Students Jesse Bono, Rebecca Stodgell and Nicole Folino pose in the hostel in Sante Fe, N.M.
Ben Carstens/Spartan Contributor

Everyone dreams of traveling the world, but people are often stopped by the overbearing cost that comes with the desire to explore.  

What people don’t realize is there is a cheaper, more efficient way to accomplish these dreams. Hostels allow travelers a quick, safe and inexpensive housing alternative during their  adventures.  

But beware, hostels are not like your average hotel.  The rooms are set up with bunk beds and depending on what room you are given, there is a chance you could be staying with six different people.  Travelers from all over the world use hostels as a cheaper way to travel from city to city.  

Alosha Tarasov, 26, a traveler from Russia, explained how the hostels in the U.S. are not much different from the hostels in Europe.

“I’ve stayed in many hostels and all of them have many similarities, random roommates, bunk beds, interesting people … But I’ve found them great for traveling, cheap and easy,” he said.  

This is Tarasov’s first time in the U.S. experiencing American hostels and he said he has had no troubles in any of the places he has stayed.  

“There is always something unique about each hostel I have stayed in. For instance, here they have a small selection of food for you and just expect you to do your own dishes,” he said.

Hostels and their staff members are often very traveler friendly and support the visitors who migrate through, he said.  

Castleton College students studying in the Southwest got the real hostel experience when 17 individuals lived at the International Hostel de Santa Fe for two-and-a-half months.  For many of the students, it was their first time ever staying in a hostel.

“It’s been a lot of fun; I didn’t know what to expect at first, but I plan on using them in the future,” student Ben Leber said.  

Leber talked about all the interesting people he met who ended up stopping at the hostel for a night, shared their stories and then left the next day.  

“I’ve met people from all over the world due to staying here and now I feel like I can contact people almost anywhere and have a good connection,” he said.

The International Hostel de Santa Fe is located on Cerrillos Road, one of the busier roads in Santa Fe.  Shaped to look more like a motel, this one story building can house about 40 people.  The rooms are small and the floors aren’t carpeted, but for a quick night’s stay, all one really needs is a bed and a bathroom.  

Unlike some hostels, this one sports a huge restaurant-style kitchen for guests with food that has been donated from the Whole Foods Market here in Santa Fe.  Hostels accommodate guests who are in a hurry and just need a place to stay for a night or two.

Amara Bedford, who studies art theory at Southwestern College, just started working at the International Hostel de Santa Fe in mid-July and said the experience has been awesome. She said for $20 a night, visitors can get a room there, although rates can vary depending on if you want a private room and on the season.  

“My favorite part about working here are the people that check in and out all thtime. There are some crazies, so it can be a pro and a con, but the people in general make it fun,” Bedford said.