One of my highlights while studying abroad has been the hostel culture, a pillar in traveling especially in Europe and Asia. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before—rooms that are cost efficient and encourage socialization amongst guests through group events, dorm rooms, and communal areas. I immediately got used to sharing a room with strangers, setting into rhythms every weekend of conversing with people from all over the globe, and looking to get the most out of whatever city we were in. I’ve even met people I’m still in contact with, people I would’ve never been introduced to if not for this unique aspect of exploring a new place.Â
As a student getting paid minimum wage, I would love to return home and have as many opportunities to travel as I’ve had while studying abroad in the Netherlands. Though I know there are many obstacles standing in my way—the cost of flights being the greatest—I also have spent the past few months speculating on the lack of hostels in U.S. cities. It wasn’t just the money that inspired me to create a Hostelworld account, but rather, the ability to make connections with fellow travelers looking to make memories with every adventure.Â
Of course, this is not to say there aren’t hostels in the United States. In many blogs online, they list a plethora of hostels located in major U.S. cities, such as NYC, San Francisco, and Boston (the one located right near Emerson’s campus!). But, they aren’t sprawling across all of the U.S., easily accessible by travelers with large backpacks waiting until it’s time to finally check in to their room.Â
I believe the issue is that the U.S. lacks this “hostel culture.” That is, to say, when students travel, a hostel in the U.S. is not their first idea of places to look into for accommodations. In an article from NBC news, one of the major difficulties regarding hostels is how un-backpackable the American landscape is. Unlike other regions of the world where sometimes it can only take three hours to travel between major cities, you can drive eight hours in Texas and still be in Texas. People in the U.S. can’t just hop on the Eurail for weekend trips, as an entire day is spent traveling to the place anyway. Furthermore, hostels in cities outside of the well-known urban hubs aren’t seeing as many tourists book rooms, primarily because they are often annoyingly out of the way of all the activity.Â
Moreover, travel agencies aren’t putting their efforts into highlighting the opportunities of hostels in the U.S. If there was a greater effort put toward advertisement, as well as evenly distributing properties across the country, we might see this culture be streamlined into mainstream travel media. But it seems to lack this enthusiasm, and people just aren’t romanticizing them online like they do within other countries.Â
However, considering all of those obstacles, and though it seems that online statistics are always predicting “the rise of hostels” in the U.S., I still don’t think travelers have had this necessary shift in thinking yet. I’d be elated to see more people flocking to these sites, major cities or not. Traveling costs might vastly differ from Europe or Asia, but it would still be a budget-friendly choice for people looking to explore the vast wonders of the United States. It would be especially amazing to be able to visit my friends in other states and not have my only housing option be cramming onto their twin-sized bed and praying one of us doesn’t fall off in the night.Â
I’m in full support of seeing the rise of hostels in the U.S. Let’s embrace sleeping in six-bed female dorms and feeling slightly embarrassed every time you text in the Hostelworld group chat in Phoenix, Pittsburgh, or Kansas City. Who knows? You might just meet your next best friend in the bunk right next to yours.Â