Hostels, traditionally associated with backpacking college-aged students, are becoming a more popular option with business travelers, according to NBC News.
Ferdi van't Wout, a manager for a global electronics manufacturer in the Netherlands, is one such business traveler who often stays in hostels when he is traveling for work. He discovered hostels by accident last year.
"I unexpectedly needed to be in Copenhagen to meet with some colleagues," he said. "Due to short notice and some big event happening, it was simply impossible to find a hotel in the city center that was anywhere close to being considered affordable."
His solution was to book a reservation for a private room with a bathroom at the hostel Generator Copenhagen.
He has returned several times since then. The hostel has guest service, design and public areas for quietly working and relaxing that greatly impressed him. They also own a sister property in Hamburg, Germany, and van't Wout has also stayed there. Hostels are "good for young businesspeople like me who are ready to plug in anywhere but don't want to spend all evening alone in the bedroom," he said.
Hostels have been attracting a greater variety of people that just the traditional backpackers, including older adults and families, and now business travelers.
Traffic is brisk among young business travelers at Generator Hostels property in Copenhagen, as well as seven other properties owned by Patron Capital, according to Josh Wyatt, a partner. At some of their properties, almost 20 percent of the guests during the week are business travelers, especially during the off-season. Wyatt attributes the increase to upgrades in service, accommodations, design and food and beverages, as these are areas that hostels are not known to excel in.
Many of the hostels guests are in the beginning stages of their careers and don't have deep expense accounts.
These travelers are drawn by "a great night sleep, a great shower and free Wi-Fi, all in a hip, relaxed setting," Wyatt said. "If you have to travel and are on a budget, you still want to have fun and want something cool."
Video tour of Generator Copenhagen.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
