Really? Luxury hostels?

Yikes!!! I didn't even think about the movie...

I'm always on the lookout for a way to see Europe on the cheap and a couple of articles this week caught my eye. Both out of the UK, they mentioned words this American's never heard of before. Words like "flashpacking" and "grey gappers." Consulting one of my favorite resources, UrbanDictionary.com, I found out flashpacking is defined as:

Backpacking but not on a budget, using First class travel and accommodation. A more 'flash' version of backpacking.

And a "grey gapper" appears to be a baby boomer on a travel-focused mini-retirement. Basically, reliving that "gap year" many British youth take between secondary school and university to travel but doing it this time with a far richer budget.

These terms come together in a new trend out there called luxury hosteling.

Yes, you heard me: luxury hostels.

Before I go on, I'll admit that I haven't been to a hostel since I was in college and had my wallet stolen in a particularly seedy one in an undisclosed European location. I honestly thought I was too old to even thinking about hostel accommodation on any trip these days. Turns out I was wrong and hostel accommodation has come a really long way:

'There are more and more really cool hostels opening across the globe, with great design, in central locations, often with double rooms and en-suites as well as dorms,' said Celia Pronto, marketing director of STA Travel. 'They're increasingly popular with our clients. Young people who have travelled with their parents and stayed in good hotels expect a certain amount of comfort. They want somewhere stylish to stay even if they're on a budget.'

Hostels offering private rooms and/or bath, free-wifi and even a bar? Sounds like a hotel to me. So, what's the difference between a hotel and a hostel? Ben Cooper from hostelbookers.com explains it's not much:

The result is that line between hostel and hotel is blurring. 'The key difference is that hostels usually have some communal space - a kitchen, a lounge,' said Ben Cooper of hostelbookers.com. 'For many it's the sociable side of hostelling that appeals as much as the price - you just don't get the same atmosphere in hotels.'

Interesting. The Times Online then ran a companion piece listing the top luxury hostels in Europe. Some of these seem really really nice - and at prices under US $50 per day? That's what I call a real steal. I found that by searching on HostelBookers.com you can find out which hostels had a youth policy and which ones catered to travelers of all ages (and even families). I'd like their site even more if you could actually search or filter by that criteria...but I digress.

After looking at some of these luxury hostels, I may be willing to give it another shot. If you are looking to see expensive Europe on the cheap this year, you may want to seriously check it out as well.

Luxury hostels target flashpackers and grey gappers [Guardian]
Europe's top 10 boutique hostels [Times Online]
The grey gap year [Independent]
HostelBookers.com [Official Site]