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Look, its nearly a hotel!

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gordo started this discussion 15 years 4 months ago

I know we've all whinged about the trend to paint new hostels as if they were hotels, but the YHA has opened a new place in Yamba, Aus along the same lines. Now I havent been there and the photos look nice but what really got me about this article was the way it was reported. The writer was 'a guest of YHA' and I'm not sure if this is really just a press release or if the guy is writing his own opinions but reading the article it... kind of irritates me. Here it is:

http://www.theage.com.au/travel/bunk-beds-to-plunge-pools-20090703-d7j2.html?page=-1

Dorm rooms get only a slight mention

For those really on a budget, small dorms, sleeping four or eight, again with their own bathrooms, are on offer.

For those on a really tight budget?!?! you mean backpackers!? the people the YHA was essentially started to serve!?

and then here are the prices at the end:

STAYING THERE Yamba YHA Backpacker Beach Resort is at 26 Coldstream Street, Yamba. A twin double, with ensuite, costs $70 for YHA members and $78 for non-members; a family room for five, with ensuite, costs $114 for YHA members and $127 for non-members. Phone 6646 3997, see yambabackpackers.com.au.

whats missing?

[/end rant]

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santa klaus

15 years

I guess all of them. It´s pretty much the same in Austria and Germany (though a few hostels seem tho ignore their orders) ... apparently, they still think Hostelworld will go away, they just have to sit it out! :D

They have developed their own booking system (IBN) long before Hostelworld appeared. I remember when it was introduced in the Munich hostel in 1993 - well before the internet era. You could make bookings from one reception to the next hostel. It was a wacky software using an acoustic coupler modem which called a server in London. In those days, an international phonecall was more expensive than a hostel bed. I remember most of our guests requested a reservation in Venice and even though they allocated 70 beds to IBN (most other hostels only 5 or so) there were never availabilities, so we ended up spending a lot of time making silly acoustic coupler phonecalls to London to request Venice beds which were always booked up anyway. The phonebill must have been enormous! :D

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Josh Hostels

15 years

Does hihostels.com take a commission from individual HI hostels/organizations?

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santa klaus

15 years

It was 5% the last time I worked in an HI hostel... in 1997.

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Josh Hostels

15 years

So Hostelworld.com seems to be a direct competitor to hihostels.com for allocations... Interesting...

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uktrail

15 years

On the subject of not mentioning dorms:

What hotel people (including the YHA managers mentioned) seem to be COMPLETELY ignorant of is the fact that many travellers travel alone, either out of choice or through circumstances. The Hotel/motel "model" completely ignores their needs. They have to pay double price for a (in some cases) giant room with 2 or more beds.

Dorms are NOT just a way of travelling on a budget; they are the ONLY reasonably-priced way of travelling for solo travellers.

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gordo

15 years

Does hihostels.com take a commission from individual HI hostels/organizations?

it was 5% in canada (PCMR) when i was there. I never actually booked through it, but thats what the bookings where coming through with.

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Scotch Argus

15 years

It is not OK, because they often do this at the taxpayer´s expense, and they don´t even pay those taxes back.
There are two YHA hostels in Vienna. They have been build with money of the city council. Which is a huge competetive advantage - WE have to take out bank loans to pay for construction. Then, since they are non-profit organizations, the do not have to pay taxes. No VAT, no profit tax, nothing. Which is again a huge competetive advantage.

Thank heaven they are too incompetent to make use of those remarkable advantages over independent hostels. If those YHA hostels would be well managed, they could wipe out a lot of their independent tax-paying competitors.

The first hostel I worked at was one of Munich´s YHA hostels. It had more than 500 beds, well over 90% occupancy rate, did not have to pay anything for the building (a wealthy widow donated it in the 1920ies), did not have to pay any taxes and only had to pay very little for most of the staff (you can work in YHA hostels in Germany instead of being drafted into the army). It still did not make a profit.
So, where do you think did all the money disappear?

I think incompetence rather than corruption would be how I see things. Although they have the advantage of charitable status in the UK they have the disadvantage of being hopelessly inefficient. There are hordes of people working in the central offices, often doing jobs that in an independent would be done by the owner or manager. Add to that the regional managers, and at times (although not always) overstaffing at the hostels and you have an organisation that is always going to struggle against real competition.

There have been threats to their charitable status in the UK, but no action yet. Personally I don't see they carry out any charitable function. Besides perhaps employing some people who would be unable to get a job elsewhere.

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santa klaus

15 years

Personally I don't see they carry out any charitable function. Besides perhaps employing some people who would be unable to get a job elsewhere.

The way people get those jobs is corrupt. At least here. It´s all about politics. Or why else would there be two YHI associations in Austria?

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Josh Hostels

15 years

There have been threats to their charitable status in the UK, but no action yet. Personally I don't see they carry out any charitable function.

What kinds of threats to their charitable status?

Didn't YHA (England/Wales) recently close a lot of remote hostels?

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montrealnewgree...

15 years

From what I know in my past HI life is that in 2005 YHA E&W decided that all location had to be financially self sufficient which was then a necessary and daring move as in the past, the whole principle of YHA large national associations such as YHA E&W, SYHA( SCOTLAND), DJH (Germany), FUAJ (France) was to give youth access to the country side. In fact, the original mission statement was aimed at that. http://www.yha.org.uk/about-yha/corporate-information/history_of_the_yha.aspx

in the late 70's, beginning of 80's associations opened their first city locations and their mandate was to sustain a network of country side locations which was and is still in need of huge maintenance cost.

So, now , even the formerly profitable and state supported city hostels location are not making their surpluses due mainly by the new competitive market that privately own hostels are giving them.

So, yes indeed that have closed over 100 locations since 2005 with their commercial restructuration. A lot of this is the direct cause of the downfall in membership sales and the opening of many competitors in key markets. The Internet is now replacing the much needed YHA directry books in the old days. Making YHA membership more a pain than a necessity to travel.

As for the charitable status ( not to be mistaken by the non-profit status, 2 different things) they are probably closely followed by the authorities and I won't be surprised if the loose it. Specially that UK and Canada has similar constitution. As I mentioned in a post above, the Canadian authorities took back the charitable status of HI-Canada few years ago following an investigation on the charitable aspect of it all. To be registered as a charity , you have to provide means in either one of these aspects : religion, family, education and poverty. HI-Canada was defending that access to a network of non-profit hostels was an educational way for the youth to grow, but couldn't convince them specially when more than half the HI-Canada network is run by privately own hostels business. ( which is not the case for YHA E&W). So as long as the British government thinks that YHA E&W are an educational organization, they will keep their status. ( This is why they are promoting yha local groups and school activities on their web site)

Just a last comment about bad management of YHA hostels, I would say that mediocrity has no structure, it will be found in large non-profit organizations and also in privately own hostel business :(

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