Definition

1. Noun:
   • A budget-friendly, supervised accommodation: A hostel is an establishment that provides inexpensive lodging, often with shared facilities, typically catering to young travelers, students, or specific groups like cyclists.
   • An inn or lodging house: A hostel can also refer to a simple hotel or lodging place providing overnight accommodation for travelers.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • We stayed at a youth hostel during our backpacking trip across Europe.
  • The university hostel provides rooms for international students.
  • The old hostel by the station offers basic but clean rooms for travelers.

Advanced Usage

• "Youth hostel": A specific type of hostel that is part of a network, often requiring membership, providing very basic, shared accommodation primarily for young people.
  • He planned his journey using the youth hostel association's guide.
• "Hostel warden": The manager or person in charge of a hostel.
  • The hostel warden ensures all guests follow the house rules.

Variants and Related Words

• Hosteler/Hosteller (noun): A person who stays in a hostel.
  • The hostellers shared stories in the common room.
• Hosteling/Hostelling (noun): The activity of traveling while staying in hostels.
  • Hosteling is a popular way for students to see the world on a budget.

Synonyms

• Dormitory (dorm): A large bedroom for a number of people, especially in a school or institution.
• Inn: A small establishment providing lodging and, often, food and drink.
• Lodging house: A house where rooms are rented out, typically for short stays.

Related Phrases

• "Backpacker hostel": A hostel specifically catering to backpackers, often with a social atmosphere.
  • The city is full of cheap backpacker hostels near the main square.
• "Hostel kitchen": A shared kitchen facility in a hostel for guests to prepare their own meals.
  • We saved money by cooking our dinners in the hostel kitchen.

Related Idioms

(Note: The word "hostel" itself is not commonly used in idiomatic expressions. The related concepts are more straightforward.)

Noun

1. inexpensive supervised lodging (especially for youths on bicycling trips)
2. a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers