Hostel vs Hotel vs Homestay how to choose where to stay while traveling

1 of the 5 important categories while distributing your budget for a trip is accommodation. So choosing where to stay – hostel vs hotel vs homestay – does have partly to do with your budget. But there is way more to deciding where to stay than just money. Including your personality.

There have been times when I open my phone to look for a place to stay and I find all three of these places with more or less the same price/ night. It doesn’t happen always, but it does happen often. So how do you decide where to stay, or make sure you don’t regret choosing one over the other?

Have you tried all three?

The first criterion for selection is kind of obvious. Have you tried living in all three spaces?

If yes, then you know what kind you like the best. If not, try and pick the one that you haven’t stayed in so far. And, I would suggest that you opt for a kind of accommodation more than once. No 1 hotel represents all the hotels in the world, neither does 1 hostel or 1 homestay.

The conditions change from city to city, state to state, and country to country. So building an opinion about all the hotels in the world, based on one experience won’t be fair to the rest, now would it?

So have an open mind. Keep trying new things, give people a chance to serve you with the best they have got. And, yeah in case you don’t like something, try and point it out in a very polite manner. When it comes to making conversations polite, take some guidance from Dale Carnegie if you have to.

Budget – Hostel vs Hotel vs Homestay

Obviously. 7 out of 10 times, people have a budget in mind before they set out to travel. And, if you are a backpacker like me, you are perpetually on a budget. The more free hostings and rides you get, the better. It will give you a chance to stay on the road a little bit longer.

So in my experience, homestays cost the maximum, then hotels and hostels cost the least if you are okay with opting for a bed in a dorm room. There is a range of hotels out there. From budget to luxury. Same with homestays, depending on where it is located, and what all are they offering, the cost differs. There have also been times when I could get a hostel, hotel and a homestay, all 3 for the same price, for INR1000/ night.

So yeah, that happens. The best way is to just have a number set in your mind, that says how much are you willing to spend, and then look for a place online. If you find a place in your range, great. If not, you can either look for a deal online or call the places you shortlisted and try to explain your situation and negotiate.

You’ll be surprised to see how much people are willing to let go to help a traveler far from home.

Lack of Choice

Not all cities offer homestays or hostels. So when you are traveling to these places, your choices do get limited. So you need to pick from the available lot. Hostels for one are not that readily available in all cities.

There were many times on my travels when I was in a super saver mode, but couldn’t find a decent budget accommodation option. So obviously I had to take whatever was available.

Lesson: While planning your budget for an upcoming trip, keep some room for such scenarios.

There will be times when some people will refuse to let you in without prior payments, refuse to take cash and at the same time, the online payment might also not get through. If you ever do get into a situation like that, I suggest that you don’t waste a lot of time arguing or convincing. Rather, ask for directions to another accommodation or get to the main road asap. Then find a ride to an area that is close to a bus stand/ railway station where you can find multiple options for accommodation as well as traveling around the city.

Mental Strength

How long have you been traveling? Do you have enough strength to keep going or do you need a break? Do you have the mental strength to deal with fellow travelers/ hosts or do you need some space for a while?

Choosing a place to stay also has a lot to do with your mental position at a given time. So you cannot exactly pre-plan this part. It’s very momentary. If you’ve been having a couple of hectic days, you might want to stay in a hotel/lodge/Inn for a day or two, before you get back. Mostly happens in the case of backpackers.

If you are a luxury traveler, you might want to take a break and stay in a hostel every once in a while, it’s good to talk with fellow travelers. Homestays are an interesting match between hostels, hotels and local hospitality. So I am not sure if someone can get tired of that. What are your thoughts about it?

Choice – Hostel vs Hotel vs Homestay

If you have tried living in various types of accommodations, you must have a favorite.

Some people cannot imagine staying in a hostel. They are all about hotels and homestays. Mostly the kind of hotels that have clean walls, room-service, great food, and other facilities like a game room, wifi, laundry, bonfire, etc. Which by the way even hostels offer. And homestays too 🙂

So these days, as I have seen, there is not much difference between the facilities offered by different living options. Then Hostel vs Hotel vs Homestay what to choose while traveling?

I think it comes down to an individual’s personality. If you like being pampered in a hotel room. If you like living with a family and talking about the local culture, beliefs, and enjoy the local hospitality. Or, if you just like being surrounded with people, whether local or otherwise, to talk to, to play with or even travel with for a while.

Reason for travel

Why are you traveling? Is it for work, leisure, to spend time with friends, spouse, girlfriend/ boyfriend? Your reason can help you choose a kind of accommodation other than of course your budget.

Perks of staying in a;

• Hotel -privacy, room service, silence when needed, food and private bathroom.
• Homestay – privacy, silence when needed, food, an opportunity of interaction with the locals and the possibility of a private bathroom.
• Hostels – always have somebody around to talk with, the local staff can guide you around the place, food, an opportunity to interact with fellow travelers and the local staff. Silence you may or may not find. And, common room with games and books.

Wifi, laundry, parking, pet-friendly, and air-conditioning you might or might not find in all of the above categories. It has nothing to do with the type of accommodation that you choose. If wifi is important to you, and you can’t find an accommodation in your budget that offers that, you can always look for a restaurant or a cafe nearby that does instead.

My choice – Finding a balance between Hostel vs Hotel vs Homestay

I am a hardcore backpacker. Luxury travels bore me because of the lack of human interaction and presence around you. So 9 out of 10, no wait, 19 out of 20 times, I will choose to live in a hostel, closely followed by homestays.

These are the reasons when I don’t stay in a hostel;

• I need a place to stay only for the night since I’ll be back on the road the next day.
• In case I reach a place late, after dark, I would look for a place nearby at least for the night.
• If I am tired of shared bathrooms without a water heater.
• Also, if I need space to work and consolidate my work – blogs, photographs, equipment, etc.

Other than this, I would always, 100%, choose to stay in a hostel. I love the fact that while traveling solo, which I often do, I get people to talk to, share stories with, exchange experiences, take suggestions, learn about different cultures, and find out what to do and not to do in a particular place, long before I get there. Something that is otherwise impossible to find on blogs or online. Locals are the best source!

How was your experience staying in a hotel, hostel, and homestay? Which one would you choose to live in and under what circumstances? Do share it with me in the comments below 🙂

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