Pros & Cons of Living & Working in Hostels

Sometimes things backfire on you when you least expect it. And for me, it was definitely unexpected, but at the same time, awesome that I found out about this. If there's anything I regret about this, it's that I wish I took the chance sooner. Let me give you some more information on what I'm talking about in case the title just doesn't do it for you.

(Before I continue on: this is not for those who are used to being pampered or catered to, not for those who aren't willing to open their minds, and not for those who are used to having things go their way. If you're any of those, save yourself the trouble and read another article. This is for those who are the opposite and are willing to learn new things during their travels.)

Backstory

I first got into working and living in hostels back in September of 2019, during a vacation with my mom in Southeast Asia. (FYI I just want to be clear that we aren't super rich or super poor, but in the middle like everyone else). The entire idea of working in exchange for lodging at hostels at the time was an entirely new concept to me, and completely alien. To be frank, I thought it was weird. I thought only people who actually do that were people who own and/or run the business. But then my perspective changed after this first dip. The first dip into the Saving-Some-Money-While-Also-Meeting-People-From-All-Over-The-World pool. Also, if you're considering doing this in the future, start taking notes.

Stuff You Will Do: Housekeeping

It varies, but the first stuff people from my first gig had me do was housekeeping, plus a couple extra stuff. That meant making beds by replacing dirty bed sheets (and sometimes bed curtains), dusting and cleaning the floor, shelves, and lockers, cleaning the bathrooms (which also means getting down to the nitty-gritty with toilets), replacing floor mats, cleaning the sinks, getting rid of the stains on counters and mirrors, taking care of laundry, and doing dishes. They also had me restock shelves and do a bit of light maintenance.

Stuff You Will Do: Front Desk

After the first week of doing a lot of physical tasks, they had me working in the reception. And it was definitely better than doing housekeeping, even though there were some pressures on having to create the first great impression when you're definitely going to be one of the first faces tired travelers see. Sometimes I assisted, and sometimes it was just by myself. But what I did there a lot of times was checking people in and out by handling their payments and reservations. Besides having to learn to quickly open and close the cash register and also quickly take payments, I also had to learn how to match their names on the information the booking software the hostel uses had. After that, I'd ask for their ID or passport and write down their names and passport numbers. And while doing the entire check-in process, I'd make a little friendly and genuine chat with them. Sometimes it's just to make new friends, and a lot of times it's to see what kind of person they are or trying to project. And then once the payment has been processed, I'd escort the guests to their room and their capsules, tell them where what stuff are, the activities, and the rules they'd have to abide during their stay. After that, I'd go back to the desk and continue putting their information online if it hasn't been done by another volunteer or a staff member. Aside from that, it's mostly answering guests' questions about the area and the hostel, and taking their food orders (this place also functioned like a cafe in the lobby). Basically, there are more mental tasks than physical ones in this area. And then after you've done all your hard work at the end of the day, you're free to continue doing whatever you want or need to do. Overall, it was hard, but fun at the same time, and it certainly made me feel less afraid about handling difficult tasks. But the most important thing of all was that it made me appreciate and respect people doing this kind of work more (it also ignited an intense hatred for those who left their mess all over the place). And this, ladies and gentlemen, is where I should make you aware of the cons.

Other Stuff You Should Know

This work, like a lot of other jobs out there, is known to push a lot of people, and some to their limits. Sometimes, you'll meet a fellow volunteer or guest whose view on life you don't agree with. Sometimes they do things that are weird or even rude, and sometimes they mean it and sometimes they don't. And sometimes there are complaints that just don't make sense and/or are about you. And when it comes to planning, sometimes the hostel you want to do the gig at doesn't have any more room for one more volunteer. Sometimes the only place that's available for you happens to be further than you expect. Or worse, that it's actually closed and has been for quite a while. Basically, not everything goes according to plan, and that's okay. You just have to keep trying and keep searching until you find that one place. Be persistent. And if that one place doesn't work out for some reason, then you move on. When one door closes, another one opens. By the way, this also applies to anyone who's not really exploring, but actually trying to settle in somewhere and get back on their feet, whether it be in their home country or in a foreign one. For some of them, this is the only way to go besides just living in the streets or in a shelter, and during a time like this, both of those are really not safe. I see you, and I feel you.

Overall, everyone who participate in this have one thing in common: to survive. That and to have fun at the same time. Until the time comes when we can all start travelling to other countries again, stay safe out there and make good use of your time indoors.

Peace out!