[CitizenLiberty]

This post was motivated by a question asked to my previous thread in Travel: 12 Comments From Over 6 Years Of International Living
After I wrote this rant it seemed valuable enough for it's own thread.
FYI: As mentioned in the above thread, I've owned hostels in Estonia, and have several friends who also own or have owned hostels.

"Hostel Game": Don't do it!
Here are 10 reasons why...

*Note: If you leave it to management and staff, while having no interaction with your guests then of course you wont have many of these problems, but then the hostel would be just like owning any other business, except that this one needs 24 hour attention.

1) Like you said, it does occupy a lot of your time. But think of when there is some logistical problem, or late arrival. Now imagine you're on a date or it's Friday night and you're with a girl at the bar.
2) Terrible ratio of female guests. Males travel to the Baltics far more than females for a reason.
3) Forced interactions with guests. It's perhaps the worst time vampire (bad to say, as most are friendly people and have good intentions).
-Some guests will constantly ask questions; about the city, events, "what's your story" type questions, etc. etc.
--Some won't stop talking
---Some will ask you to show them around
----Many will invite you to the bar, and ask your daily or nightly plans. In a small city you will encounter these same people, especially at the bars/clubs. Most people who leave bad reviews against the hostel do it for emotional reasons.
4) That leads to #4. Guests, especially females, hate seeing you hooking up. The top reason leading to bad reviews has to do with them seeing you with a girl.
5) If there is an attractive girl in the hostel, you can be nearly guaranteed you will be competing against the many male guests for her.
6) Your guests will directly cock-block you. The most direct example of this was when I had a threesome with 2 Estonian girls in my room at the hostel. Next to my room were 4 female North American feminist lawyers, who were enraged and tried to stop it and then tried to rally the hostel against me. The next day they all left, refusing to pay for the 250+ euros for their booking (had already stayed 3 nights), blackmailing me that they would all leave bad reviews against the hostel (all 4 booked separately). This even after I offered to cook them a champagne brunch in the hostel, before any bad words were exchanged. Losing the money was totally worth it...may they rot and burn in feminist hell.
7) Your staff will cock-block you. Do you think males working at a hostel will not want the same girls as you? If you make the mistake of hooking up with your female staff as I have, you're inviting heaps of future problems.
8) Furthermore imagine being out at the bar and having 10 or so of your hostel guests (or your staff) around to watch you interact with girls, or to interfere and passively cock-block your interactions with girls.
9) So you've been trying to hook-up, or have hooked up with one of your guests. If you're out in public somewhere, you have to be careful seeing them. Same goes for bringing girls home.
10) If you're concerned with reviews, then the constant social interaction done in a politically correct way with guests will change your behavior and alter your personality. In other words, it can make you into a passive p.c. beta bitch. Several friends who own or work in hostels can attest to this one. Remember that these very often are people who are very different socially to you, and who you have very little in common with. There are many social-therapy travelers. Constant socializing, and especially forced socializing will drain you emotionally. Exhausting you, and hindering you in the situations when you might most need your full energy and full desire to socialize.

All this being said; if you have decent social skills then the return on investment of independently socializing outside the hostel is much greater than socializing within.

The bottom line is - "better a Hustler than a Hosteller."

[WestIndianArchie]

If there was a RVF hall of fame, this would be in there.

WIA.

[The Beast1]

You could really chalk this one up to personality too. Hospitality is an incredibly tiring job. You really need to have the right personality to handle it. Introverts need not apply.

I worked for over a year as a front desk clerk at a hotel. Did it part time, frankly I loved it. Interacting with guests, answering questions, explaining the town, things like that.

If you are running a hostel, I would recommend having a separate place outside of the business for where you live or even a private penthouse. Seriously no point in living at the actual hostel. If you want to swoop a girl, bring her to your own place. Not the place you work.

[CitizenLiberty]

At the very beginning the social aspect was interesting for me, but it quickly grew tiresome.
Even when I had a nice private/separate apartment, most of the problems I listed still apply.

