Frequently Asked Hostelling Questions

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  1. Booking and Reservation FAQ's
  2. What facilities are available at hostels?
  3. Do I need to bring my own bed linen or sleeping bag?
  4. Are the rooms en suite (private bath)?
  5. Is there any membership requirement?
  6. What are private rooms?
  7. Do the hostels close during the day, and is there any curfew?
  8. What are shared rooms?
  9. Is there any age limit?
  10. How much does it cost to book a hostel online?
  11. Do I require a credit card to book online?
  12. Is this a secure web site?
  13. What are the current exchange rates?
  14. What happens if I need to cancel or change my reservations?
  15. Are these bookings guaranteed and confirmed?
  16. Is there a discount system available?
  17. How early do I need to book ahead?
  18. I stayed at a hostel booked through you guys, and I have a complaint.
  19. When I reserve my bed online, do I have to pay anything when I get to the hostel itself?
  20. I'm a hostel owner, how do I update my information, listings and rates?
  21. I'm a hostel owner, how do I sign up for these listings?
  22. Can you put me in touch with a hostel directly?
  23. Can I arrange a group booking through you?
  24. How do I check availability?
  25. Why is there no availability for the dates I've selected?
  26. I've never booked a hostel online before. Can you help?

1. What facilities are available at hostels?
You will need to check the microsite for each specific hostel as facilities differ from hostel to hostel and from country to country. Most hostels have self-catering facilities and almost all have lockers for safe-keeping of valuables. Some have bars, and depending on where you go some even have swimming pools and saunas! Almost all hostels provide internet access and international telephones so you can stay in touch no matter where you are.
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2. Do I need to bring my own bed linen or sleeping bag?
While some hostels do provide linen free of charge, others will apply a charge for this service. All hostels provide duvets or blankets and private rooms will usually include linen. Once again, it is worth checking the hostel's microsite before travelling. Sleeping bags are sometimes not allowed, as they may carry bed bugs.
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3. Are the rooms en suite (private bath)?
Some rooms in hostels have en suite facilities, i.e. – private shower and/or toilet. These rooms are generally limited, however, and are very much in demand. They are also slightly more expensive.
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4. Is there any membership requirement?
There are no membership requirements for any hostels listed, however some hostels do offer discounts for various card-holding members.
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5. What are private rooms?
In order to secure a Private Room, you will need to book the entire room. For example, three persons booking a four-bed private room will need to select and pay for four persons if they wish to have a private room. If you set your preference to private room and there is no private room availability, the website will offer the best alternative available.
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6. Do the hostels close during the day, and is there any curfew?
There is no curfew or closing time in most hostels but you should check the microsite for your particular hostel to confirm that this is the case with regard to your specific accommodation.
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7. What are shared rooms?
Shared Rooms are dormitory style and range in size from four beds upwards. They offer mixed accommodation unless alternative arrangements have been made in advance with the hostel. Certain hostels do accommodate guests in single sex-sex dorms, if this is the case it will be indicated on the hostel's microsite.
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8. Is there any age limit?
While most hostels do not impose an age restriction, this is not always the case, particularly in establishments which have a bar on the premises. Again, it is recommended that you check the hostel's microsite to find out whether or not there is an age restriction.
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9. How much does it cost to book a hostel online?
A booking fee of US$2 applies to each booking made. Prices stated are per person, per night and payment is made on arrival at the hostel. To place a booking online, a 10% deposit is required for each room/night booked – this deposit will be deducted from the full room rate upon payment at the hostel.
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10. Do I require a credit card to book online? Can I pay with cash or check?
You need a valid credit card to make an online reservation. You cannot pay for your reservation with cash or a check. You can pay the remaining amount to the hostel in whatever monetary fashions they accept.
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11. Is this a secure web site?
The booking and confirmation section of the website is secured to 128-bit encryption through Verisign. This is currently the highest standard of security available on the Internet and ensures that any information which you submit including your credit card details will remain completely confidential.
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12. What are the current exchange rates?
When viewing room prices, you can choose to see the room rates in your chosen currency. These exchange rates are updated daily.
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13. What happens if I need to cancel or change my reservations?
Any changes to your reservations must be notified directly to the individual hostels. We cannot process any cancellation or changes after you have received confirmation. Please email or phone the individual hostels. Most hostels will charge you a cancellation fee of the total of the first nights accommodation for a No Show or a cancellation with less than 24 hours notice. Contact information is included with your booking.
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14. Are these bookings guaranteed and confirmed?
Each online booking is guaranteed. The confirmation number provided for each booking will guarantee your bed at the hostel. This confirmation number will appear immediately on your Confirmation Page and will also be emailed to if you have provided an e-mail address. Please print out your confirmation and bring it with you to the hostel for a speedy check-in. If you do not have access to a printer, please make a note of your confirmation number.
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15. Is there a discount system available?
There are no discounts available for group bookings.
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16. How early do I need to book ahead?
As a precaution, it is advisable to book as far ahead as possible. Throughout the year, the most popular hostels in main cities are booked out well in advance, particularly during the summer months. Therefore it is recommended that you book ahead and guarantee a bed!
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17. I stayed at a hostel booked through you guys and I have a complaint.
The hostels we list are all separate enterprises, and we do not own them or manage them, we simply provide the facility to accept online reservations. We advise that you direct your complaint to the hostel in question during your stay. However we do take all complaints seriously, and will monitor them. If you have issues with a hostel, we encourage you to submit a review.
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18. When I reserve my bed online, do I have to pay anything when I get to the hostel itself?
Yes. When you reserve online you pay an initial deposit only, not the full accommodation fee. This holds the bed for you. When you get to the hostel, you'll pay the balance, either with cash, credit card, etc., depending on the hostel (check with the hostel itself to see what forms of payment they accept).
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19. I'm a hostel owner, how do I update my information, listings and rates?
This link will let you make the changes you need.
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20. I'm a hostel owner, how do I sign up for these listings?
Go to this page to sign up.
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21. Can you put me in touch with a hostel directly?
Not usually. We don't fill out or maintain the hostel listings; it's up to the hostel staff to make sure all their info is there and up to date, so we usually don't have information beyond what's on the page. If you need to get in touch with a hostel directly (e.g., you don't have a credit card but still want to make a reservation), please email us at and we'll do our best to help you out. All contact information is sent with every booking.
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22. Can I arrange a group booking through you?
Yep. We can process group requests for groups of 9 or more people. Please contact us with your information.
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23. How do I check availability?
When reading about a hostel, either click the "Book your bed" or "Check availability" links, or you can go to our main availability checker. These will tell you what you need to know.
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24. Why is there no availability for the dates I've selected?
Hostels upload their own availability. If it is within a month or two of your arrival and there is no availability, chances are the rooms are booked. Conversely, if you are trying to book 6 months out, the hostel may not have yet uploaded their inventory. In this case, keep searching or check again on a later date.
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25. I've never booked a hostel online before. Can you help?
The very first thing to do is decide where in what city and country you want to sleep. See, you've already taken your first step! That wasn't too hard, was it?

