Ways to Improve the experience of Hostel Guests

• Welcome drink

When the guest arrives at your hostel you should offer them a cup of coffee or a drink. It’s inexpensive, but the guest will enjoy their stay better from the off. If there is a specific drink tied for your country/region, give them to it as a welcome note.

• Free WiFi

Don’t charge your guests for WiFi. They know that it doesn’t cost a fortune to set it up and maintain it and they will think of you to be cheap, so it won’t go down too well for you (and if you don’t have a WiFi network in your hostel, install it ASAP).

• Bathroom utilities

Add some minor but useful tweaks to your bathrooms and changing rooms. For example, put some stands for the toiletries and add hooks for clothes to be hanged on so that they don’t gather dust on the floor. Also, if your changing rooms are big enough, put a bench so the guests could more easily change.

• Whiteboard suggestions

Add a whiteboard in your common area and write on it suggestions for your guests what they should do for the day (update your whiteboard ideas daily). Do a bit of research if there is something special going on in your town or if there is a great bar nearby they should all go and visit. Hopefully, the guests will join in and add their own ideas to the board.

• Friendly staff

The attitude and friendliness should be one of the factors when hiring new staff (not just for the reception, but all of your employees). They should engage in conversation with the guests and not just answer questions. For example, when a guest comes back from the town they should ask them how they spent their day and start a friendly chat.

• Hostel library

This is especially useful if your hostel is in a town where it can rain for periods of time. If they opt not to go out on a grim weather, there should be a hostel library with books they can leaf through. Tip: don’t just stuff in some random books with questionable artistic value, make your choices rather thoughtfully.