(11-06-2015 09:11 AM)The Beast1 Wrote:  

You could really chalk this one up to personality too. Hospitality is an incredibly tiring job. You really need to have the right personality to handle it. Introverts need not apply.

I worked for over a year as a front desk clerk at a hotel. Did it part time, frankly I loved it. Interacting with guests, answering questions, explaining the town, things like that.

If you are running a hostel, I would recommend having a separate place outside of the business for where you live or even a private penthouse. Seriously no point in living at the actual hostel. If you want to swoop a girl, bring her to your own place. Not the place you work.

[Going strong]

(11-06-2015 08:12 AM)CitizenLiberty Wrote:  

10) If you're concerned with reviews, then the constant social interaction done in a politically correct way with guests will change your behavior and alter your personality. In other words, it can make you into a passive p.c. beta bitch. Several friends who own or work in hostels can attest to this one. Remember that these very often are people who are very different socially to you, and who you have very little in common with. There are many social-therapy travelers. Constant socializing, and especially forced socializing will drain you emotionally. Exhausting you, and hindering you in the situations when you might most need your full energy and full desire to socialize.

All this being said; if you have decent social skills then the return on investment of independently socializing outside the hostel is much greater than socializing within.

Interesting, well-explained and valid point, this number 10.

But many of the other drawbacks can be solved by hiring local help to man the front desk...? As the owner, you should be able to maintain distance and even "anonymity" with most (male) guests...? Only "casually" revealing that you are the owner to cute chicks?

[Sourcecode]

When I wss traveling in Italy. I banged out the Romanian girl that was running the hostel.

She told me not to really use the blankets.
Hostel sex is more rare than what people claim..But it happens enough.
While sheets get washed. Comforters and blankets don't always get the same treatment.

First I tried to bang guest...But the worker showed more interest.
We ended up banging in a extra room would people were downstairs watching the world cup.

The next day I smashed in another room and some of the other girls heard.

This not only put the others off from possible hook ups..But even the guys were a little jealous seeing us come out of locked rooms together.


On top of that. All my info, down to to my home address and passport info was in the hostel computer.

Lucky nothing went horribly wrong..otherwise she had all the info to easily track me down.

[LINUX]

Does it also feel like you're also constantly dealing with poor people ?

I have a hard time understanding why anyone would stay at a hostel if they could afford an apartment or a house.

[CitizenLiberty]

Yes, and poor Erasmus students who have never worked a day in their lives are the worst. What a level of entitlement...and arrogance for being a student; something that should be humbling as they've never yet contributed to society. #parasite
For ex, you should see the complaints I get (from Spanish ppl for ex) for not offering breakfast. They rather stuff their greedy, entitled faces with white bread and chemical jams, than appreciate having the cost of breakfast redistributed to them in way of a cheaper general price, then being able to eat what they choose. Sick socialist logic, but that's what they learn in Uni...so let them eat worse than the ducks in the park. #nomnom
The Social-Therapy-Traveler is also very common, and the most needy.

Great Colombia thread by the way...very entertaining.

(11-06-2015 10:19 AM)LINUX Wrote:  

Does it also feel like you're also constantly dealing with poor people ?

I have a hard time understanding why anyone would stay at a hostel if they could afford an apartment or a house.

[The Beast1]

(11-06-2015 10:37 AM)CitizenLiberty Wrote:  

Yes, and poor Erasmus students who have never worked a day in their lives are the worst. What a level of entitlement...and arrogance for being a student; something that should be humbling as they've never yet contributed to society. #parasite
For ex, you should see the complaints I get (from Spanish ppl for ex) for not offering breakfast. They rather stuff their greedy, entitled faces with white bread and chemical jams, than appreciate having the cost of breakfast redistributed to them in way of a cheaper general price, then being able to eat what they choose. Sick socialist logic, but that's what they learn in Uni...so let them eat worse than the ducks in the park. #nomnom
The Social-Therapy-Traveler is also very common, and the most needy.

