hostel industry Archives - eZee Absolute Online Hotel Management System Thu, 22 Dec 2022 06:59:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.0.7 https://www.ezeeabsolute.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/cropped-ezee-logo-32x32.png hostel industry Archives - eZee Absolute 32 32 The Hostel Industry Is Up for Huge Success! [Here’s Why and How] https://www.ezeeabsolute.com/blog/future-of-hostels/ https://www.ezeeabsolute.com/blog/future-of-hostels/#respond Fri, 21 Oct 2022 11:02:46 +0000 https://www.ezeeabsolute.com/blog/?p=12224 Do you want a prosperous future for your hostel? Then, check out these creative ideas and set the desired vibe at your hostel to lure travelers seeking extraordinary experiences.

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“Following the passion” and “traveling the world”, these two things have a huge fan base.

But among these, there is only one winner.

Traveling it is, of course!

Just kidding. (Not really!)

Well, I didn’t know that traveling was winning in such a dramatic way till I recently talked with two of my colleagues, Shreeya and Harshajit.

They were exploring these beautiful accommodations on the internet and told me how they wanted to visit all these places to experience amazing stays there.

Now, I am an amateur when it comes to traveling (thanks to my parents), so I stayed quiet.

But I noticed one thing that was the highlight of their conversation – “Hostels are better than other accommodations! They provide real, raw, and a comfortable experience with the added magic of crazy fun.”

And I decided to dig into this remark a bit more. 

So here in this blog, along with discussing how hostels are providing exhilarating experiences to guests, we will widely look into the future of hostels and what new they are bringing in.

Why Are Hostels Popular Among Travelers?

Hostels are ideal accommodations for solo travelers, backpackers, hitchhikers, and young tourists. Of all the people staying in hostels, 72% are solo travelers. Now this proves that the experience of a hostel is genuinely something else. It must have been homelike, comfy, and adventurous to build a strong niche among solo travelers.

With all the hostellers living together, sharing rooms, sleeping on bunks, socializing on rooftops, and participating in fun activities, people find hostels the most welcoming accommodation.

All these things help hostels leave an ever-lasting impression on travelers.

It should also be noted that the new hostel chains and their creative ideas have added magic to this industry. From choosing the perfect locations to building amiable infrastructures, they have successfully managed to create a wholesome experience for travelers.

Also, hostels may have young people as their mainstream niche but other age groups are also keen in exploring them. Because when people are traveling they love to fetch the experience of youthfulness. And hostels seem to be an ideal place to get it from.

On top of all, the affordability of hostels just adds up to the delights of travelers.

Hostels and Their Future Potential

Hostels are no longer limited to just bunker beds and community halls. That’s long gone!

Then, what is the future of hostels? What does it look like? Will they be successful?

Well, the new hostel chains like a&o Hostels, Zostels, Backpackers, Nomads World, Mad Monkey, GoSTOPS, Madpackers, and many more have already proved their unparalleled capability in the travel industry and there’s a lot more in their bucket. The future of hostels is going to madden their fanbase for sure.

Also, there is no doubt that with the tremendous rise of the traveling buzz, the new and creative strategies of the hostel industry are going to be a big hit.

To back this up, let’s have a quick look at how hostels are adding value to their property and welcoming a prosperous future ahead.

Hostels and Their Add-ons

Though many hostel chains are surging ahead with new trends and setting the benchmark for the industry, there are still those which need to improve their pace. For helping them out, I am listing the ideas modern hostels can opt to add more flavors to their traveler’s experiences. Here it goes:   

1. Budget hotels

With time, hostels have upgraded themselves. Most hostels now offer private rooms and the rest are eventually following the trend to broaden their guest spectrum. This way hostels are also functioning as budget hotels.

Let’s understand this with a scenario:

A few years ago, Samay had traveled to Kasol for his college trip and stayed at Serene Hostel which had a beautiful river-facing view. Now, Samay is taking his family there and wants to experience the same scenic beauty. But staying in a dorm with his family doesn’t appeal to him. 

