Back in the day, the best backpackers could expect from a hostel was a rock-hard bunk bed, a grimy shared bathroom, and with luck, checking out with all their belongings in tact.
But now, a burgeoning cohort of young travellers dubbed B次元官网网址渇lashpackersB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� backpackers with a slightly larger budget B次元官网网址� has given rise to a form of lodging that at one time would have been considered an oxymoron: the high-end hostel.
Unlike the dingy dormitories of decades past, hostels in Canada have been revamped to cater to millennial wanderlust, offering affordable luxuries such as free breakfast, private rooms, digital amenities and modern-day security features.
Look at the M MontrealB次元官网网址檚 Instagram feed, and youB次元官网网址檒l find photos of guests lounging in the hostelB次元官网网址檚 two rooftop Jacuzzis, partying in the neon-lit bar, taking in musical and comedy acts or chowing down at the cafe, which offers free or pay-what-you-can dinners several nights a week.
Located in MontrealB次元官网网址檚 Gay Village, the hostelB次元官网网址檚 most lavish accommodations B次元官网网址� a 700-square-foot private room with a kitchen, living room and large-screen TV B次元官网网址� can run for up to $250 per night during peak summer months.
Owner Andreas Zacharakis said the M Montreal is designed to facilitate connections among tourists and locals alike, which he sees as the hostelB次元官网网址檚 competitive advantage over five-star hotels and shared-economy accommodations such as Airbnb.
B次元官网网址淭he customers are smart. TheyB次元官网网址檙e smarter than ever before,B次元官网网址� said Zacharakis. B次元官网网址漈hey donB次元官网网址檛 mind paying. They just want to be assured that theyB次元官网网址檙e going to have a good experience and a good service.B次元官网网址�
In low season, budget-conscious guests can still pick up a key card to a 10-person room for roughly $30 per night, which includes a bunk bed with a back pillow to lean on while web surfing, outlets for charging devices, storage spaces, a curtain for privacy and access to a shared ensuite bathroom.
Zacharakis compared todayB次元官网网址檚 tech-savvy consumers to B次元官网网址渃yborgsB次元官网网址� who are pushing hostels to provide upscale amenities on par with hotels through reviews on social media and sites such as hostelworld.com, where the M Montreal globally ranks as the best extra-large hostel of 2019.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a communal spirit going on,B次元官网网址� said Zacharakis. B次元官网网址淲hen youB次元官网网址檙e checked in, youB次元官网网址檙e introduced to everyone in your roomB次元官网网址� By the time youB次元官网网址檙e leaving, you feel like youB次元官网网址檙e about to cry, because youB次元官网网址檙e leaving your family.B次元官网网址�
The Two Peas Pod Hostel in Toronto bills itself as a B次元官网网址渘ew travel conceptB次元官网网址� straddling the hotel-hostel divide. Guests can book a spot in one of the Chinatown hostelB次元官网网址檚 four-pod rooms B次元官网网址� each bunk equipped with a memory-foam mattress, bamboo pillow, a personal fan, flat-screen TV and headphones B次元官网网址� for as low as $49 per night this spring, its website boasts amenities such as luxury showers, a quiet lounge, cafe, hair dryers and a home theatre.
Gabor Forgacs, an associate professor in Ryerson UniversityB次元官网网址檚 hospitality and tourism management department, said hostels comprise only a small share of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 commercial lodging industry, and thereB次元官网网址檚 a wide variation in quality.
But as hotel prices have increased year after year, Forgacs said an influential segment of tourists B次元官网网址� millennials who are looking for a good deal, but would pay a premium for purportedly authentic experiences B次元官网网址� are turning to alternatives like hostels and Airbnb over B次元官网网址渃ookie-cutterB次元官网网址� accommodations.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 an age cohort specifically that is more interested in gathering experiences than objects, and they place higher value on seeing the world,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he traveller is more socially interactive. They want to at least have the illusion of being part of a community.B次元官网网址�
Even hostel chains are upping their offerings to stay competitive.
Hostelling International has updated many of its 54 locations to serve these plugged-in, community-oriented travellers, said Shelbey Sy, marketing director for the Pacific/Mountain region.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not just offering a place to crash, but a wide experiences within the property, and also outside that takes them closer to the community theyB次元官网网址檙e visiting,B次元官网网址� said Sy.
B次元官网网址淭ravellers nowadays not only want to be able travel comfortably, but they also want to stay connected and to be able to share their experiences with their networks.B次元官网网址�
The HI Vancouver provides local-guided pub crawls and walking tours for tourists who want to go off the beaten path and explore the city, while the HI Ottawa Jail offers one-of-a-kind stays in converted prison cells, some of which are rumoured to be haunted, Sy said.
The HI Toronto maintains some of the hostelB次元官网网址檚 ramshackle charms, with one hallway strewn with debris from guests, and a basement bar and cafe dubbed B次元官网网址淭he CavernB次元官网网址� with exposed vents and tangle of wires in the ceiling.
But manager Desmond Tibby said the HI Toronto has come a long way since he came on board in 2003, offering free breakfasts, live performances and private accommodation costing up to $200 per night that are fully booked during high season.
B次元官网网址�(Guests) have a bigger disposable income now. They expect better furnishings; they expect better service; they expect breakfast included,B次元官网网址� said Tibby. B次元官网网址淭he way we could be going is having a concierge. If they demand that, thatB次元官网网址檚 what will happen.B次元官网网址�
Adina Bresge, The Canadian Press
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