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May 11, 2008 12:35 pm US/Eastern
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Hostels Becoming Hot On Trendy SOBE
Perfect For Globe Hopping College Kids On A Budget
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
Popular in Europe for decades, hostels are becoming popular in trendy South Beach for young travelers looking to spend less on lodging and more on sightseeing.
Viewed as a cheap rest stop for those globe trotting on a budget, hostels usually accommodate anywhere from 3 to 14 people in a room who sleep on bunk beds. A room with 12 beds can run for $18 a night per person; an eight-bed room is $18, and most offer the bare necessities.
Beds come with sheets, a towel and locker for guests to store their belongings in while they are out for the day; they have to provide their own lock for the locker, of course. Some have kitchens where guests can prepare food and most now offer computers with Internet access.
Some hostels, like Jazz on South Beach, divide rooms based on gender while others have mixed rooms. Depending on the occupancy of the hostel, people who are traveling together can request to room together -- just like they would in a hotel.
"But the point of the hostel is to meet other people," notes general manager Bobby Gera. "Or they can just pay for the rest of the beds in the room.
Some hostels on South Beach offer private bathrooms with each room and have individual wall units or central air conditioning.
In addition to providing an affordable place to stay for those traveling on a shoe string budget, some South beach hostels organize trips to the Florida Keys or Fort Lauderdale, or host Sunday beach parties on the sand.
Travis Lajoy, general manager of South Beach Hostel, can't believe how popular they've become in Miami. Six years ago there were only three or four in the area, today he notes there are more than a dozen.
"That's insane. You know it's 300 percent more competition than there was when we first started," said Lajoy.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)