Although when he searched on this hostel’s website, he found that this hostel is now offering private rooms as well. So, he could still go to this amazing location without worrying about his family’s privacy.

And in my opinion, most of the hostels are situated in exotic places and hence seem to attract a wide range of travelers. Therefore, filling in as budget hotels is coming naturally in the hostel market. And in this way, they are optimizing their reservations.

2. Thrilling themes

Going to a party is fun but going to a Halloween party is what excites people!

Simply put, themes add extra flare everywhere. And this is what hostels are harnessing successfully.

Let’s look at a real scenario where you and your gang of cousins are bored of visiting the same old places of Poona. And one of your cousins suggests a staycation at a haunted place (I am this cousin!). Then you come across ‘The Hidden Hour’ – A horror-themed hostel that gives you a safe but horror experience altogether.

But this isn’t it!

While I was researching, I found the quirkiest themes that hostels are offering. There’s a lookup-themed Prison hostel in Goa! In Udaipur “Hostelcrawl” is giving a real-time Hogwarts experience to all the Potterheads. Fascinating enough?

These amusing and funky themes are what make hostels stand out and spice up the user experience.

3. Innovative infra

One of the prime aspects of hostels is to facilitate the dorms with flexible infrastructure. The way hostels furnish a small room with all basic requirements and still manage to craft a spacious look fascinates travelers a lot.

My colleague Harshajit mentioned that the interiors and exteriors in modern hostels are so creatively designed that they are enough to grab anyone’s interest. And travelers do look out willingly to design their personal rooms at home like the ones in hostels.

This is true! I mean check out the hostels on the internet, they are literally a treat to your eyes. You will get stunned by the vibrant colors, makeshift furniture,  eccentric decor, and eye-catchy graffiti.

Apart from these, hostels are now taking extra care of the hostellers by prioritizing their work commitments. 

For instance, Moustache cowork hostels in Goa provide everything a digital nomad requires. Besides 24/7 wifi, they have dedicated coworking spaces, laptops, stationery, and other types of equipment to support the hostellers with the new workation trends.

4. Savor experience

According to a source, 40% of backpackers travel just to experience new cultures. 

One of the ways hostels can lure these backpackers is by giving a local touch to their services, maybe by arranging a free tour for them of the localities and the culture around – including clothing, historic places, food, dance, music, etc. 

Hence, the secret sauce to hostels’ successful future will always be, the experience.

Though they are still handling it very well with the evening rooftop sessions, singing and dancing beside the bonfire experience and funny socializing games, etc., there is more.

Let’s start to dig it with Zostels’ amazing “Meet your fellow travelers” policy. 

So, Zostels purposely shuffle the travelers visiting together and allot them dorms with strangers to spice up their socializing experience.

Likewise, Gostops has designed a whole new section named “goEXPERIENCES” for this purpose which offers planned and guided trips and treks to the hostellers thus adding a package of outdoor experiences to their indoor ones.

5. Technology

In this digitally driven world, we can’t go ahead without discussing a solid take on technology. The way it is molding every business, no wonder hostels must leverage it for performing at their best.

Also, over 70% of the hostellers are millennials and I have already discussed in one of my previous blogs that millennials are tech-savvy. Therefore, to keep a strong hold on this audience, you need to shake hands with technology.

In fact, a few things that you can never overlook to secure a prosperous future are: Listing your hostel on effective OTAs, moving forward with mobile technology, and most importantly opting for an ideal Hostel Management Software.

All these technological advancements are a must if you want to conquer the future challenges of the hostel industry.

What About Your Hostel and Its Future?

There is no doubt, that the hostel industry is booming as the travel buzz is at its peak. Also with the rising popularity of in-budget and solo trips, the future of the hostel industry is also taking a positive direction.

I am sure hostels are also aware of the fact that travelers prefer them over hotels when it comes to experience. And hence, they are working every day on boosting their experience factor even more.

