ElaineB wrote:Have the yha gone all ‘woke’, don’t they realise that the people who come to hostels are not generally members of the timid bunch? I spoke to a chap recently re bookings but all seemed very ‘woke’, sadly.
complaining that they're too "woke".
So they are already too aware? But they need to wake up and be aware.
Jdsk wrote:What do you mean by "woke" in this context, please?
It usually means that the user of the term is having a tantrum about change.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
ElaineB wrote:Could this be the death of the YHA for single travellers? I don’t want to hire the whole hostel for one night at £££. The children are back at school and surely the hostels could open for responsible adults? The hostel I want to stay at is one of the hire the whole thing, why? The wardens are married and live on the premises, what’s to stop one of them putting a duvet cover on, putting out some cornflakes and leaving a spray in the shower room for people to spray around before/after use? Have the yha gone all ‘woke’, don’t they realise that the people who come to hostels are not generally members of the timid bunch? I spoke to a chap recently re bookings but all seemed very ‘woke’, sadly. I have no confidence that the yha will survive now, after my conversation what did I get in the post? My yha renewal for the next year! A bit like the CUK, they can go and whistle, if you can’t provide proper leadership, sadly people will jump ship. Of course we all understand this has been an incredible time all round but surely freezing in fear will not get you moving forward, what the yha needs now is a blowtorch. When things are viewed as impossible, generally that is what they become. Wake up, woke yha before you lose more members.
Perhaps if they got a bit more gammon on the board things might change.
When people start staying at a Travelodge or Premier Inn for far less, it will sadly only be a matter of time before the yha will become irrelevant, to all but school parties.. The days of dormitories could be a thing of the past and the yha need to wake up to the fact single travellers need accommodation without paying £350 per night.They seem to have a fatalistic attitude, which is understandable in these testing times but would they rather die a slow death than let people through their doors? I appreciate they are ‘looking after us’ but surely as adults we can look after ourselves, we all know the procedures, we have survived thus far, I don’t wish to be over protected, thank you. If the Premier Inns can open then why not the yha’s? They don’t even let you camp in your own tent, now that is silly, half the country has been camping throughout the summer months! I would even sign a piece of paper saying I would stay ‘at my own risk’ if that would stop them being sued if I caught anything, which if truth be told, is probably what this whole fear thing is really all about.
Last edited by ElaineB on 12 Sep 2020, 3:02pm, edited 1 time in total.
My perspective is that I don't like sleeping in big dormitories because of the snorers and to be fair, I am one myself. As for the single rooms, I have stayed in a few and they were quite dowdy and not cheap e.g. £60 per night, so poor value IMHO in comparison to rooms at Premier Inn and Travelodge which can be had for £30 or less if you book well in advance. OK, pre-Covid youth hostels' kitchens and common rooms provided the opportunity to socialise which you do not get with PI and TL for example. I had some pleasant enough stays at independent hostels, mid-week, pre-Covid, when I generally had a small, 2-4 bed dorm to myself which was fine.
I would like PI and TL to open more hotels in small towns and I would certainly use them in preference to YHs even if a vaccine against Covid19 is developed. I regret to say that the YHA and SYHA are right in seeing their future mainly in accomodating block booked school parties etc.
As a former YHA user I have to say that for me the organisation is now a bit of an anachronism. With the internet it is now easy to book an interesting and attractive B&B or some self catering accommodation just about anywhere. We recently did a mostly B&B based tour and the various accommodations were part of the entertainment. We looked forward to them. Some were quirky, some were luxurious and others were basic, and one was a bit grotty. But all gave entertainment. I struggle to see how there might still be a need for YHA.
pwa wrote:I struggle to see how there might still be a need for YHA.
It seems like there should be a big enough market similar to that served by many non-school-group hostels in BE and NL: mini dorm rooms of 6 to 12, cheaper than a hotel and with decent bike parking, often in a rural location with canteen. Booking B+Bs for that number seems a challenge in many areas.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
I’ve met some great people in the yha’s over the years and I think it would be extremely sad if the bods that run the yha let it sleepwalk into oblivion over the Covid outbreak. As a single traveller I find meeting other like minded souls very pleasant, on the whole. I do sometimes wonder if the staff in the offices actually experience what they are selling and running and whether they are active members themselves. Over the years the yha has really only seemed to be geared for families, which is good in one way as the young will be their future, hopefully. But I think that forgetting their core membership of walkers, cyclists etc can only be detrimental in the long run. It means the yha will become nothing more than accommodation for groups of people. The cost per head is approximately £15 for 4-5 in a room but one person pays £60. Having just cancelled my DD to the CUK which is due in January, looks like I will be cancelling my yha membership too, still more money for me to spend on Airbnb etc. Who are these people running these long established, traditional organisations? Probably just finished a degree in business management, where ‘people’ don’t get mentioned.
I thought I'd look at the YHA for some accommodation in the North Lakes over the weekend and was suprised to see that you could only book the whole place. As others have said here there are plenty of other workable solutions in other hotels, B&Bs etc that are working within the current Covid 19 rules. It appears like the YHA is run by a load of Civil Servants.
Have the YHA ever issued a statement describing their situation/policy/ future goals? I know we are all in a terrible place and uncertainties surround us but....... If like to know their thoughts on their future. And not just a bland corporate statement.
2017 Ethiopia.5 weeks.
2018 Marrakech 2 weeks.
2023 Thailand 8 weeks.
Always on a Thorn Raven/Rohloff hub.
The Yh’s that will survive will be those that have not put all their eggs in one basket. If they only offer 5/6/8 beds rooms and then expect people to ‘buy’ the whole room or hostel, then that is fine for groups or families. If they offer more 2 bedded rooms it opens the hostel up to solo travellers, families can also have more rooms to accommodate them too. It is how it used to be before the ‘corporate’ bods decided on a strategy that is more about money than people. I think dormitories have there place but in the present world those that have them must be kicking themselves. Oh to have lots of small rooms, what a difference it could have made, probably even in these Covid times. Solo travellers are generally more likely to carry on visiting and some money is better than none. Adapt or die.
matt2matt2002 wrote:Have the YHA ever issued a statement describing their situation/policy/ future goals? I know we are all in a terrible place and uncertainties surround us but....... If like to know their thoughts on their future. And not just a bland corporate statement.
