Hotel, Hostel, AirBnB: Which One Is Right For You?

Let’s face it: accommodation can make or break a trip. Your choice in this regard doesn’t impact only the place where you sleep at night, it might affect your trip overall and that is why you should consider your options carefully.

So, where should you stay during your trip? There isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” answer to this question. It depends on who you are travelling with, your preferences, your budget and what you are looking for.

Let’s look at the options…

Hotels

The most traditional accommodation form is still preferred by many people in their travels. It provides the safety of knowing what you can count on.

Cost: When you travel alone, this is normally the most expensive option. However, if you are travelling with another person, a hotel might be the wisest option price-wise, as you end up dividing the cost of the room.

Privacy: as private as it gets. You have your own room, and nobody can disturb you there. You can make use of the social areas, like the bar and the lounge, but normally people don’t interact much with each other at hotels.

Amenities: it varies according to the hotel you are staying at but, usually, this is the option that provides a greater array of amenities. You can be sure to have staff catering for your needs, cleaning the room everyday and always making sure you have what you are looking for. Usually hotels also have bar, restaurant, room service and some might even have a gym or a pool.

Better for: couples, people who value privacy.

Hostels

More and more common everywhere in the world, you can find different kinds of hostels: cheap, party, boutique, ecological or historic, for example.

Cost: hostels are commonly regarded as the cheapest form of accommodation. This is especially true if you are travelling alone and, therefore, don’t have anybody to share the costs of a hotel room or AirBnB. Usually, in a given destination, you can find a wide range of hostel prices, from the cheapest, super basic ones, to fancy, design choices that will reach price levels near of those of a hotel.

Privacy: by default, hostels require you to share a room with people you don’t know. While this might be scary for some people, it also provides an exciting opportunity to make new friends. Especially if you are travelling alone, staying at hostels is a great way to find company to explore the destination with.

For the introverts out there, be aware that you don’t necessarily have to interact with the people in your room. It is totally ok to share the room with others and not have a conversation – besides a polite greeting.

And let’s clear one thing out: hostels are not exclusively for younger people. There are many 50+ travelers sharing rooms with youngsters and enjoying it!

Amenities: it depends vastly from one hostel to another. Some have everything you might think of, like free breakfast, bar, laundry service or guided tours. Others simply offer a bed and a shared bathroom. Naturally, the prices reflect this.

Better for: solo travelers, people drawn into the backpacker style of travelling.

AirBnB

You can rent an AirBnB in two ways: either you get the whole place for your party or you rent a room only, having access to the kitchen and bathroom but knowing that there are other people in the house.

Cost: it varies deeply depending on the property and the location. If you are travelling in a party of two or more, the cost for each person should be somewhere between a hostel and a hotel.

Privacy: if you rent the whole property for your party, you can enjoy great privacy by choosing an AirBnB. However, keep in mind that if you are travelling with people you don’t feel particularly comfortable with, a hotel room provides greater privacy, especially in the use of the bathroom.

Amenities: usually, there isn’t much of a service provided by the owners of the property you rent, other than providing clean bed sheets and towels. Sometimes, you also get some left-over food from the previous guests. Or, if you are lucky, the owner might have a local dish waiting for you – but be aware this is the exception, not the norm.

Better for: families with kids, groups of friends.

Now that you’ve decided on the type of accommodation… where will you go on your next trip?