But the question is, are you as a hostel owner keeping up with this futuristic approach? Are you adding enough to your hosteller’s experience plate?

If not, then start today by taking one thing at a time. See what is it that you can add to your hostel right away, and how you would implement the remaining ones.

Apart from this, never let down any chance or a new idea of keeping your hostellers engaged and entertained because ultimately that’s the key.

Keep the vibe high in your rooftop entertainment. Happy Hostelling!


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7 Clear and Logical Differences Between Hotels and Hostels https://www.ezeeabsolute.com/blog/difference-between-hostel-and-hotel/ https://www.ezeeabsolute.com/blog/difference-between-hostel-and-hotel/#respond Tue, 31 Aug 2021 09:28:38 +0000 https://www.ezeeabsolute.com/blog/?p=10415 Hotels and hostels are segments of the hospitality industry, yet differ in various ways. Here are 7 factors that show the difference between a hotel and hostel.

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Hostels and hotels operate on one common goal – providing guests the best place to stay. Yet, both are different like a memoir and an autobiography.

How? 

Let’s find out…

What is the difference between a hotel and hostel?

Hostels differ from hotels in several aspects like operations, room type, and USPs. I have listed 7 such major factors here which will help you understand the difference between hotel and hostel. 

1. Experience

One of the prime aspects that demarcates hostels from hotels is ‘Experience’.

In fact, the kind of aesthetic experience hostels provide is the reason for their exponential growth. You know the excitement of meeting strangers, learning about their culture and life stories, engaging in adrenaline pumping activities, sharing rooms with new friends; such experiences attract solo travelers at the hostel.

On the other hand, hotels have always been known for providing guests with comfortable and hassle-free stay. Moreover, guests opting for them look for the best services and luxury facilities (swimming pool, room service, recreational activities).

2. USPs

It’s true that USPs (unique selling points) do help in capturing the guests’ attention. Basically, they help you carve out a niche amongst your target audience. 

Some of the commonly found USPs in the hotels are:

  • Food quality
  • Comfortable rooms
  • Recreational activities (bar, spa, gaming lounge and others)
  • Room service
  • Multi-cuisine restaurant

Meanwhile, hostels have an entirely different set of USPs which are:

  • Ravishing locations
  • Community gathering activities (bonfire, adventure sports, barbeque nights)
  • Quirky ambience
  • Pocket-friendly rates
  • Exquisite experience
  • Location

Checkout this post from one of my favorite hostels – Zostel. See, how beautifully have have promoted their location with this Instagram post.

3. Target audience

The hospitality industry caters to various guest segments such as corporates, solo travelers, GITs (Group Inclusive Tours). Since hotels are omnifarious, all kinds of travelers can book them.  

Hostels on other hand are opted for a lively experience and meeting new people. That’s why they are majorly preferred by millennials and GenZ. In fact,many international travelers book their stay in hostels rather than hotels.

The target audience of hostels are:

  1. Solo travelers (Nomads, explorers, wanderers, hippies)
  2. Backpacking enthusiasts
  3. Students
  4. Group of young people attending any events or fests
  5. Foreigners

4. Room type

Another major difference between hotel and hostel is the type of rooms they offer. 

In hostels, dormitories are the primary room category. These dorms have four to ten bunk beds in one room, which serves the core purpose of hostel living.

However, the concept of shared stay affects the privacy of guests, making them opt for hotels.

Talking about hotels, they have varied room categories, ranging from budget to luxury. Depending on their budget, purpose, and required facilities they can book suitable room types.

5. Tariff structure

The tariffs offered to guests are on a per bed basis, unlike hotels where the rates are charged for the entire room even if it is a solo traveler. 

Hotel room tariffs are calculated on the basis of room types, star categories, and services.  For example, a budget hotel would offer a tariff of ₹1500 for its base room category, while a luxury one would have a rack rate of ₹8000. 

