Hostels grow in Seattle as people need a cheap place to stay
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/410670_hostel05.html
Two years after Hostelling International's 130-bed building near Pike Place Market closed and became apartments, Seattle is seeing a boom in affordable lodging for budget-minded travelers.
...
By the summer of 2007, the Green Tortoise was downtown Seattle's only hostel.
It appears there are now 3:
I may be stopping in Seattle next week and will write an update if I have time to visit the hostels...
15 years
Interesting combination.
Hostelling international in American hotel.
Its a smart idea from the hotelier to target budget travellers but the hotelier's spirit is not really a full-hostels-spirit.
But that's interesting to know that one can be combined with another.
I think it says about conserned management.
But , if I were a traveller I would stay in the real hostel.
15 years
Checked the website and seems more of a name for historical purposes versus a try to morph hotel and hostel together. If you one of the Seattle crew want to respond since you are there.
15 years
HI- "American Hotel" kept the name for Historical purposes, I feel like some travellers are a bit confused with the use of the name "hotel" but they do have a nice place and I met the managers, its your standard h.i.
15 years
its your standard h.i.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? :D I mean, "standard" HI got quite different meaning in Europe... :rolleyes:
15 years
Hi "Aboriginal"
Sorry ,I will be more specific, here in most of North America ,specifically the states H.I. Have definitive standards they adhere to , like no alchohol , for example,this is not meant in a negative manner just meant they are consistant in who they are ,and want to be ,based solely on my personal experience. I personnaly prefer the uniquness of independant hostels, and choose to support independants. But I am a little biased:D
I have never stayed at an H.I. in europe so I dont know exactly what the standards are for H.i.
hope i didnt offend...
15 years
hope i didnt offend...
Certainly not! I just wanted to clarify that the quality standards of most independent hostels in Europe got way over the average HI hostels...
Maybe I'm a bit biased as well? :D
15 years
Hi in the USA is vastly different to HI Germany and HI Germany is vastly different to HI in the Baltics. But they all target families via their safe, clean offerings. If you want to laugh loudly and be allowed to be obnoxiously drunk whilst doing some wild things with other chilled out guests then HI hostels would not be your first choice.
People stay at HI Hostels when they have found a partner and need to sleep after all the partying at independent hostels.
HI USA just force the independents to be 100% clear on what their own target market is and as a result end up providing a better service than they did before. The opportunity in Seattle is to capture more of the traditional Hotel market.
People want to have fun when they are travelling for business.
14 years
The members of hostels associations , when they have some meetings together from time to time , to some conferences and forums , they can be useful in some creativity , originality , initiatives and ideas.
This you can not say about independent hostels.
I think that independent hostels care about themselves but associations , like some local state hostels association or some province hostels association , or HI , they can meet and decide about some ways how to bring the tourists to their cities and countries.
For example , to search the contacts with youth , students organizations , to organize some events and with a help of those events to accommodate a big groups of guests , and so on.
14 years
Sounds like HI Hostels USA ought to start thinking about inviting some independents to meetings to promote the common aspects of your business.
Where do HI Hostels send guests to when they are full?
14 years
In the area where I run the hostel , the best hostels are private independent hostels. The best hostel in the country is Australian-run independent hostel.
Of course , in Australia , New Zeeland , in the West European countries there is better understanding of the natute of this activity.
But in the countries where the people can not even get a visa without ptoblems to the neighbors country , in the country where people can not travel much because of economic hardship , you can not expect much of backpacking knowledge.
As i heard , a lot of people in US , do not travel much , and if they backpack in Europe - its already some thing , of course .
Where I live , some hostel owners has got a nice renowated apartments and transformed them to the hostels , some have bought expensive beds , furniture , but the absence of atmosphere does not make those hostels top rated.
Because a good hostels , its about atmosphere.
I think if I am independent hostel and I want to co-work with other ones , even if they are members of HI , I simply should make agreements with them about solidarity and helping each other , to do it directly with a hostels not with HI.
Again , it depends from the area , in some countries HI even set the standards , in some HI may be good just to accommodate big groups in the students hostels.
I do not think that HI would be interested to take care of your hostel unless you are their member , no matter how good hostel you are.
Actually , if you are among the top hostels , they want to have you in their organization in order to rise the image and prestige of their organization.
But the question some times is , if the membership will bring prestige and membership to your hostel then.
But I like the combination of hostel/hotel in American hotel.
You can target big groups in this way , and you do not build mega-hostel , you can be a hotel and at the same time a hostel.
No ''home away from home'' but you will get the groups and will rise the income of the hotel.
In some countries the Ministry of tourism does not pay attention to the hostels and does not sponsors hostels activity .
I think that the owners of budget hotels , even not only a budget hotels should pay attention to the hostels phenomenon.
Because the hostel can be even a compliment to their hotel activity and not a competition.
Related Pages
Log in to join discussion