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Question: hostel staff??

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clixX123 started this discussion 16 years 8 months ago

Hi,

I'm doing an assignment about 'how to run a youth hostel'. I'm not familiar at all with this business concept so i went to look for some helpful information about starting one and i was fortunate enough to come across this site here. I hope my following question would be answered :)

Well, here goes...

---Could anyone be so kind to give me a list of all the staff (fulltime/parttime) that an owner of a 500m2 hostel (who will not take part in managing it and whose purpose is to just provide capital) would need to hire to run such a business??

It would also be nice if you could tell me the requirements (personal/educational) that each of the staff member need to have. =]

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mcgee4824

14 years

1.) If you did want to trim employment hours, what are the vital hours that you must have someone onsite? 6am - 10pm?

Would it be feasible to NOT have an employee onsite in the afternoon?

2.) I want to have door locks with a programmable keypad (instead of keys or cards) that could be re-programmed every few days. This way if customers booked over the phone I could give them the code in the case someone was not present when they arrived. I know that could have some bad repercusions. Having the keypad door locks would also be nice if someone got locked out at night. They could then phone the on call person who could reference who was staying that night and be given the code over the phone.

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Josh Hostels

14 years

Would it be feasible to NOT have an employee onsite in the afternoon?

It depends on the size of the hostel, but it can work.
I used to work at a hostel that was closed in the afternoons.

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aboriginalhostel

14 years

1.) If you did want to trim employment hours, what are the vital hours that you must have someone onsite? 6am - 10pm?

Would it be feasible to NOT have an employee onsite in the afternoon?

Well, most people who wants to do sightseeing wakes up around 8-9ish, especially if breakfast is involved. Stomach noise seems to motivate people, especially if it's free and worth having it. Of course party animals will wake up way more late, especially if they got to bed at 6am... so I wonder if it's reasonable to have reception hours before 7-8am, if you don't want to have someone on-site all time.

About afternoon hours, even the longest sleepers and check-outers leave the premises latest by 2pm. Overall most people comes to see the city and not staying in the hostel all day around.

YH. Plakias where we stayed this summer has a siesta break during the afternoon. Everyone were out that time anyway and if not, they could just wait until reception is open again. But then of course it depends on the type of guests you are having. Laid back backpackers won't hit the door with their shoes if they want a dry towel instead of the wet one they got in the morning, if you see what I mean! ;)

Then again, life comes back to the hostel around sunset. No more lights to take pictures, stomach bells dinnertime, tired feet and sweaty clothes increases craving for a hot shower and to get ready for the night. The peak is around midnight when everyone is getting ready for going out. Then again back to the graveyard shift...

This is the ideal scenario which happens in 99% of the cases. The reason why we have 24hr reception is exactly that 1%, because I don't want certain things to happen. ;)

2.) I want to have door locks with a programmable keypad (instead of keys or cards) that could be re-programmed every few days. This way if customers booked over the phone I could give them the code in the case someone was not present when they arrived. I know that could have some bad repercusions. Having the keypad door locks would also be nice if someone got locked out at night. They could then phone the on call person who could reference who was staying that night and be given the code over the phone.

This you might feel a tad rant but how do you want to run a hostel if you are not there? Overall a hostel's core point is the sociability... and if you don't have anyone around, who's gonna create the atmosphere, to make sure your guests have a good time and to ensure your guests will recommend you to other future guests?

I understand the challenges of setting up a business as I did my own several years ago, but if you are not sitting right next to the fire for at least few years from the beginning, it could be put out easily before your hostel could start making money.
/rant

About keyless solutions, maybe this one could help you.

http://www.gokeyless.com/product.php?id=515

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soi1david

14 years

"This is the ideal scenario which happens in 99% of the cases. The reason why we have 24hr reception is exactly that 1%, because I don't want certain things to happen. ;)

That's not a rant, Thats the best info on the page. To bad it will be overlooked by most.

Another thing to consider would be what time do your guest arrive. Would airline arrival times bring guest in later hours? Train arrivals? In our case overnight trains (most common way our guest arrive from north Thailand) arrive here 5-6am, buses 4-5am. and yes we put them straight into a bed that early if available, if not available on the couch in common room.
We have a 24hr receiption- I see no other way. I've stayed in hostels that did not, you can tell they don't by the smell of spoilt spilled beer.
You should go and stay in a few hostels of different sizes, with different opened desk hours. It may help you to make a final descision.