6. Operational structure

The tariff difference between hotel and hostel, is a reflection of the services guests avail at both properties. As compared to hostels, hotels need to invest more in streamlining and managing their operations. 

Why?

Because, guests book hotels for their services. Be it in-room dining, housekeeping, or maintenance; one phone call is all it takes to avail any services.

Due to low staff count, hostels provide limited services. But this does not stop them from giving an option of self service. 

Guests have to do their own tasks, such as carrying luggage to their respective dorms, cooking meals, and cleaning the kitchen after the same.

7. Marketing strategies

It’s no secret that your content drives SEO. A cocktail of right keywords and engaging content delivered to the correct audience is necessary.

As hotels and hostels have different guest segments, their marketing strategies also differ. The former’s focus is on promoting the facilities, while the latter one markets aesthetic experiences. 

The difference between hotel and hostel can be seen even in their offline marketing. Travel agents are the best source of offline bookings for hotels.

Talking about hostels, they partner with local vendors to facilitate bookings. Those are activity providers, local transport facilitators (cab or bus), restaurants, and many more. Apart from that, event planners do help hostels in fetching more guests.

Effective Hotel Marketing Strategies

Which one to choose?

‘Hostel vs hotel’ is one of the most searched topics in the last few decades. While the guests look for certain experiences, the investors analyse the profits each of them make. 

I have stated 7 aspects that showcase the difference between hotel and hostel. Once you go through all of them, see which one to opt for your business model. In case you choose to start a backpackers hostel, I would recommend you reading this blog.

How to start a successful backpackers hostel?

Get the most-advanced hotel software of the industry

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The Workation Trend is Here to Stay. Do You Want to Know Why? https://www.ezeeabsolute.com/blog/workation-trend/ https://www.ezeeabsolute.com/blog/workation-trend/#respond Sat, 07 Aug 2021 13:07:56 +0000 https://www.ezeeabsolute.com/blog/?p=10249 A candid conversation with two hospitality professionals unveils all the ins and outs of the workation trend in the hospitality industry.

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The hospitality industry is having a bumpy ride ever since the COVID-19 pandemic started. While many hospitality establishments providers got shut, some managed to stay afloat, and some have recovered fully.

Now, with the Covid-19 graph flattening, people are starting to travel again. But this time, it’s not just the rules, but the travel preferences have changed too.

Similar to staycations and weekend gateways, workations have become increasingly popular among travellers.

It’s not just the hotels that are turning to workations; hostels are also adopting this trend, especially to cater to those digital nomads who wanted to get away from the city hustle-bustle.

To learn more about the workation trend, we talked to two experts from the industry — Pranav Dangi, Founder and CEO at The Hosteller, and Darshan Bora, Sales and Revenue Manager at goSTOPS.

During the interaction, Dangi and Bora have shed light on a lot of interesting aspects. If you’re a hospitality enthusiast, this article is the best thing since sliced bread.

Before we jump to the interaction part, let me first give you a quick explanation of ‘what is workation’.

What is Workation?

A workation is exactly how it sounds; it is work + vacation. Simply put, it is about staying in a place for long, feeling the local essence, and getting any work or project done.

If you can’t take a vacation because of work, take the work along with you. Now you can write those marketing copies or send emails while sipping on a passion fruit punch by the pool.

Further, during workation, travellers usually keep certain things in mind.

  • Keep their expenditure low
  • Travel light
  • Stick to a location for a good amount of time
  • Try to experience road karma

The Rise of Workation

The pandemic has significantly changed how people work. Numerous companies around the world have turned to the WFH regime and no doubt, this has in turn been a boon for us.

However, there are repercussions; it is taking a toll on productivity and mental health. Therefore, people are now inclined towards vacationing and working at the same time. And that’s how the workation trend came into the picture.

“The real cause behind increased accommodations is the will in the youth to explore and stimulate the lost human connection in the pandemic. The need to connect with like-minded people and relieve stress leads to escape in the name of work away from home,” said Bora.

