While many travellers stem from the American archipelago, the United States is clearly falling behind in terms of hostel number and capacity. This gets truer all the more when compared to Western Europe and Australia.
To date, the US holds around 350 hostels, a collective figure which Germany is able to outnumber with its Hosteling International hostels alone. HI has approximately 10 times more hostels within Germany – a total of 505 – in comparison to the US based HI's that only run at 54. This is where an imbalance can be seen granted the US garners double the amount of international tourists than Germany, with the former having 67 million in a yearly basis while the latter with only 30.4 million, according to the UNWTO statistics from 2012.
A general statement would suggest that Americans give very little consideration to hostels, especially in a domestic setting. Only students who study abroad are really able to route themselves to check-in into hostels given the circumstances that strap them roughly with a more limited amount of cash. But, once they leave, they usually never come back, not even for post-graduation. Then again, more Americans have never experienced hosteling while others don’t even know what a hostel is.
On the plus side, the reality aforesaid now has a higher propensity to make its departure with a new breed of hostels, which are on the rise. They are so called “boutique hostels.” And, these certain hostels have been providing millennial travelers mid-price costs that do not miss out on a commendable design, creating a substantial social alternative for the profuse hotel-goers.
Boutique hostels possess high-end designs that make them different from the conventional hostels most Americans do imagine, which typically involve cheapness brimming out of the air and accommodations barely boned for students who love to party. Rather than this kind of imagery, these properties would be the hostel version of the famous choices like the Standard and W Hotels.
Rather than merely serving the eye-candy factor to the people, these next generation hostels are actually quite the deal with their appealing power to those who have an affinity for technological integrations, with the ground zero being free Wi-Fi. And, the tech-savvy list goes on from there.
But to give more emphasis, it would be just to mention how pods at Podshare include 22” flat-screen television sets paired with Roku media- streaming boxes. Podshare, by the way, is based in Hollywood but tends to capture the image of Asian capsule hotels perfect for the artisans and entrepreneurs alike.
Another type of boutique hostels worth mentioning would be the designer hostels that offer spaces that meet the needs of the travelers on a much practical scale. A good example to this would be the Freehand Miami, featuring sleek perks like a mixology bar, a guest lounge, a courtyard and pool where the guests can simply socialize with each other.
Boutique hostels have been rising for a clear purpose: to revolutionize the name of hostels for the American eye and ear. These hostels purport to captivate more young American travelers in the depths of hosteling rather than the usual hotel-going. And, that is why European and American chains are both working hand-in-hand to finance the upholding of these new and more competitive hotel alternatives in the society.