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Nest_Bangkok

14 years

This is a good thread indeed for new owner like me. Thank you for the post

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soi1david

14 years

I can say that he is lack of hospitality education and service mind for sure.

I have heard the same as UKtrail, In fact they lost a regular large group of English teachers that work in Korea. Reason was the desk staff were very argumentive, and The increase in unrealist Rules. How do I know this.... They all regularly come here during the school holidays now and they told me this on the 1st night here after leaving there.
It boils down to "Guest-Friendly management" and "Word of mouth".

Hey Nest are you open for business? What is the name? I'll come give you a visit. Since you are a member here I'd be happy to send you guest when I get full ( I only have 45 beds) and usually send them just down the road to the one on soi 25.

Seems like in the last month, 5 new hostels have open here in Bangkok. One Claims to have over 250 beds. Another has 116 beds. Warehouse Hostels have arrived here. New and shiny, But sterile.
when I started here (almost 5 yrs)there was only 6 options on Hostelworld for Bangkok, I was the only Hostel , now theres about 70 under the Hostel section. Sukhumvit has grown here for Hostels, Something besides KSR, More and more are not liking that area. Thats why I took the gamble of coming this way.

Oh and what you said before about your friends not knowing what a hostel is... So true as Thailand only had Guesthouse's for so long, One reason I choose the name Soi1guesthouse was for the Taxis.

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Nest_Bangkok

14 years

Hey Nest are you open for business? What is the name? I'll come give you a visit. Since you are a member here I'd be happy to send you guest when I get full ( I only have 45 beds) ...

Hi David
I'm so glad to know you in this forum.
Well, I don't open the hostel yet but I'm working hard on the project right now (It is still working on the floor plan design). It's going to be a family-run business as we have our own site on Sukhumvit 39.
We have to get rid of two houses we have and build the new building for the hostel.
But when we open it, hopefully by the end of 2011, I would be glad to have connection with other hostels too.
I'll let you know the name of the hostel later :)

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uktrail

14 years

When I visited Bangkok in 2002, I was travelling alone and also was not attracted to the Khao San Road, and on that occasion I enjoyed my stay at what was then, I believe, the only hostel in Bangkok, namely the one I mentioned that now looks less attractive. I'm very glad to see other hostels developing in that area of town.

I also notice that there seem to be no hostels at all in the southern part of Thailand. I wonder where backpackers stay, particularly solo travellers? My wife and I will be travelling there in January, we are happy on this occasion to have double rooms in guest houses, but we have studied the reviews thoroughly and we think we have found accommodations that are fairly sociable. (The areas are Phuket Karon Beach, Khao Sok National Park, and Koh Samui Choeng Mon Beach).

(Sorry we are not coming to Bangkok on this occasion, except to change planes.)

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soi1david

14 years

@UKTrail- If you have a bit of a layover and just need a place to stow your gear or hang you can come by here.9coming or going)
If you were last here in 2002 you'll see alot of changes. ( mostly in prices and the growth of Concrete.)
The new airport is masssive, give the duty free a big miss as it's badly priced.
Your choice and timing of khao Sok park is a good one best weather of the year in Jan, I have dreams of retiring just west of it, as it's the most beautifull and un-touristed part of Thailand, Stunning Ocean (as opposed to the Gulf side.) spotted with many small Islands, a small bit of ground and a mid sized Cabin Cruiser and I reckon I could finish this world very happy there.
Enjoy it, and if You need anything that we can help with, don't hesitate to contact us.

@Nest are you connected to "Nest Rooftop" on soi 11 ?

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Nest_Bangkok

14 years

@Nest are you connected to "Nest Rooftop" on soi 11 ?[/QUOTE]

Not at all, David.
At first it was my mom and sister's idea to name our Hostel as "Nest" (We will run as a family-business). And I register this forum with this name before we changed the name to something else. The Nest on soi 11 was one of the reason too followed by other "nest" name of hotel and hostel around.

I just add you in the facebook. Maybe we could discuss there. I'm still in the progress of doing homework about openning business in this industry.
Hopefully I can open at the end of year 2011

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