“Sitting at home in a pandemic and working within four walls of the home has hit like a saddening wave to many people which affected their mental health as well.”

Furthermore, he’s also addressed the concerns of students and young professionals. Bora feels that home isn’t always a conducive place to work and study. With family members constantly around, it’s not always easy for everyone, which is definitely a significant factor.

“People require enough space; a healthy and stimulating environment to work, study or just function normally,” Bora added.

While Bora was explaining the reason behind workation becoming popular, Dangi also pitched in and seconded.

“To be honest, people are tired of WFH and the same is affecting their efficiency, mental health and making them less productive at work. However, since the time people were allowed to move out, WFH has converted into Work from Anywhere (WFA),” said Dangi.

“The freedom to travel alongside working with different landscapes and views is quite enticing. Plus, the hospitality industry has been adapting to make themselves more aligned with the trend.

What Role Hostels are Playing?

While both the experts were covering all the aspects already, I was keen to know about the roles of hostels. Because I am sure, a trend like workation cannot be limited to regular accommodation providers.

So, when asked about the same, Bora said that the workation trend in the hospitality industry has aided hostels in accommodating long stays (for weeks and months) with affordable prices. Hostels are now exploring this trend with an open mind; and as a result, they are able to attract youth at a large scale.

The Hosteller’s CEO also agreed and explained further.

Hostels, though operating on a lean model, were hit no differently than anyone else in the industry. However, according to Dangi, it was sort of a breather for hostels.

If you look closely, you’ll see that the hostel segment has done some pretty good innovation, leading to developing services like Workation. Many hostels even upgraded their infrastructure to make it suitable for people coming to stay for a longer duration.

And, one way or the other, it has worked out for hostels. They are today, a vital player in the workation arena.

“You can take our example. Today, almost 50% of the inventory under the brand is filled by people coming for workation,” emphasized Dangi.

Over and above, he also said that even their branding has been – Why WFH when you can work from anywhere.

“A good Wi-Fi network, a clean/hygienic place to stay, easy meal options, and a vibing environment to chill on the weekends/work-offs is all that a person seeking workation needs,” Dangi added. “And The Hosteller got all of it, making us an ideal place for workation.”

The Technological Aspect of the Workation Trend

Adapting to a trend is one thing, but there are a few other important things that go behind the scene. If you want your operations to be seamless, you need much more than just a PMS.

Your property must have a solution that automates mundane tasks.

Now, while there are several solutions in the market, nothing comes closer to eZee. However, you might still be wondering whether we actually walk the talk.

So, when I asked Dangi and Bora about their tech preference, both of them settled on the same page as well.

 “eZee, as I have mentioned countless times earlier, is our backbone. The tech capabilities that we get from eZee enables us to roll out or customize products quickly,” said Bora.

“goSTOPS and eZee Technosys have been partners for more than 5 years now and our strong partnership has been nothing but fruitful to us,” said Dangi “eZee has supported us in implementing a new strategy for inventory and pricing for workation. Not only this, but they also have been a guiding light in integrating with new channels which have resulted in building a smooth workation experience for our guests.

Technology is crucial and we have realized it the hard way. If you are tapping on a new trend or planning to tweak your business to make the most of an opportunity, you need to have a robust tech stack.

We also have a guide that will help you pick the best software for your property. Do give it a read.

FREE Buyer's Guide to Hotel Software

Breathing New Life into Hostels

Hostels have struggled then; they are struggling now. It seems to be a never-ending tunnel. However, there’s a ray of hope.

The vaccination is taking place to a good degree. People are stepping out of their homes to continue globetrotting with new travel trends.

The insights from Dangi and Bora are gold and speak volumes about hostels making the most out of a trend. Not to mention, this also shows that the industry is supremely agile.

Talking about the future, Dangi believes that the workation trend will continue till the end of 2022, at least. And Gen Z will be the core segment.