Great Colombia thread by the way...very entertaining.

(11-06-2015 10:19 AM)LINUX Wrote:  

Does it also feel like you're also constantly dealing with poor people ?

I have a hard time understanding why anyone would stay at a hostel if they could afford an apartment or a house.

Spaniards make the worst room mates too.
Source: Life experience

[CitizenLiberty]

there needs to be a "Why Spanish Are The Worst" thread (this has nothing to do with Latin Americans)

(11-06-2015 10:49 AM)The Beast1 Wrote:  

(11-06-2015 10:37 AM)CitizenLiberty Wrote:  

Yes, and poor Erasmus students who have never worked a day in their lives are the worst. What a level of entitlement...and arrogance for being a student; something that should be humbling as they've never yet contributed to society. #parasite
For ex, you should see the complaints I get (from Spanish ppl for ex) for not offering breakfast. They rather stuff their greedy, entitled faces with white bread and chemical jams, than appreciate having the cost of breakfast redistributed to them in way of a cheaper general price, then being able to eat what they choose. Sick socialist logic, but that's what they learn in Uni...so let them eat worse than the ducks in the park. #nomnom
The Social-Therapy-Traveler is also very common, and the most needy.

Great Colombia thread by the way...very entertaining.

(11-06-2015 10:19 AM)LINUX Wrote:  

Does it also feel like you're also constantly dealing with poor people ?

I have a hard time understanding why anyone would stay at a hostel if they could afford an apartment or a house.

Spaniards make the worst room mates too.
Source: Life experience

[godzilla]

There are plenty of reasons not to stay at hostel, poor ratios, multiple bed dorms, cant fuck local girls, etc.

But you can also get cockblocked by the people working/living/running the hostel. I've seen it quite a few times.

[WestIndianArchie]

Even the girls from Barca?

[CitizenLiberty]

(11-06-2015 12:24 PM)WestIndianArchie Wrote:  

Even the girls from Barca?

the girls from basque are ok

[Merenguero]

(11-06-2015 11:54 AM)godzilla Wrote:  

There are plenty of reasons not to stay at hostel, poor ratios, multiple bed dorms, cant fuck local girls, etc.

But you can also get cockblocked by the people working/living/running the hostel. I've seen it quite a few times.

I'll state the obvious here.
House> apartment> hotel> hostel> being stuck in some shithole like D.C. or St. Louis> dying

[Sidney Crosby]

Maybe owning a hostel wouldn't be that great in most places, but this one hostel I stayed at, the guy that worked the desk at night banged 3 girls while I was there and he wasn't even that great looking and seemed to have average game. He basically told me the girls are bored and come talk to him, next thing you know he's helping them with something, shortly after that he's putting his dick in them.

He didn't live at the hostel so it made things better but one of them he banged in the common room at like 3am.

I think owning a hostel, while being somewhat young and before faggy review sites would have been great, but I would hate to have one now and have some fat german feminist complain about how free breakfast ends at 10 and there are only 3 different types of jams.

[worldtraveler3]

He worked at the hostel too. I think it might be good to work in a hostel but not own one.although the salary would be like nothing, so you should do it while you are young.

[malakaix]

(11-06-2015 12:51 PM)Sidney Crosby Wrote:  

Maybe owning a hostel wouldn't be that great in most places, but this one hostel I stayed at, the guy that worked the desk at night banged 3 girls while I was there and he wasn't even that great looking and seemed to have average game. He basically told me the girls are bored and come talk to him, next thing you know he's helping them with something, shortly after that he's putting his dick in them.

The most important part with all of this is the fact that most of these girls are 'travelling' and only staying for a couple of nights or more, there entirely open to having fun because "It doesn't count".

I worked in hostels across Europe and for the most part it's unbelievably easy.. you already have a one up on other male guests because you work there, know the city and locals, so your in a position of imagined authority. Logistics are the biggest issue unless you have a separate apartment, the only sex that happens in dorms is obnoxiously drunk sex.

