well placed at the moment compared to a lot of full service airlines. The airports are ridiculous at times - "Oslo" is about 2 hours south of Oslo. But then Gothenburg is closer than the international airport - mind you it is in a tin shed.

The main difference between airlines and hostels is price. Although a £14 hostel is double a bed at £7, it's still only £7 difference, which isn't a huge amount - especially if the experience is a lot better. The difference between Ryanair and full service airlines is often hundreds of pounds. I flew ryanair to Gothenburg, even though I my destination was Copenhagen. I then got the train to Denmark, and it was still hundreds cheaper than flying direct to Copenhagen. I think people will put up inconvenience if it saves them enough.

Personally I'd avoid Heathrow at all costs, but that's just me!

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santa klaus

16 years

I don´t want to derail the thread and bring it back to hostels.

You are right, when you book a flight the price matters above everything else. You want them to bring you to city X. You do not want a "travel experience", you just want transport.

The parallel between budget airlines and hostels is that we both have started early to use the internet to sell our service. Cutting out the middle men (travel agents) saved a lot of costs. Tradidional airlines have found out about that now, too. The flight I took out of Heathrow was British Airways, I booked it on the net and it was cheap. Budget airlines are starting to lose their competetive edge just like hostels like ours will when a huuuge 442-room Motel1 will open just across the street.

Anyway, I think we have figured out how to provide a clean room with a hot shower so hopefully they won´t hurt us that much because in addidion to those basics, we offer a nice social scene, too.

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aboriginalhostel

16 years

I think Ryan Air gets the same bill soon like those slash-rate hostels.

Ryanair is leaving Krakow during winter months, parking their planes in Dublin. They asked for 100% tax reduction from Krakow Airport, which is ridiculous itself. The offer was refused, of course.

They should find different strategies than cutting costs, which wont make them more incomes but less expenses, although a wrong cut will cost the price of efficiency and services.

I wonder if Easyjet will do the same soon... If yes, that could mean the whole budget flights industry is in a deep trouble. Although they were never as cheap as Ryanair.

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santa klaus

16 years

I have heard Easy Jets makes some threats like that to Berlin´s airport. Berlin is one of their major hubs.

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