Hostelquality: A methodology for assessing the quality of hostels

Abstract

Hostels are an important part of the tourism industry but despite this, many of the metrics used to measure conventional hotels do not apply to the hostel sector. Therefore, this study developed a new methodology called HOSTELQUALITY for the classification of hostels. The method was applied in 10 establishments located in 3 tourist cities in Brazil. The method includes 29 questions in 10 dimensions: environment, leadership, security, cleanliness, location, social atmosphere, equipment, staff, price, and customers. It provides a five-level classification: Deficient, Weak, Average, Good, and Excellent. In addition, it provides graphical output. The results showed that half of the hostels received a good rating. The findings indicate that no establishment achieved a degree of excellence and demonstrated the new methodology’s applicability, providing a consistent and easy-to-interpret classification. This new methodology can be used on specialized websites, by institutions, and by governments to provide supporting information.