Now, if you ask about my opinion, my money is on both of their takes. I was on a workation a couple of weeks ago and can’t emphasize how refreshing it feels. I could see how desperate people are to relax and work.

WFH is absolutely doable, but it needs a change at times. I am sure, hostels that are up the creek will tap into workation because it is, indeed, breathing a new life.


Get the most-advanced hotel software of the industry

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9 Effective Hostel Marketing Tips To Get More Bookings https://www.ezeeabsolute.com/blog/hostel-marketing/ https://www.ezeeabsolute.com/blog/hostel-marketing/#comments Mon, 22 Jul 2019 05:50:15 +0000 https://www.ezeeabsolute.com/blog/?p=2450 While you’re busy managing your hostel, don’t forget one important aspect, its marketing. We have listed down some best marketing tips to promote your hostel/hostel chain and drive you more bookings.

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Owning and managing a hostel is a challenging, yet fun task at hand. It is a completely different game than owning a hotel. We’re sure that most of you might be applying many hostel marketing strategies. Though it’s not a bad idea to check what’s working and what’s not, and then add in a few innovative ways to that if need be. 

You should understand that a hostel business varies considerably from hotels. While you can say that the hotel business is pretty much straightforward (providing accommodation with maybe a few services), a hostel on the other hand cannot survive by just offering accommodation. 

Of course, the hostel target market is altogether different than a hotel, and hence additional requirements and tactics for hostel marketing as well. 

Here are the 9 best hostel promotion ideas to make your business thrive

Your hostel is a product and a brand in itself. Running a hostel is like running a media agency where your online presence or your brand is equally important as your product, i.e your hostel. 

These tips and techniques will not only increase your hostel’s visibility but will also make you a preferable choice of travelers coming to your city. 

Go through them, implement those, analyze the results and decide whether you want to scale the strategy or kill it. 

1. Register on relevant OTAs

The first thing to do if you have a hostel is to get listed on relevant online travel agents (OTAs). And when I say relevant, I mean those sites from where you can acquire guests you want to welcome. For hostels especially, it is advisable to register on niche OTAs that cater to hostel bookings.

Most of the hostels don’t consider this as a factor in hostel marketing. But believe me, your presence on these booking sites will give you amazing credibility.

Sites like HostelWorld, Dorms.com, Bedbooker, Hostelbookers.com, etc are the most popular ones in the hostel industry. These sites will give your hostel an outreach to millions of unique viewers, and eventually get you more bookings from travelers and backpackers alike. 

Moreover, the more OTA connections you have for your hostel, the better. You’ll have greater visibility to the maximum of your audience which will land you more bookings.

2. Get a professional hostel website with SEO

The quicker you understand the importance of a website in your hostel business, the better your hostel will perform. 

You see, technically, your website is the first and the only marketing tool that you own. 

So it can be used the way you want. All other platforms that you are present on; social media, OTAs, or anything else, are constantly changing. Therefore, your website must be the flagship of all your online marketing efforts. Treat your website accordingly – always! It can be the most effective hostel marketing strategy if executed well. 

Now when you design your hostel website, don’t stick to the old ways of content marketing. Perform good SEO and add appropriate keywords so that your efforts in designing a website provide you with good returns.

SEO will make your website visible and rank on the search engines. Further, local SEO plays an important role in boosting your hostel bookings. We have a blog post for tips on SEO for hotels, which works effectively for hostel websites as well. Here are some of the best ways to do hostel website SEO

In the end, don’t miss getting listed as a Google My Business. This will make your hostel visible when people search for hostels in your region. Viewers will be able to find your website with proper contact information about your business.

If you’re a hostel chain, then list each of your locations as a Google My Business, similar to what goStops has done.

goStops Rishikesh
goStops, India’s most experiential hostel chain has listed each of its locations as a separate Google Business

3. Run Ads on Google and Facebook

If you have some budget, then running ads on Google and Facebook is said to be one of the most effective ways to promote your hostel. Your website can be the base of these ads because you’d want searchers to land on your website after clicking on the ads. 

