My friends and I love to travel to see one of our favorite artists, Machine Gun Kelly, perform live. We’ve traveled over 2,474 miles within the past two years and have had the opportunity to visit some cool cities. Still, traveling is expensive, and sometimes our trips are hard to factor with everyday living expenses, so I’m always looking for a great deal. Last April, we went to Chicago, Illinois, and everything in the city was easily over $200 a night. I stumbled across The Gateway Hostel, and they were offering a room for $53 a night!
I’ve never heard of a hostel, so for those of you who are like me, a hostel is low budget lodging that embraces the theme of community. Some hostels have dorm-like accommodation where you can rent a bed and stay in a room with a group of people; others offer private rooms as well as bathrooms. Hostels provide an open kitchen with pots and pans and storage area for your food.
When we stayed at the Gateway Hostel, I was drawn to the aesthetic and sense of community that encompassed the website. The kitchen they offered was large, and they provided a complimentary breakfast. We had a private room, but we shared a bathroom. The bathrooms were separated by gender, and they reminded me of a lot of gym locker room bathrooms. They had many stalls, and then they had shower stalls. It wasn’t busy when we went, so there wasn’t much traffic in the bathroom, but it had a summer camp kind of vibe. This hostel specifically, to my knowledge, does not offer private bathrooms, so if that’s crucial for you, the city offers more!
Our hostel in Cleveland, The Cleveland Hostel, offered a private bathroom within our private room. If you choose to forego the private bathroom, the Cleveland Hostel set-up is a little more private than the Gateway’s. Each floor has a few private bathrooms across from the rooms. The Cleveland Hostel has a beautiful view of the city on its rooftop balcony and a coffee shop on the first floor when you check-in. The Cleveland Hostel was $85 a night and was 10 minutes away from everything worth seeing in the city. Our room and the views have made this stay our best one yet!
I’m a girl who loves a good deal, and I’m all about trying something new, so if you are too, the next time you’re looking for a place to stay in a busy city, I encourage you to check out the local hostels. I was pleasantly surprised by each experience and have found hostel’s in just about every big city. There’s a great sense of community at a hostel, and each one has its charm.