hostels

Word family

• hostel
  nounB1
• hostelling
  nounB2
• hosteller
  noun

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A hostel (sense 1) is a budget option designed for travellers who are comfortable sharing sleeping and living space with strangers. A hotel is its opposite in almost every way: private rooms, en-suite bathrooms, daily housekeeping, and a much higher price. A guesthouse sits between the two — it is smaller and cheaper than a hotel and may have a shared bathroom, but it still offers private rooms rather than dormitory beds. A bed and breakfast (B&B) is a small, often family-run place that includes a cooked breakfast in the price; like a guesthouse, it gives you your own room but lacks the social, backpacker atmosphere of a hostel. If you want to meet other travellers and spend as little as possible, pick a hostel; if you want privacy and a quiet night, choose a guesthouse or B&B.

Common collocations

Etymology

Hostel entered English in the 13th century from Old French hostel (meaning 'lodging' or 'inn'), which came from Latin hospitale ('guest house'). The word shares its root with hotel and hospital — all three originally referred to places that received guests or people in need. The modern sense of a cheap travellers' lodging (sense 1) became common in the early 20th century with the rise of youth hostels. The homeless-shelter sense (sense 3) developed later as charities and local authorities took over the word.