However, we recommend integrating your website with a booking engine, which will let your visitors book with you directly from the website. 

Google Ads – Apart from regular search and display ads, Google offers a great way for accommodation providers to increase their direct bookings. That is – Google Hotel Ads. These ads will be a part of your Google Business Listing once you enroll with them, and help the searchers book with you directly. Though, keep in mind that you can enroll for Google Hotel Ads only with Google’s authorized integration partners.  

Download FREE Google Ad Templates

Facebook Ads – Using Facebook Ads, you can easily promote your Facebook page, posts, and even your hostel website to the relevant audience. 

Download FREE Facebook Ad Templates

Apart from all this, you also have the option to run REMARKETING ADS, which is a beneficial technique to promote your hostel. These ads follow your website visitors after they leave your website without performing any action. This way, you will be in their mind frequently, and they’ll come and book with you through the attractive discounts or deals you offer in the ads.

4. Give importance to social media

Social media is the need of the hour. Any hostel marketing plan (or any business marketing for that matter) is incomplete without engaging on social media. With the incredible advantages that it has, it is an indispensable part of hostel promotion. 

Social media is now 95% of the internet! 

For beginners; you can start by creating an account and a page on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Gradually, identify and reach your target audience, build your brand there, tell your story, and develop a connection with your audience.

Social media is a great way to interact with guests and give them the personal touch that they look for. The best part here is that there are no third-party fees involved. Social media for this segment of the industry is somewhat similar to that of social media marketing for hotels.

People often take pictures while traveling. Use these as a marketing strategy.

For example, set up a nice picture-taking spot (selfie spot?) in your hostel lobby with your name and the city you are located in. Then, run a contest offering a free night stay to the most creative photo with your hostel tagged! Done! You reach a lot of people this way.

Beyond all this, don’t forget videos. Visuals have received more engagement and interaction since always. Shoot videos of the happenings at your hostel, the events you organize, and everything that may show the experience you’re providing.

Download FREE Social Media Post Templates

Check out how Zostel, India’s largest backpacker hostel chain, and eZee’s happy customers since the beginning is killing it on social media.

Zostel is nailing it on the social media

We have a blog post on the best hotel Instagram ideas, which work amazingly well for hostels too.

It is like a dream to generate traffic through social media. Know your audience, talk to them in your own way and focus on the channel that works for you!

5. Organize events to develop community and guest interaction

There has been an outburst in travelers going around solo and more importantly meeting like-minded people. This can be a great advantage in promoting your hostel.

Cross promotional tactics

They are a good way to attract local businesses and be of mutual benefit to each other’s business. Hostellers coming to you want to explore the city, eat authentic food, have community-oriented, local, and cultural experiences, buy local stuff, etc. So keeping flyers or visiting cards of people who are willing to cross-promote your hostel to their customers is a good idea to market your hostel.

Showing a local presence and effective community interaction builds a good reputation. People will note this and will recommend your hostel to fellow mates. So, local connections and the word of mouth publicity become an important tool for your marketing.

Organize events

Using such tie-ups, you can organize events like cycling expeditions, tree plantations, food-tasting tours, slum tours, and city tours to attract guests and give them a flavor of the local city.

Hostels like Zostel and The Hosteller regularly host such events as cycling tours, treks, and out-of-city tours to provide a unique experience to their guests. Check it out:

The Hosteller is extremely active on Instagram, posting about their activities and events
The Hosteller is extremely active on Instagram, posting about their activities and events

Give details of such events on your social pages. This is very important to let your brand make its name in the minds of travelers. Besides this, you can also keep some things on your premises to let your guests engage with each other. 

For example, keep a canvas for them to paint and offer it as a takeaway at a nominal price. Keep small pots with plants for travelers to take back home. Or keep a guitar in the lobby for music lovers and some pets for pet lovers. Keep a game zone or a recreational room where guests can play a few games. A bookshelf is also a great idea for solo travelers.

