Hostels and hotels on booking engines
Promoting the Hostel Movement
I have just had occasion to look through, as an affiliate, the list of properties in England that Hostelbookers have on their list.
For my purpose (listing on UKTrail) I went through and deleted nearly all of those that were clearly not hostels (namely hotels, guest houses, apartments). Most of these were evident because their prices were well above hostel range. Some that were evidently hotels/guest houses had prices within the hostel range, but I suspect these prices are not applicable to individual travellers. I kept a few guest houses that are close to major airports.
I found I had taken out about 59% of properties.
- Comments
15 years
Exactly.
Blackpool, a popular resort for local people, stood out as having no hostels but about 20 hotels, some of them indeed at very reasonable prices (probably because it's off-season). London had about 20 hostels and 20 or more hotels (many called "budget hotels"). These budget hotels quote their price as similar to or a little higher than hostels, but almost certainly that is the price per person in a double room, and these are the "from" price, which may not be what the price would be for YOU on a given day.
Update: Total nr of Hostelbookers entries for England: about 400.
Total number which are hostels: about 129.
15 years
Interesting.
I saw this on one of WRI's Twitter accounts yesterday:
"There are now over 26,400 properties on hostels.com! 'Every hostel, everywhere' is so true!"
Probably less than 50% of those properties are hostels (unless there are 13,200 hostels out there).
15 years
Probably less than 50% of those properties are hostels (unless there are 13,200 hostels out there).
Well, let's take a look of Budapest, for example. There are 244 properties now on HW. That consists 118 hostels, 45 hotels, 38 guest houses, 42 apartments and 1 campsite.
If I refine these 118 hostels, to those what have dorms as well, I get only 84.
I haven't been to these hostels, but it would be interesting to check how many hostels could fit to the description of hostel at all. IMHO, it wouldn't be more than 40-50.
I usually check hostels abroad... When I've been to Split, I searched for all 15 hostels listed on HW, but I only found 4(!) of them as hostels, the rest were just apartments, where you call the owner on the cell to check you in and you get a private apartment just for yourself. No other travelers, no reception to ask, no common area, just your own party.
My experience in Prague was quite similar: About 20 are real hostels out of 77 registered and the number of properties are 235.
IMHO, it is easy to get as many properties this way.
According to the topic, I found this problem (hotel on hostel BE) on Hostelbookers more likely, just like uktrail did.
There are 48 properties on HB for Budapest, only 18 (37%) of them are hostels though. The rest are hotels, B&Bs and apartments. If you take a look at Bratislava hostels as well, you can only find 5 hostels (38%) out of 13 properties. Poor results indeed. :(
15 years
When I went to Croatia in 2005, there was a rumour of one hostel in Split and that's it. Aboriginal found 4 hostels out of 15 on Hostelworld on some date. I have just looked at Split on Hostelbookers and found 14 quoting shared accommodation out of 41 properties.
Of the 14, one was mislabeled, the "shared accommodation" was actually private rooms for 1 at a high price! Two others had TVs and computers in all dorms, so although nominally hostels, they would feel like separate apartments. The other 11 seemed to be genuine hostels.
15 years
When I went to Croatia in 2005, there was a rumour of one hostel in Split and that's it. Aboriginal found 4 hostels out of 15 on Hostelworld on some date.
I have just looked at Split on Hostelbookers and found 14 quoting shared accommodation out of 41 properties.
Impressive! I was there two years ago... It seems Split got into the hostel-boom as well...
But still, 11 out of 41 is again 27%. :(
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