Next, go to BootsnAll Hostels. Go to the "find a hostel" search box. Even though it says 'hostels', it also searches hotels, apartments and other places you can lay your head. Enter in your appropriate information - choose a country, city, arrival date, number of nights, the type of accommodation you prefer, and the currency you prefer.

Next, you get a big ol' list of accommodation summaries. The individual sections include the address, a small picture, the price of the cheapest bed they offer and lets you know if they have any availability. You can choose how the hostels are displayed by clicking on the "Order By" options on the upper right-hand side of the list: Availability, Price, Name, Type.

From the summaries, choose a few of the hostels that look appealing. If it's a small town with only two entries, take the time to read both. However, if it's a big city, like London, there might be hundreds! That's why the summaries are important - you may recognize an address close to where your convention is being held, or prefer to stay in only apartments, or might be looking for the cheapest room available.

Once you've noticed a few hostels that catch your eye, open them up in another window by clicking on the blue hyperlinked name of the hostel, or the red 'more info' link.

On the hostel 'microsite', you will see all available room types, with their price per person. Click on the blue links under 'room type' to determine the difference between rooms. Read the descriptions, look at the facilities and check out the pictures.

Once you have decided the hostel and room type you want to book, select the room type and number of guests from the drop down menu and select the "Book Now" button on the right hand side. Remember, the green check means the room is available and the red X means the room is not available.

After selecting "Book Now", you are taken to another page that lists the dates you wish to stay, the room type you selected, the price per person, the number of persons and the total. Below are the cost of the deposit and the service charge. Look at this information carefully! Make sure that it is what you requested, as your deposit and booking fee are non-refundable. Please note that you will receive all contact details for this property once your booking is confirmed.

To pay for your booking, enter in your details, including name, nationality and gender, email, phone number and arrival time. Decide what credit card you wish to use and enter in details. When you are satisfied that your details are correct, click 'confirm'.

And that's it! You will receive an e-mail confirming your reservation. Please print it out and take it with you when you visit the hostel, or make note of the confirmation number. Should you need to contact the hostel, contact details will be included with your e-mailed reservation.

Read other booking and reservations questions here.
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