6. Associate with industry influencers

For those of you who do not know the power of influencer marketing and blogging, let me tell you that blogging is a revolution in the hospitality industry. As we talk about hostel marketing strategies, blogging should be used in the best possible way.

So how does this work? Simple. Offer these bloggers (influencers) a free stay at your hostel. Trust me, the returns are immense.

They are travelers and writers with a good number of followers or are building up the same; they can promote your hostel after a stay. They’ll give you a review on various platforms like their own website or blog and social platforms so that your hostel reaches to maximum audience.

It is not about quantity, it is about quality. Keep that in mind! Invite bloggers and even accept their requests for free stays. Have a clear guidelines to work with bloggers and influencers so that both parties are mutually benefited.

Zostel recently did a video with Shivya Nath (The Shooting Star), a famous travel blogger from India who has been on the road for almost a decade. They also shot an episode with Savi Sharma, an Indian novelist.

Zostel’s episode with Shivya Nath, the travel blogger

If you don’t have a budget to tie up with influencers, then set up your own blog on your hostel website. I’d say, do it even if you have a budget for influencer marketing. It will help you big time in your website’s SEO and even engage travelers with new information.

Zostel’s blogs are a delight to read, filled with advice and instructions on how to travel and the best places to visit near their locations.

7. Offer extra services

These days, “Hostelling” is not just limited to offering a stay in a dormitory. It is much, much more than that. The leading hostels in India at least have kept extra services as a part of their package. 

Apart from your regular services and offerings, consider offering a secondary service as a part of your hostel marketing. For example, offer a bike rental service, travel services, city tours, or trekking trips.

This will increase your word-of-mouth publicity and keep your hostel flag up even in the offseason. Make customized packages for city tours, local food tours, and such likes, and sell them on your website.

A few hostels like goStops also let travelers book experiences from their websites. 

goStops experiences
Book experiences with goStops from their website

8. Make the most of reviews

Reviews majorly pose as a decision-maker for your guests. Besides affecting your online reputation, they even affect your bookings. The industry is gradually realizing the importance of online reviews. And the sooner you do so too, the better it will be for your business. 

Focusing on hotel reviews and reputation management should be on your task list henceforth.

Collect as many reviews for your hostel as you can, and respond to them. Once your guests check out, ask them to give you feedback on Facebook, booking sites, and even Google. In turn, you can offer them some discounts the next time they visit. 

Besides, you can collect more reviews on TripAdvisor for free through the TripAdvisor Review Express Program. You can explore more about it here.

9. Expand into a hostel chain

If you’re an independent hostel, one of the most recommended hostel marketing strategies for you is to expand into a hostel chain. 

Once you’re all set in a city with one hostel, plan out properly how you can set up your brand in a different city. Treat yourself as a brand.

Start with finalizing a location for your next hostel. Decide on the basis of the type of experience you provide, the guests you welcome and the travelers a city gets. If you implement this one in the right way, it will work in the best way possible. 

Don’t take this job lightly. Take baby steps. One at a time. Ensure that you maintain the consistency in experiences you provide at all the locations. Perform the same promotion tips for all your hostels. This way, you will gradually emerge as a brand in the industry and among the millennials. 


Implemented well, we are sure these hostel marketing plans and tips will help you bring your hostel to great heights in terms of service and high conversion rates. If you want to see your hostel house full this season, you better get your head on straight to these strategies.

Along with your hostel promotion, we’d also like to give you the right hostel management tips. Our recommendation is to adopt an integrated hostel management system to manage every operation at your hostel. 

eZee’s end-to-end hostel software is already adopted by India’s leading hostels as well as many of hostels worldwide. With the best marketing tips in your hand, the only thing that remains is streamlining your operations.

Let us know in the comment section below what you think about these tips and how did they turn out for you!

The post 9 Effective Hostel Marketing Tips To Get More Bookings appeared first on eZee Absolute.

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