My sister's 3-week hostel stay made me question my whole hotel habit

Tbh I always booked budget hotels around $70 a night and thought hostels were just for college kids. Last month my sister came back from Lisbon after staying in a hostel for 21 days, total cost was $380 including breakfast. She said the real hack wasn't the price, it was the free walking tours and kitchen access that cut her daily spending to $25. I'm torn now, do I keep my private room comfort or trade it for shared dorms and save $600 on a 2-week trip? Has anyone else switched to hostels later in life and actually stuck with it?

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1 Comment

rayy831mo ago

Respectfully, I gotta say this sounds like a math problem that ignores the real cost. Yeah, $380 for 21 days is wild cheap, but you're talking about sharing a room with strangers who might snore, party at 2am, or steal your stuff. I've done the hostel thing in my 20s and it wore me out fast. The free walking tours are cool, but they're also a time sink, you gotta be ready to leave at 9am sharp or you miss it. And kitchen access means you're cooking pasta and eggs, not exactly a vacation meal. For me, a good night's sleep and a private bathroom is worth way more than $600. I'd rather do 10 days in a decent budget hotel than 14 days in a dorm, honestly. Plus, at our age, the social scene gets old real quick, you just want to lock the door and watch Netflix without headphones.