Boston hostels adapt to the needs of modern travelers

By Kaitlyn Voyce
12/11/10

With only two traditional hostels, Boston may not be considered a backpacker destination. But the Boston hostels are adapting to the changing needs of travelers and becoming important alternatives in a city where hotel rooms are not affordable for young people who want to meet other travelers.

Hostels are incredibly popular in Europe, but many Americans are not familiar with the benefits that they offer. Hostels have common rooms where guests can interact and meet people from different cultures.

"The benefit of being in a hostel is really talking to the other guests and seeing what they've done," said Bob Sylvia, the general manager of Hostelling International Boston.

Nellie Fitzgerald stayed at HI-Boston when she came to Boston to visit nearby Berklee College of Music. Fitzgerald previously stayed at hostels in Los Angeles and Santa Cruz, Calif.

Fitzgerald said the Boston location had a more social atmosphere than the other experiences she had. She said she liked that there were a lot of students and young people.

"Boston is a lot more interesting because there are so many people from so many countries coming through here from so many countries. From the dining room you hear so many different languages," said Fitzgerald.

Jesmy Jose stayed at 40 Berkeley Hostel in the South End while attending a conference in the area. She said she has stayed at YWCA locations in India and trusted the reputation of the organization.

Jose said she did not have time to socialize since she was in Boston for business, but she prefers staying in places with a variety of people and opportunities for interaction among guests.

"It's a good place where you can meet people of different cultures and I always prefer that," Jesmy Jose.

"A hostel needs to be fun. You need to create that social environment where the youth can gather together and share common interests," said Saturnin Tomeho, general manager of 40 Berkeley Hostel.

Christine Hoey was one of the long-term residents. She lived at 40 Berkeley/YWCA for a year while working at yoga studios in Boston. She said some of her best memories from her time there have been watching sporting events with the international guests.

Hoey watched the World Cup with travelers from Spain and the Netherlands. "We all came together. It was amazing," Hoey said.

HI-Boston also offers opportunities for guests to meet and spend time together. Fitzgerald said she went with a group of guests from the hostel to a show at the House of Blues. The hostel also has daily activities organized by the program director.

Sylvia said one of their most popular activities is the trip to the Museum of Fine Arts on Wednesday nights, followed by bar hopping. Sylvia said people have commented that their favorite part of the outing is the walk from the hostel to the museum because guests get to talk.

"The thing that's really nice for us is that they appreciated that short walk for getting to meet the other people," Sylvia said.

Raphael Gugalka, a guest at HI-Boston, said he stays at hostels because they offer social interaction. However, he said the HI-Boston was not as social as other hostels he has stayed at in the past. He attributed that in part to the number of people on computers in the common room at night.

"Computers are really ruining hostels," Gugalka said.

Nikki Pardo works at HI-Boston. She said the dining room, which doubles as a common room where guests can gather and talk, helps with the social atmosphere of the hostel.

"It's a really great way for our guests who are traveling by themselves or even with groups to make friends. I think one thing that has definitely put a damper on that is that most people who are coming through want to be on their computers so a lot of the time people are not taking that opportunity to socialize when they could be meeting new people," said Pardo.

Sylvia also said that he has noticed an increase in the number of guests who spend time on their computers, which concerns him.

"Part of our mission is that you not be talking to friends at home, but that you be talking to the person across the table," Sylvia said.

Tomeho does not see computers as a threat to interaction among guests. He said people are still communicating, even if it isn't vocal communication.

"It's so easy for them to connect. As much as people are complaining that computers are keeping people away of socializing, that is debatable because in a hostel environment they meet, they connect, they make friends, exchange e-mails and communicate," Tomeho said.

Because of the increase in people traveling with their laptops and Internet-ready phones, hostel managers have taken note and are offering free WiFi.

Jose said one of her top requirements when booking a room was free Internet since she was traveling for business and needed to be able to check her e-mail.

Ben Golder was a guest at 40 Berkeley while he was in Boston visiting schools. He said he has just a few needs from a hostel: good prices, good location, clean rooms and wireless Internet.

"Wireless Internet is definitely a must because when I'm traveling I'm often having to look things up constantly and find places and that's the easiest way to do so, so having Internet access is really important," Golder said.

Free Internet is not as common in Europe and other destinations where hostels are more popular. Tomeho said the expectations of travelers tend to be cultural, but the travelers do still expect Internet now.

"The American guest is very educated, very demanding and knows exactly what comfort they are looking for and to what level, whereas the European understands that if they have it, they have to pay for it," said Tomeho.

Though Sylvia said he has reservations about the role of technology in hostels, Hostelling International has taken note of the preferences of the modern traveler. The new HI-Boston location will include more amenities for the tech-savvy guest, such as more outlets to charge electronics and a dedicated computer room. But Sylvia said the new building will have designated areas for computer use, games, relaxing and more.

While WiFi has become an amenity that many travelers expect from a hostel, Gugalka said he does not always expect it.

Gugalka was six months into his two-to-three-year trip around the world when he came to Boston. He traveled through Canada, even working in a hostel in Toronto, and went to Chicago. Though he is originally from England and is used to Western amenities, he said he realizes those amenities will not be available everywhere he travels.

"When I go to South America and Africa it might be different. If you ask me then what to expect I don't expect much in those places. I don't expect hot running water. In Canada and America you would expect a shower, laundry I suppose and what we would describe as basics," said Gugalka.

Tomeho said guests used to just expect a place to sleep when booking a hostel, but people want more for their money. In addition to wanting hostels to be more tech-friendly, guests at American hostels are expecting more social interaction and activities available when they come to stay.

With more needs, hostel booking and review sites have become important for guests and hostel managers. Sylvia said almost all of the reservations for HI-Boston are done online through the Hostelling International website or the various hostel booking sites, whereas the majority of reservations were made over the phone when he started working for the organization 15 years ago.

Fitzgerald uses online booking sites to check availability, but says she doesn't put too much weight on reviews. "I feel a lot of the reviews tend to be more negative than positive from what I have seen from online reviews in general. I don't know if I trust it as much. I think you need to come to the place to get the feel of it."

Sylvia and Tomeho said they regularly read the main review sites to get feedback and improve the guest experience. From small things, such as adding yogurt and peanut butter to the breakfast menu, to larger changes, hostel managers are listening to their guests. Tomeho said he will be implementing more activities at 40 Berkeley in the future based on what he saw in the reviews.

Sylvia said the new HI-Boston is designed to be a hostel and the design has taken into account many of the common things mentioned in reviews. In addition to having dedicated spaces for socializing and other things, the rooms will include more electrical outlets and the building will be LEED-certified to cater to the eco-friendly guest.

"It's a new generation with a new trend, way of thinking," Tomeho said. "All of this is good."

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Boston hostels adapt to the needs of modern travelers

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