It's been a long time since I've hostelled. In a lot of ways it's true that hostelling is "not as nice" as a typical hotel. It's noisy, there's less privacy, and you don't get a maid or a TV or whatever. But I remembered a couple things about hostels that I've really missed. To start, Often they carry more of the flavor of the country they are in. A Marriott might be comfortable, but a Marriott is a Marriott whether in the US or China. I would hope that most people don't travel just to experience what they already know. Although.. I guess coming home at night to something familiar can be good after a tiring day. How would one design an upscale hotel with the flavor of the country it is in?
I also enjoyed meeting the other people staying at the hostel. Quite a few were travelling on 'around the world' plane tickets, going around to different countries for a whole year. Out of all the people I met, I suppose I was probably the most boring. Only in Shanghai for a week and not really travelling otherwise. Regardless, it was nice to hear advice on places to go and things to see. We even picked up an extra companion from Japan for our trip to Suzhou.
Front door:
Next door:
Inner Courtyard. The hostel was a traditional Chinese residential complex converted into hostel. Quite unique.:
Creepy hallway made less creepy by lighted statues. Didn't quite get the ambiance here.
This is where the rooms were:
We mostly ate breakfast at one of the stands down the street.:
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