lapin
Junior Travel Member
Posts: 1
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Post by lapin on Sept 16, 2005 16:29:43 GMT -5
Hello all -
I've been lurking on these boards FOREVER (like, 2 years) and am finally starting to plan my trip for real, for next spring. I will likely be posting a gazillion questions in the next while, but thought I'd start with this one:
How do people feel about staying in HI hostels vs indie hostels? Do most people switch it up, or stick with one or the other? I've mainly been researching Paris so far, because that's where I'm hoping to fly into, and the HI hostels there seem so big and impersonal, but so far I haven't been able to find any indie ones that seem particularly good. I'm sure it varies wildly by city, but I thought I'd just get some thoughts on this topic...Let me know what you think.
Thanks!
L.
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kena
Senior Travel Member
Posts: 64
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Post by kena on Sept 16, 2005 19:41:37 GMT -5
I've had excellent experiences with HI hostels, and moderately to downright awful ones with non-official hostels, but your milleage may vary.
In my experience, official hostels tend to have stricter rules (curfews, limited access hours, non-mixed dorms) and higher fees but they guarantee minimum standards of cleanliness and comfort, and tend to be quieter, partly because they attract a slightly older crowd. They also tend to have a more internationally diverse customers. Again, those are generally impressions, not absolute truths, but it might help guide your choice.
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Post by me on Sept 16, 2005 23:42:10 GMT -5
mind if i opine a little?
often i avoid HI's, if there's an independent hostel available. i've encountered some indies that were just disgusting, but also a few gawd awful HI's. one finds all kinds of both.
but, my biggest beef with many HI's is the way all who stay there are treated like children. or, maybe even treated like inmates.
- d
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Post by Jules80 on Sept 17, 2005 9:53:52 GMT -5
in paris i stayed at le village a few weeks ago and loved it! great atmosphere for meeting ppl and it was in montmartre and near a metro. i believe it is an independent one. but i don't actually know. i go with whatever looks best.
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Post by Eagle on Sept 18, 2005 15:06:55 GMT -5
lapin, some good information in the previous Posts, but a few comments to add....
In my limited experience I've found the HI Hostels to be well managed with good facilities. Some HI properties have full kitchen facilities, and provide a good breakfast, which is often included in the price of the room. Lunches and dinners are available at small extra charge. Many provide good Lockers in the rooms, and other things such as Bars, Internet terminals, bike rentals, laundromats, etc.
The HI properties often get school groups or whatever, but I don't find that to be a problem. I sometimes have a conflict with the "lockout" periods as I don't always get up too early, but usually this isn't a problem.
As stated in previous Posts, some Hostels will be a bit dodgy and if you find one that isn't to your liking, move on and find another one. It helps a lot to do some research before your trip, so that you can get some idea of which Hostels are available in each city, and which might be suitable for your tastes.
Hope this helps. Good luck with your trip planning (that's often a lot of fun as well)!!!
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Post by egirl on Sept 19, 2005 10:36:17 GMT -5
I stayed at Le Montclair Montmartre in Paris, and had a phenomenal time. It was clean, friendly, and in a great Montmartre location near the Jules Joffrin station. I highly recommend it! The staff was fully bilingual, the rooms were nice, and the location and price were great.
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Post by Jules80 on Oct 6, 2005 21:21:05 GMT -5
in all the places i stayed, only 1 place had lockers and those had locks provided. so i never used the lock i bought. is this normal or was it just a coincidence that i never had lockers?
jules
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Post by Vickie on Nov 1, 2005 0:12:33 GMT -5
I bought a HI card, but ended up not using it once on my three month trip. I found it easier to book rooms in independent hostels as I went, plus after talking to fellow travelers, they are less strict on rules and regulations. (I only had one hostel with a lockout and three with curfews for the duration of my trip.) Furthermore, non-HI hostels tend to be more centrally located, which saves you SOOO much time and energy!
My advice is not to buy an HI card. I personally found it to be a waste of money.....but that's just one opinion. =)
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