Types of hostels
June 12th, 2008Hostels provide accommodation to a large number of people at a low rates compared to hotels. In many Western countries they provide basic facilities to backpackers and other budget travelers. Some organizations like the YMCA and YWCA run a chain of hostels in different countries worldwide and a member of the organisation can stay in any hostel while traveling.
In other countries in Asia, hostels are built to accommodate a large number of students and young people staying away from home. Many of the hostels are associated with educational institutions like professional colleges. A single person staying away from his or her parents often finds it difficult to get rental accommodation and cannot afford to purchase a house. A hostel is a convenient accommodation for such people.
Some hostels for working persons are built and run by the government, while others are funded by charitable trusts. While hostels associated with educational institutions are only open to students studying there, hostels for working persons may be only open to people whose salary is below a specified amount. The size of the room provided and the monthly rental to be paid also depends on the salary of the person, so a salary certificate is needed before the person can apply for a room in the hostel. Since hostels have a limited number of rooms, there is usually a long waiting list for a centrally located well run hostel.