Asia’s luxury hostels for the ‘flashpacker’ generation are classy but cheap
The baby boomer generation has spawned a new breed of traveller who demands deluxe dorms and hotel-like facilities. We take a look at how the ‘poshtel’ movement is taking off in budget traveller magnet Southeast Asia
It’s hard to believe that the art deco-style building housing a selection of spacious, bright dorms and rooms, each with a clean minimalist design, is a hostel. The big outdoor pool, in-house bar and trendy vibe are a stark contrast to your regular hostel, where bunk beds are stacked unimaginatively in dank rooms and the thought of a trip to the toilet sends shivers down one’s spine.
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This is a poshtel (“posh hostel”), Thai-based hostel brand Lub d’s latest offering, which opened in Siem Reap, Cambodia, in September. It offers 120 beds (from US$9 a night) arranged in mixed or ladies-only dorms, each with 10 beds and individually designed with a somewhat futuristic feel: clean lines, uncluttered, bright spaces and block colours. There are also 72 private rooms (from US$29 a night) with en suite bathrooms, a pool with a bar, co-working space, a games area, laundry room and restaurant.
The hip hostel caters to growing demand in Southeast Asia for higher-quality budget accommodation.
“It’s all about offering hotel standards with the laid-back, friendly vibe – and cost – of a hostel,” says Lub d’s marketing director, Yossawon Puangchanpetch.
Carolyn Childs, co-founder of My Travel Research, says such accommodation caters to a new breed of traveller – the “flashpacker” – an evolution of the backpacker the baby boomer generation gave birth to.
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“While many have moved on, there are many that remain attracted to the idea of being a backpacker, but these days they are ‘flashpackers’; they enjoy the values of hostels, but with a little more money are prepared to pay extra,” she says.