Hostels in Italy
Like much of Western Europe, accommodation in Italy can be on the expensive side. But right across the country, from fashionable Milan in the north to the Sicilian capital of Palermo, there is a range of hostels and low cost hotels in Italy offering cheap dorm beds and private rooms.
Accommodation on a Budget
Hostels aren’t all about drunken students and bunk beds any more, either – modern facilities and more luxurious features are increasingly common. HostelBookers has a wide variety of accommodation to suit travelers heading to Italy on a budget.
What follows are a few examples of hostels and low cost hotels from around Italy which really show the quality of such so-called ‘budget’ accommodation.
A Budget Milan Hotel
Hotel Delizia, Milan
In the center of glam Milan, this budget hotel has a cool bar and lounge for relaxing after a day of sightseeing. Highly rated for its cleanliness, it also benefits from an excellent location close to the impressive Duomo and Palazza Reale.
A Budget Venice Hotel
Hotel Venice Villa Dori, Venice
A quaint villa 10 minutes from Venice by boat, this peaceful residence offers homely accommodation away from the crowds and bustle of the touristy area of the city. All rooms come complete with air conditioning, satellite TV and a mini-bar.
Here’s a YouTube Video of the Hotel Venice Villa Dori, Venice – it sure looks something special!
A Florence Hostel
Academy Hostel, Florence
Housed in a 17th century palace, Academy Hostel is steeped in the famous city’s history and charm. Stylish and comfortable, the hostel offers excellent value accommodation within easy reach of all the sights, restaurants and bars of the city.
A Rome Hostel
Alessandro Palace Hostel, Rome
Centrally located, this Rome hostel is a traditional residence that combines old-fashioned architecture and exposed stone walls with modern amenities. A range of shared and private beds are available, with every room en-suite.
I think that although there’s a wider range of budget accommodation options in Italy than many people think, calling all of the properties listed here “hostels” is misleading. There’s just no way that the Hotel Delizia in Milan and Alessandro Palace in Rome are in the same category of accommodation. Yes, some of these places qualify as hostels – but others are simply budget hotels.
There’s nothing wrong with super budget hotels, and in fact they tend to be the kinds of places I choose to stay myself, I just don’t think they should be listed alongside genuine hostels. It blurs the line between “hostel” and “hotel” even more, making it confusing for travelers who don’t often stay in hostels & then end up expecting private rooms, private bathrooms, and antique furniture (or what have you) in every other hostel they encounter.
Just my opinion.
Hi Jessica,
I agree with you that Hotel Delizia and Hotel Venice should be called Budget Hotels rather than Hostels. However i think you have the wrong view of hostels – many these days do have private bathrooms and modern furniture. In fact, in my opinion a huge number of hostels rival budget hotels wheh it comes to value for money. An important aspect not to disregard is thorough research into booking a hostel – some are very , very basic and for the sake of a couple of pounds you can get some great deals.
Oh, I didn’t say that hostels never have private rooms or bathrooms – I’ve visited and stayed in many that do – I’m just saying that to EXPECT every single hostel to have private rooms & bathrooms is unfair, as many still don’t.
So if someone who has little or no previous experience with staying in hostels stays in a budget hotel that calls itself a hostel (in order to attract more backpacker business) and then later chooses a genuine hostel expecting the same level of service/amenities, they’re going to be disappointed and think the hostel isn’t any good – when in reality it was their expectations that were off-base to begin with. That’s all.
I agree, I think many of the questions could be resolved by research and educating yourself before you travel, but when budget hotels call themselves hostels that (in my opinion) is misleading and isn’t helpful even to the people who are doing proper pre-trip research.
Hi Jessica,
The hostel/hotel difference is something I’ve never really thought about – until you guys started chewing the subject over.
Actually, the least hostel like hostel of the hostels above calls itself a hotel.
I’ve always associated hostels with ‘youth hostels’, a few of which I’ve stayed in in the UK – but not in Italy. For me, if the name is ‘hostel’, I think cheap no-frills accommodation – but at least one of the hostels/hotels above looks to be surprisingly good for a hostel/hotel – but I think it is the exception rather than the rule.
I imagine, although I have not checked this out, a ‘hostel’ is a hotel without the facilities to obtain a star rating, or it is simply basic bed and no frills accommodation – which is what I would expect if I were to be on the hunt for hostels and not hotels. If I got more for a bargain price, I’d be a happy traveler!
Interesting point you make though – these comments should help a few people understand that hostels are not generally hotels, and vice versa. At least I hope so!
All the best, and thanks to both of you for taking about this!
Alex
Hostels and hotels are, in many places, merging to become more similar than they used to – but they’re still different enough that true hostels shouldn’t have to compete with budget hotels in the same market just because budget hotels are calling themselves “hostels.”
A hostel distinction isn’t about ratings, though – it’s about the kind of accommodation you’re getting. True hostels offer primarily dorm-style rooms where you pay for a bed – not the whole room – and will, therefore, potentially be sharing rooms with strangers. Most hostels these days include sheets, pillows, & blankets with the price of the bed, but many still either make you bring your own towel or rent/buy one. Most have some kind of common area where guests can be social & meet other travelers – whether it’s a bar, TV/lounge room, or coffee shop.
While some hostels still have age restrictions (the most common I’ve seen are ages 18-35 only allowed), most have done away with them. So while the name “hostel” still conjures up images of “youth hostels,” they’re not just for young people anymore.
I’ve stayed in, visited, & reviewed many hostels in Venice, Florence, & Rome, and written about hostels all over the world as well. They vary immensely, so while the generalizations I’ve made are pretty standard, the budget traveler should really compare what they’re getting for the price in every single case to make sure they’re comparing apples with apples.
“True hostels offer primarily dorm-style rooms where you pay for a bed – not the whole room”
Yes, Jessica, this is/was my impression of hostels, but then I heard about hostels with family rooms too! Hostels seemed to be undergoing a sort of silent evolution, and as this article points out, and this is also the point of the article – hostels are becoming closer to hotels – but as long as you do not have expectations which are too high, and low prices do not generally lead to high expectations, then you may end up with more than you bargained for – but in a positive way!
And I used to think that hostels were for younger people too, but, again, I’ve heard that older people are more than welcome in some places too, and not just in Italy. Other countries seem to define hostels very loosely – which adds to the confusion!
“They vary immensely, so while the generalizations I’ve made are pretty standard, the budget traveler should really compare what they’re getting for the price in every single case to make sure they’re comparing apples with apples.”
In other words, ‘hostels’ is a slightly confusing definition – but most, I think, would agree that ‘hostels’ are synonymous with low cost accommodation, even if nowadays budget prices do not always mean basic facilities. Perhaps hostels should adopt a sort of ‘star’ type system!
Not a surprise all this discussion, remove the ‘s’ from hostel, and which word do you end up with?!
All the best,
Alex
Hi,
I think Jessica and Alex made a good point, and we made slight changes to the blog post in order to avoid confusion.
But I also think that the concept of hostels has changed and the image of hostels as just dorms is a little out of date now. You can find modern, funky and classy hostels now and not only for young people. With the current economic climate, families, couples, and travellers on a city break are looking for budget accommodation, which can include hostels. The term ‘flashpacking’ or boutique hostels that have sprung up really reflect this trend. I think the people that look for hostels or hotels might be different, but both of them are looking for comfort and good value.
Best ,
sonia