Hostels for over 50s? Absolutely. They’re not just for young people anymore.
While backpacking around Europe in my 20s, I stayed in lots of “youth hostels.” Bunk beds and lockers were the norm.
Hostels were no-frills, inexpensive places that resembled dorms and were usually separated by gender.
There were no private rooms, at least in those I visited in Western Europe in the 1980s. Not anymore!
What are Hostels?
Today’s hostels are on the inexpensive end of lodging offerings. They serve all ages, including families traveling with children, who can book family-accommodating suites.
Hostels for over 50s and others can range from beachside huts to social dorms in cities. Dorm-style rooms still seem to be available at hostels worldwide.
Hostels are still budget accommodations, but they have upped their game now. They are for all ages and provide various amenities.
Many have pools, bars, private suites and more enticements. Laundry and other services often are offered.
Hostels are generally less expensive than hotels. It is cheaper if you stay in a dorm-style room, but most offer private rooms, as well.
Hostel World is a good website source for finding a hostel. It is an online travel service that focuses on the hostel market. AirBnB also has hostel listings. All provide user reviews of the properties listed.
Hostels typically have shared kitchens, which can help lower one’s food budget. Many travelers share food or leave behind food for the community.
Game rooms have become more popular at hostels as well. And there almost always is a book exchange library.
The lounges are welcoming spaces in which to relax, work, or meet other travelers. I have enjoyed many wonderful conversations at hostels with people from all over the world.
People enjoy sharing their experiences and travel tips. I also have met people at hostels with whom I have explored cities or joined paid excursions in various places.
Hostel recommendations
My favorite hostels have been Selina hostels, of which there are more than 100 around the world, primarily in Latin America. Selina is geared towards digital nomads.
I was reintroduced to the world of hostels while traveling with a digital nomad group called Remote Year.
Remote Year sets up remote workers with lodging, a workspace, and a community for a month, four months or a year abroad in multiple cities around the world.
I have done five one-month-long trips with Remote Year, to Antigua, Guatemala; Lima, Peru; Medellin, Colombia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Istanbul, Türkiye.
I plan to do more. I am going on one of Remote Year’s five-day adventure trips to the salt flats of Bolivia this month.
All of the Selina properties I have seen are brightly colored and have whimsical décor, pleasant common workspaces, a restaurant, often a pool and a range of accommodation types at each site.
At a Selina in the beach town of Puerto Escondido, Mexico, my room was one of several thatched roof teepees surrounding a campfire!
It was adjacent to the pool and a close walk to the bathrooms. It definitely was unique!
At the Selina hostels in which I stayed in Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Colombia, they offered free happy hour welcome drinks, dance lessons, yoga and discounted excursions.
I have been disappointed only at one Selina hostel, when a friend and I arrived late in Quito, Ecuador, and the room was closet-sized and windowless.
The staff made up for it, though, and upgraded us at no extra cost to a much nicer room with a window the following day. It pays to be kind!
Selina hostels also offer local tours and airport transportation. In my experience, their prices for tours and transport are less expensive than those I have found elsewhere.
My hostel experience
At age 61, I will stay in a hostel if I have a private room. I would rather have my own bathroom, too, but will share a bathroom if I find a particularly attractive offering.
I would rather spend my money on experiences and delicious food than where I lay my head after a full day of touring.
I once stayed in a dorm-style room at a black sand seaside surfer town in Guatemala. It was not my first choice, but I was with a few girlfriends who had made the arrangements.
It was certainly inexpensive. I was a bit wary of the co-ed dorm room, but it turned out fine. It was in a great location, and the bunk beds were comfortable and clean.
When my children were young, I was intrigued by an elderly couple in my neighborhood who frequently traveled around the world staying at “elder hostels.”
The organization Elderhostel, which began in 1975 as a learning adventure program for older adults, rebranded itself as Road Scholar.
Road Scholar today offers thousands of programs combining travel and education and serves approximately 100,000 people each year. Its travel programs cater to those who are over 50 years of age.
Preparing to stay at a hostel
Hostels, like anything else, vary in quality and offerings. I check reviews before booking. Safe locations and secure rooms are of primary importance to me.
Sometimes I travel with a rubber door stopper that I can wedge under the inside of the bedroom door for extra peace of mind.
Keeping a quick dry towel in my backpack has proven handy if towels are not provided by the hostel or are available at extra cost.
Because I travel light, with only a rolling carry-on suitcase and small backpack, I have embraced compact bar shampoos and conditioners, and roll my clothing into packing cubes to preserve space.
Books I read are left in hostel-sharing libraries, and if I happen to buy new clothes abroad, I donate clothing or other items if I cannot fit everything into my carry-on.
Things to do while hosteling
I love being around people of all ages. I am an extrovert and have no problem striking up conversations with strangers.
People who hang out in the common areas at hostels generally are open to conversations. Many times I make a friend at a hostel with whom I can share a meal or go on a tour or walk around town.
On Vancouver Island recently, I joined some new friends from the hostel at which I was staying on a Kodiak boat whale-watching excursion organized by the hostel.
Other good sources for local tour offerings include Viator, GetYourGuide, AirBnB Experiences and Tripadvisor.
I recently took a horseback riding tour in the Hollywood Hills after scanning the Tripadvisor site for fun things to do in Los Angeles, California.
In Istanbul, Türkiye, I found a free and informative neighborhood walking tour on GetYourGuide. A search on Viator got me on a fun boat day tour around some picturesque islands off the coast of Split, Croatia.
From AirBnB Experiences, I went to a gaucho ranch outside Buenos Aires, Argentina, for horseback riding, dinner and a folk music and dance show.
It is my desire to visit every country in the world. So far, I have visited 68 countries, including every continent. To do this, and as I draw closer to retirement age, I have become more budget-conscious.
While hostels certainly are not luxe accommodations, they help me accomplish my dream of visiting every country at less expense than staying at most hotels.
I enjoy the communal feel of the hostels I have visited. People from many different countries hang out in hostels and often share food, tables and amazing stories.
The atmosphere at hostels feels more easygoing and light-heartedly fun. Some travelers stay on to work at hostels to earn free boarding, which could be an option for those on a shoestring budget.
Staying in hostels when I travel affords me new perspectives. People I meet who frequent such accommodations tend to be more travelers, versus tourists.
They want to know more about the local culture, as opposed to simply seeing the well-known sites. They veer towards immersive experiences, which is what I, too, desire when I travel outside of my home country.
I go out of my way to seek out older travelers to learn about their life experiences and often gain nuggets of wisdom.
Younger people tend to share youthful fun and energy, which I also enjoy. Conversations with them sometimes help me to better understand my adult children and their generation.
Talking to people of all ages helps to keep me young because it keeps my brain synapses firing. I believe that we all can be teachers to one another if we are open to the lessons.
I hope that my intergenerational encounters can help to dispel ageism one conversation at a time.
I am doing my part, and find it easier to do that in the laid-back, welcoming hostel communities I find all over the world.
Seek out a hostel for its social atmosphere, communal feel and money-saving perks. I do not think you will be disappointed, as long as you come with a good attitude and an open mind.
If you want more information about hostels for over 50s, and other ages, around the world, check out these reference guides.
Hostels for the over 50s? Absolutely!
What do you think about today’s hostels for over 50s? Would you stay in one today?
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