My First Night in a Hostel—A Symphony of Snoring
Let’s talk hostel vs Airbnb, because oh boy, do I have opinions. Last summer, I crashed in a Chicago hostel bunk bed that squeaked like a haunted house door every time my Austrian roommate rolled over. Meanwhile, the Airbnb I booked in Austin had a “cozy loft” that was actually a glorified closet with a neon Live Laugh Love sign. Budget travel, amirite?
I’m typing this from a café in Denver, still recovering from a red-eye flight, and my laptop charger is currently tangled with a hostel keycard from 2022 (why do I keep these?). Point is: I’ve done the dirt-cheap-dorm-shower-flip-flop life and the “oops, this Airbnb has a hidden cleaning fee” dance. Here’s my unfiltered breakdown.
Hostels: Chaos, Community, and… Foot Fungus?
The Good
- Price: Like, stupid cheap. $25/night in NYC? Sign me up (then regret it later).
- Social Vibes: Met a German grad student who taught me how to shotgun a beer. Life skills.
- Free Stuff: Some hostels offer pancake breakfasts or pub crawls. Yes, I’ve eaten 12 pancakes to “get my money’s worth.”
The Bad
- Noise Pollution: That one guy who always unpacks his entire backpack at 3 AM. Why.
- Privacy? LOL: Changing in a bunk bed without flashing your neighbors is an Olympic sport.
- Hygiene Roulette: Once saw a dude clip his toenails in the common room. Shudder.
Airbnb: Fancy… Until You Find the Hidden Cameras
The Good
- Actual Doors: Glorious, beautiful privacy. No strangers judging your midnight snack habits.
- Kitchen Wins: Saved $$$ cooking pasta instead of eating $18 avocado toast.
- Aesthetic AF: That one Airbnb in Portland had a record player. I felt so cool (until I played my Spotify playlist through it).
The Bad
- Price Creep: “60/night!”turnsinto60/night!”turnsinto200 after fees. Cool, cool.
- Sketchy Listings: Once booked a “charming studio” that was just a mattress in a garage. Five stars for creativity.
- Host Drama: Got a passive-aggressive note for leaving a spoon in the sink. Sorry, Linda.
When to Pick Which (AKA My Flawed Logic)
- Hostel if: You’re under 30, hate money, and enjoy making questionable life choices with strangers.
- Airbnb if: You’re over 30, hate other people’s questionable life choices, and value not sharing a fridge.
Final Verdict: It Depends (Wow, Helpful)
Look, hostel vs Airbnb isn’t black and white. Sometimes you want a $5 dorm bed in Prague. Sometimes you need an Airbnb with a bathtub to cry in after a delayed flight. My advice? Mix both. And maybe pack earplugs.
What’s your worst hostel/Airbnb story? Mine involves a bunk bed collapse. DM me.
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