If you haven’t stayed in many hostels before or in one at all, you might be under the impression that certain ‘types’ of people or travelers stay in them. While I can’t speak for how things were years ago, I can safely say after my hostel experiences, that there is no ‘one type’ of traveler that chooses hostels as a preferred form of accommodation. It’s not necessarily the young traveler looking for cheap accommodation and a good time.
So who can we find in the bunk below us or in the common area spending too much time on their devices? These are the ones I’ve identified recently:
The Newbie
This person is either new to traveling or to staying in a hostel or both. While a lot of hostel stayers will have stayed in many others before, there are some that you will meet who are staying in one for the first time. These people are intrigued by the constant flow of people in and out of the establishment and can be found interrogating new roommates upon arrival. The Newbie could also be new to traveling as a whole and might be unusually interested in the lives of the Intrepid travelers.
The Intrepid Traveller
This person has traveled a lot and has stayed at many hostels. They are not as eager to become best friends with every new face they see but instead let the connection form naturally. Some types might be big on talking about what they’ve seen, done, where they’ve been and how cool it was. Others might keep this information to themselves but can be spotted from a mile away by how comfortable they look cooking their meal for one in a foreign kitchen surrounded by strangers.
The Neat Guy
This guy is not me. The neat people are able to live out of their suitcases or backpacks without it looking like an erupting volcano. Some of the really talented ones even keep it zipped up and untouched-looking the entire time. I am currently sleeping above such a person. I don’t know how they achieve this.
The Messy Guy
This would be me. This has always been me. It’s as if taking an extra 5 minutes to pack away what I’ve just worn is the hardest thing to do. Having this kind of personality is probably also what made me struggle a little in my summer job as a yacht stewardess KEEPING THINGS CLEAN. The messy people feel sorry about their untidiness, but not enough to rectify it. Please note, in my case its organized chaos and is limited to a 1m squared area. And I still know where everything is.
The Guy here on business
Believe it or not, people traveling on business also stay at hostels. They might not be the CEO type, but here and there you’ll find someone around for a reason other than just ‘ traveling.’ These folks can be seen spending a lot of time on their devices – and are forgiven for it. Unlike the hostel stayers who have their noses buried in social media as if they were at home on their couches.
The Quiet Guy
This person will wander around the hostel, sometimes with earphones in, not speaking to anyone. Days can go by without many words coming out their mouths. I don’t have much else to say about these ones.
The Organised Traveller
Some people, mainly those on a tight schedule, will have everything planned out down to the hour. Printed out travel itineraries and all. This person is often the same person as ‘the Newbie.’
The Go-with-the-flow Traveller
These ones don’t know what they’re doing today or where they’re going tomorrow. “Somewhere in Spain,” “Maybe Madrid.” The go-with-the-flow traveler and the organized traveler might have difficulties traveling together.
The Friend
There will inevitably be ‘that person’ staying at each hostel which you click with. It could be another solo traveler, someone from a similar background or country, someone from a completely different background, or someone you’ve picked up as a lover. Basically, you have the chance of meeting and connecting with anyone from anywhere. Your friendship could last 24 hours, or your plans could end up involving each other for a few weeks.
The Partier
Usually of a younger age. The partiers will focus on how much alcohol induced fun they can have- and let’s not forget the drugs. So far I can say that these types are more likely to be found in South America than Europe.
Bare in mind- a hostel stayer can be the friend, the neat guy, the intrepid traveler and the go-with-the-flow traveler all in one. Other combinations are also possible.
Hostels are far from the dirty dives that people thought of them as before. And they are especially not something out of the movie ‘Hostel.’ By my definition, a hostel is a place where you pay less per night for accommodation than anywhere else. Its also where you have access to free internet, cheap laundry services, the odd free meal, camaraderie, adventure, and comfort. There is no reason to ever stay in a bad hostel when we have access to sites like Hostelbookers and Hostelworld. They give us every single detail from the location down to if they supply locks or not. The ‘reviews’ section is particularly important and can really help you get a better feeling of the place before arriving or if you even want to stay there at all.
