Youth hostels sometimes have rules and regulations to keep order and ensure a comfortable and safe living environment for guests. With a clientele consisting of mostly young travelers not accustomed to being far from home, these rules are also aimed at keeping the reins on a bit. Hostels mighty post a nightly curfew, a lights-off rule and set of quiet hours when loud talking and music are prohibited. Some hostels. such as those in southern Germany, might have rules about age limits and guest requirements. There are some hostels that seem to be devoid of rules and which engage in a laissez-faire attitude, but these tend to be prone to robbery and a drug culture. If late nights or cooking in your room are a must, make sure you know the rules before booking.
For the most part, youth hostels are cheaper than hotels. There are some deluxe hostel accommodations that rival hotels in amenities and price. Hostels provide a youthful atmosphere filled with contemporary travelers and serve as both a place to stay and a social venue. Hostels have become increasingly easy to book with the advent of several specialized online hostel booking services. They work like hotel booking engines and ask for your dates, destination and the number of travelers and will then list a selection of options based on distance and price.
A youth hostel is not a hotel. Accommodations might range from cots in large multi-person dorms with shared bathrooms and lockers to store your belongings, to private single or double ensuite rooms with TV, Wi-Fi and air-conditioning. Rates vary just as much with hostels such as the Bodega Hostel in Hanoi, which charges around $6 per person, per night, and others such as the Backpacker's Villa in Interlaken, Switzerland, which charges around $54, as of March 2011. Most hostels feature a public room suitable for gathering, socializing, checking your email and breakfast. If there is a TV, it usually can be found in the public room. Some also feature large kitchens for guest use.
Organizations such as the World Youth Student & Educational Travel Confederation review and rate individual properties on a continual basis to ensure that members consistently live up to standards. The WYSE is the self-proclaimed "world's most powerful network of youth and student travel professionals" and its members "are recognized in their market as leaders in youth, backpacking, educational and student travel," according to its website. In addition, many online hostel booking websites feature ratings of each property by past guests, which can help to gauge the overall quality and experience of a given youth hostel.
