When you look at accommodations at a new location for your family, there are several different options: standard hotel, apartment, hostel, house… It is easy to look at hostels as a backpacker, young, single option. However, many hostels are able to support families and depending on the location, may be the cheapest choice.
How do you find out?
Price
The difference with a hostel is that you are paying per bed. The more privacy you want with that bed, the more you will pay. So, when you are looking at staying in a hostel with a family of 6, the price will be X6. When you compare a local hotel with the number of rooms you need to house 6 people, or an apartment that houses 6, you can see if the price of 6 beds is worth it.
Room-Type
There are rooms for just women, just men, per bed, and even some hostels tout “family rooms”. I like to look at booking a room for the exact amount of people that I have with me. That way we have all the space to ourselves, but we are still paying per bed which makes it a cheaper option. Usually, the cheapest rooms have shared bathrooms outside the room, so you have to decide if that works for your family or if you need a private bathroom. We have also done one 4-person room with a private bathroom and put our other family members into a room with a shared bathroom and our whole family just used our private bathroom. These options are paying per bed, but you end up with some private space for your family as you fill up an entire room of beds.
Welcoming of Families?
Honestly, I found that the best way to go about booking a hostel for a family is to be upfront and honest. After doing research and finding out the price, send them an email or contact through social media with your children’s ages and what room you would like to book. They then know what to expect and whether they can accommodate you or not. They will often quote you another price (could be cheaper or a better room situation) and you can book directly that way. We have used this on many occasions and have found that most owners are very accommodating and willing to work with your situation.
The hostel vibe is one of welcoming strangers, making conversation, and sharing life together. It is a way to interact with travelers from all over the world. I highly recommend giving your children that experience during travel. It can open their eyes to new people and a simple way of traveling.