And then of course you have to deal with the implications of sleeping with guests and other guests finding out, you can get away with it as someone who works there.. but owning the hostel? You will be setting yourself up for professional suicide.

I took advantage of working in that environment, but after a while grew tired and started focusing on local girls and ignoring hostel girls.. the quality is far better and so is the attitude - plus it gives you access to local circles which further expands your opportunities.

[CitizenLiberty]

Yap, would have been great to have a hostel before the booking websites. And dealing with booking.com, hostelworld/hostelbookers (same company now) was a disaster. Imagine how it would be if Borat and his close relatives ran these companies...it's like that. Actually I think Borat personally managed their extranet systems and property service reps.
Hostel quality is definitely low...for ex the girls who booked my apartments/rooms through Airbnb were def better looking and less sloppy. German girls were the easiest to pompom.

[DaveR]

I always imagined restaurants to be better lifestyle businesses than nightclubs and hostels. Restauranteurs usually have plenty of connections.

[mammal]

(11-06-2015 08:12 AM)CitizenLiberty Wrote:  

*Note: If you leave it to management and staff, while having no interaction with your guests then of course you wont have many of these problems, but then the hostel would be just like owning any other business, except that this one needs 24 hour attention.

You hit the nail right on the head regarding absentee ownership of any business. While it's true that hiring a good,competent manager will save you a lot of time dealing with routine problems, there are all kinds of unusual problems, and big-picture issues that a capable owner needsto take care of.

If you take a hands-off attitude, you will not notice waste through high expenses and inefficiency, or poor customer service that drives customers away so they never visit your hostel (or any other business) or don't return. And I'm not even mentioning the countless opportunities and temptations for staff to steal you blind (not just money but time, supplies, etc.)

[Rush87]

Having done the whole hostel travel experience a while back - I really question why anyone would want to frequent hostels outside of the cost issue.

Most rooms are bunk beds with up to twelve people. 99.9% of girls aren't having sex with a room full of people. Agreed that from experience the Spanish are the worst. Rude as fuck. Always on the phone at 2am in the morning while in bed. American and Australian travellers giving lectures to everyone on how worldly they are. White knights defending the honour of every maiden in sight. That's just the tip of the iceberg. It's a nightmare.

Realistically if you want to meet the low quality hostel sluts for easy lays you don't need to be in a hostel. You can go to whatever pub crawl that particular hostel advocates and you're bound to find them.

[Sourcecode]

In Hamburg, there was your pub crawl that started and ended at these two 1 Euro bars.
Girls would start here and buy 10 little tequila shots a piece.

The bar looked like a pig pen. But if you wanted to hook up with, British, Spanish, French tourist girls...fuck going to the hostel. Just hit up the pub crawl spots.

[CitizenLiberty]

Tallinn has sort of a joint hostel pub-crawl. I've never seen such terrible ratios. A typical summer pub-crawl will be 15+ guys with perhaps 2 so-called girls, led around by some offensive Australian bogan slob in a singlet ("awwww yeeeeee").

[SlickyBoy]

OP, if you still have the contact info for those American lawyer cunts, you should fire off emails to their respective state bar committees. I'm sure the professional responsibility boards for each of them would love to know about admitted attorneys skipping out on their room tab like common theives.

Hope they get suspended for being feminist fuckwits.

[GIMME BACK MY SON]

I'm not sure what running a hostel has to do with game or even hurting your game. I assume you speak not about an AirBnB type arrangement were you merely rent out and even live in a small place/apartment but your hostel is slightly bigger that can house more than 8-10 people? If yes then I'd assume you'd have some kind of staff on hand to handle the arrivals/departures.Then where is the problem in that, it's just a business you run, and gaming your customers is oftentimes unwise (but no impossible), no matter which business it is.

Side-note: I feel like starting any kind of business with the explicit thought of "I wanna bang chicks through it" seems like a losing proposition. Better to find something that you can do with ease that'll earn you money, and with money comes the freedom to game chicks easier