Back in the day, the best backpackers could expect from a hostel was a rock-hard bunk bed, a grimy shared bathroom, and, with luck, checking out with all their belongings intact.
But now, a burgeoning cohort of young travellers dubbed 鈥渇lashpackers鈥� 鈥� backpackers with a slightly larger budget 鈥� has given rise to a form of lodging that at one time would have been considered an oxymoron 鈥� the high-end hostel.
Unlike the dingy dormitories of decades past, hostels in Canada have been revamped to cater to millennial wanderlust, offering affordable luxuries such as free breakfast, private rooms, digital amenities and modern-day security features.
Look at the M Montreal鈥檚 Instagram feed and you鈥檒l find photos of guests lounging in the hostel鈥檚 two rooftop Jacuzzis, partying in the neon-lit bar, taking in musical and comedy acts or chowing down at the caf茅, which offers free or pay-what-you-can dinners several nights a week.
Located in Montreal鈥檚 Gay Village, the hostel鈥檚 most lavish accommodations 鈥� a 700-square-foot private room with a kitchen, living room and large-screen TV 鈥� can run for up to $250 per night during peak summer months.
Owner Andreas Zacharakis said the M Montreal is designed to facilitate connections among tourists and locals alike, which he sees as the hostel鈥檚 competitive advantage over five-star hotels and shared-economy accommodations such as Airbnb.
鈥淭he customers are smart. They鈥檙e smarter than ever before,鈥� Zacharakis said. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 mind paying. They just want to be assured that they鈥檙e going to have a good experience and a good service.鈥�
In low season, budget-conscious guests can still pick up a key card to a 10-person room for about $30 per night, which includes a bunk bed with a back pillow to lean on while web-surfing, outlets for charging devices, storage spaces, a curtain for privacy and access to a shared ensuite bathroom.
Zacharakis compared today鈥檚 tech-savvy consumers to 鈥渃yborgs鈥� who are pushing hostels to provide upscale amenities on par with hotels through reviews on social media and sites such as hostelworld.com, where the M Montreal globally ranks as the best extra-large hostel of 2019.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a communal spirit going on,鈥� Zacharakis said. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e checked in, you鈥檙e introduced to everyone in your room. By the time you鈥檙e leaving, you feel like you鈥檙e about to cry, because you鈥檙e leaving your family.鈥�
The Two Peas Pod Hostel in Toronto bills itself as a 鈥渘ew travel concept鈥� straddling the hotel-hostel divide. Guests can book a spot in one of the Chinatown hostel鈥檚 four-pod rooms 鈥� each bunk equipped with a memory-foam mattress, bamboo pillow, a personal fan, flat-screen TV and headphones 鈥� for as low as $49 per night this spring. Its website boasts amenities such as luxury showers, a quiet lounge, cafe, hairdryers and a home theatre.
Gabor Forgacs, an associate professor in Ryerson University鈥檚 hospitality and tourism management department, said hostels comprise only a small share of Canada鈥檚 commercial lodging industry, and there鈥檚 a wide variation in quality.
But as hotel prices have increased year after year, Forgacs said an influential segment of tourists 鈥� millennials who are looking for a good deal, but would pay a premium for purportedly authentic experiences 鈥� are turning to alternatives such as hostels and Airbnb over 鈥渃ookie-cutter鈥� accommodations.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an age cohort specifically that is more interested in gathering experiences than objects, and they place higher value on seeing the world,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he traveller is more socially interactive. They want to at least have the illusion of being part of a community.鈥�
Even hostel chains are upping their offerings to stay competitive.
Hostelling International has updated many of its 54 locations to serve these plugged-in, community-oriented travellers, said Shelbey Sy, marketing director for the 91原创-Mountain region.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just offering a place to crash, but a wide experiences within the property, and also outside that takes them closer to the community they鈥檙e visiting,鈥� Sy said. 鈥淭ravellers nowadays not only want to be able travel comfortably, but they also want to stay connected and to be able to share their experiences with their networks.鈥�
The HI 91原创 provides local-guided pub crawls and walking tours for tourists who want to go off the beaten path and explore the city, while the HI Ottawa Jail offers one-of-a-kind stays in converted prison cells, some of which are rumoured to be haunted, Sy said.
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