#poshtels

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Poshtels

Backpacker Hostel’s Cooler Sister - the latest travel and accommodation buzzword. We’ll explain what it means (and why you want to stay there) and tell you about a few of our favourites in SA. Read on  http://ow.ly/27hi302a7gP. ‪#‎postels‬ ‪#‎backpackers‬ ‪#‎hotels‬ ‪#‎travel‬

[newstfionline]

The hostel grows up: ‘Poshtels’ make their way to USA

Nancy Trejos, USA TODAY, June 24, 2016

For many people, the word hostel evokes images of grungy backpackers, uncomfortable beds, shared bathrooms and snack machines.

But that’s a hostel for another era. These days, hostels are more like boutique hotels at a bargain price.

The upscale hostel trend was born in Europe. To attract younger travelers, hoteliers started outfitting hostels with bars, coffee counters, game rooms and full-service restaurants.

This type of accommodation has become so common that it has earned a name: poshtel, short for posh hostel.

The idea has made its way across the Atlantic, with the introduction of such brands as Freehand and Generator. Rates for shared rooms can be as low as $25 a night. Many offer private room alternatives as well as free Wi-Fi, breakfast and activities to promote interaction among guests. Some even have swimming pools.

“Over the last 20 years, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in the variety of the look and feel of hostels,” says Netanya Trimboli, director of communications and public relations for Hostelling International USA, a non-profit, member organization. “With just the sheer number of hostels in Europe, there has been a natural creation of various niche products. Just as the hotel market saw the introduction of life-style boutique hotels 25 or so years ago, we’re now seeing the same in the hostel sector.”

Trimboli says there are more than 360 hostels in the USA. According to the global organization Hostelling International there are more than 4,000 hostels worldwide.

The demographics of a poshtel vary, but for the most part they attract Millennials, those in their 20s and early 30s who are highly coveted by the hotel industry because of their increasing purchasing power and desire to travel.

The popularity of hostels is growing, says Jeremy Crider, manager of public relations for North America for Trivago, a travel booking website.

In London, hostels accounted for about 3% of all accommodation searches for summer 2016, based on data collected from January to June for travel between June 1 and Aug. 31. Last year at the same time, 2% of searches for London travel involved hostels, Crider says.

“As more and more travelers seek out a local, authentic experience, we can expect to see interest continue, as poshtels and smaller, independent hotels often allow visitors more of an opportunity to immerse themselves in the city,” he says.