Hotels vs Hostels

Debating whether or not you should book a hotel or stay at a hostel during your spring break trip with your friends or with your family? We will outline the pros of both options to help you make your decision!

Hotels

Hotels offer you the opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Then again some hotels vary along the scale from okay to amazing, so some of these pros apply to certain types of hotels.

Family-Friendly
Accommodating – you can get a single room, double room, connected rooms, suites, etc.
Your own space – you can have a room to yourself that is private and has its bathroom attached – you can do you without bothering other people
If it’s all-inclusive you don’t have to worry about sticking to a food budget
Variety of services – most hotels provide laundry services, pools, and free Wi-Fi
Clean – you have the option for your room to be cleaned every day!
Location options – you can choose where you want to be, whether it is close to tourist areas, in the heart of the city, or more of a local/secluded area
Food – most hotels provide food to their visitors in their dining areas
24-hour service – there is always someone on shift to help you as needed
The safety of guests is a priority
On-site entertainment – certain hotels put on daily activities and night shows
You know what you are getting – if you are staying at a major chain or with a company you have before you know the quality and what you are getting
Packages – hotels are a reliable and trustworthy place to buy excursions to explore the country

Hostels

Hostels are not all like the ones you see in the movies, there are some super cool ones out there to explore. When you are searching, make sure you are going through reviews and seeing what other people think. Overall, hostels are a cool way to explore and allow you to get new and unique experiences!

Cheap accommodation option – you can spend as little as 12 CAD for a one-night stay
Locations – most hostels are located close to public transit and tourist locations in major cities
Room Options – if you are travelling solo – you can share with others and if you are travelling with friends and family you can sometimes find private rooms
Sociable – hostels are a great opportunity to meet other people that share the same interests, they are usually full of a younger, international, student type group
Variety of services – most hostels provide free Wi-Fi, laundry, storage, kitchens, and other extras. They also offer a lot of fun activities for you to take part in during the day – so if you want to take a break from exploring, you will still have things to keep you busy
Shared kitchens – you have the opportunity to save even more money by preparing your food rather than going out or ordering in
Unique – most hostels are locally-owned businesses or part of smaller organizations, so you can escape the corporate world
Friendly Staff – although they might not be around 24-hours a day, they are always there to help and can find you exactly what you need

ISIC Hotel Discounts to check out

Choice Hotels – 15% off
Hotels.com – 10% off
Homestay – 50% off booking fee
STA Travel
Hotel Express – 50% off
& so many more

ISIC Hostel Discounts to check out

HostelsClub
Hostel World
Generator Hostels
HAKA Lodges – 5% discount
YHA Australia – up to 20% off
Swiss Youth Hostels
& so many more

We also have discounts with Wonderful Italy – stay in a local home, uniplaces – students can stay in rooms, residences, and flats, StudentsRoom & SpotAHome – where you can get discounts for more long-term accommodations. Check out https://www.isic.org/ for more deals or to search for a specific location and visit https://isiccanada.ca/ to get your ISIC discount card today!

Hotels vs Hostels