Hostel vs. Pension — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 7, 2024
A hostel is a budget accommodation with shared dormitories and communal spaces, often appealing to travelers, whereas a pension is a smaller, family-run guesthouse that offers private rooms with basic amenities.
Difference Between Hostel and Pension
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Key Differences
A hostel typically provides budget accommodation, often featuring shared dormitory rooms and communal facilities like kitchens and lounges. It primarily attracts budget travelers seeking affordable lodging and opportunities for social interaction, usually providing a vibrant, youthful atmosphere. A pension, on the other hand, is a smaller, family-run establishment that provides private rooms, offering a more intimate and home-like environment. While it may also be affordable, it often emphasizes a quieter, more personal experience and may include amenities like breakfast.
Hostels generally have a more casual atmosphere with a focus on meeting other travelers and sharing experiences. Their communal spaces promote interaction among guests, fostering a sense of community. Pensions, while also informal, tend to be quieter and more private. They offer fewer socializing opportunities but provide a comfortable and personal environment, often catering to travelers seeking more privacy.
Hostels may offer additional facilities like organized tours, laundry services, or events, enhancing the guest experience. Pensions, however, may include personalized services like home-cooked meals or local travel advice from the owners.
In terms of location, hostels are commonly situated in urban centers, close to attractions and nightlife. Pensions are often found in quieter neighborhoods or rural settings, providing guests with a relaxing retreat.
Comparison Chart
Room Type
Shared dormitories
Private rooms
ADVERTISEMENT
Atmosphere
Casual, youthful, social
Intimate, personal, quieter
Amenities
Communal facilities, tours, events
Personalized services, home-cooked meals
Ownership
Often owned by companies or chains
Typically family-owned
Target Audience
Backpackers, budget travelers
Travelers seeking privacy, often couples/families
Compare with Definitions
Hostel
Provides inexpensive lodging for travelers of all ages.
Even older travelers appreciated the hostel's low rates.
Pension
Offers breakfast or other home-cooked meals.
The pension served us fresh croissants and coffee each morning.
Hostel
Typically has dorms and some private rooms.
While most slept in dorms, we booked a private room at the hostel.
Pension
Small, family-run guesthouse offering private rooms.
We stayed at a cozy pension run by a friendly couple.
Hostel
Budget accommodation often featuring shared dormitory rooms.
The backpackers stayed at a lively hostel in downtown Berlin.
Pension
Emphasizes a personal and home-like atmosphere.
The pension's living room felt like a comfortable family lounge.
Hostel
Communal facilities encourage social interaction among travelers.
The hostel's kitchen was filled with guests cooking and chatting.
Pension
Provides local travel advice and personal services.
Our host at the pension recommended a nearby hiking trail.
Hostel
Offers organized activities and tours for guests.
The hostel arranged a free walking tour of the city.
Pension
Typically located in quiet neighborhoods or rural areas.
The pension was nestled in a quiet village outside of town.
Hostel
A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory, with shared use of a lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or shared bathrooms.
Pension
A pension (, from Latin pensiō, "payment") is a fund into which a sum of money is added during an employee's employment years and from which payments are drawn to support the person's retirement from work in the form of periodic payments. A pension may be a "defined benefit plan", where a fixed sum is paid regularly to a person, or a "defined contribution plan", under which a fixed sum is invested that then becomes available at retirement age.
Hostel
A supervised, inexpensive lodging place for travelers, especially young travelers.
Pension
A regular payment made by the state to people of or above the official retirement age and to some widows and disabled people
Men can draw a pension from the age of sixty-five
Hostel
An inn; a hotel.
Pension
A small hotel or boarding house in France and other European countries.
Hostel
To stay at hostels while traveling.
Pension
Dismiss someone from employment, typically because of age or ill health, and pay them a pension
He was pensioned off from the army after the war
Hostel
A commercial overnight lodging place, with dormitory accommodation and shared facilities, especially a youth hostel
A rundown hostel
Pension
A sum of money paid regularly as a retirement benefit or by way of patronage.
Hostel
(not US) A temporary refuge for the homeless providing a bed and sometimes food
Pension
A boarding house or small hotel in Europe
"A pension had somewhat less to offer than a hotel.
It was always smaller, and never elegant.
It sometimes offered breakfast, and sometimes not" (John Irving).
Hostel
(obsolete) A small, unendowed college in Oxford or Cambridge.
Pension
Accommodations or the payment for accommodations, especially at a boarding house or small hotel in Europe.
Hostel
(intransitive) To stay in a hostel during one's travels.
Pension
Room and board.
Hostel
(transitive) To lodge (a person) in a hostel.
Pension
To grant a pension to.
Hostel
An inn.
So pass I hostel, hall, and grange.
Pension
To retire or dismiss with a pension
"Some French farmers suggest that the Government pension off the older and less efficient farmers" (E.J. Dionne, Jr.).
Hostel
A small, unendowed college in Oxford or Cambridge.
Pension
An annuity paid regularly as benefit due to a retired employee, serviceman etc. in consideration of past services, originally and chiefly by a government but also by various private pension schemes.
Many old people depend on their pension to pay the bills.
Hostel
A hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers
Pension
A boarding house or small hotel, especially in continental Europe, which typically offers lodging and certain meals and services.
Hostel
Inexpensive supervised lodging (especially for youths on bicycling trips)
Pension
(obsolete) A wage or fee.
Pension
(obsolete) A charge or expense of some kind; a tax.
Pension
A sum paid to a clergyman in place of tithes.
Pension
A regular allowance paid to support a royal favourite, or as patronage of an artist or scholar.
Pension
(obsolete) A boarding school in France, Belgium, Switzerland, etc.
Pension
(transitive) To grant a pension to.
Pension
(transitive) To force (someone) to retire on a pension.
Pension
A payment; a tribute; something paid or given.
The stomach's pension, and the time's expense.
Pension
A stated allowance to a person in consideration of past services; payment made to one retired from service, on account of age, disability, or other cause; also, a regular stipend paid by a government to retired public officers, disabled soldiers, the families of soldiers killed in service, or to meritorious authors, or the like.
To all that kept the city pensions and wages.
Pension
A certain sum of money paid to a clergyman in lieu of tithes.
Pension
A boarding house or boarding school in France, Belgium, Switzerland, etc.
Pension
To grant a pension to; to pay a regular stipend to; in consideration of service already performed; - sometimes followed by off; as, to pension off a servant.
One knighted Blackmore, and one pensioned Quarles.
Pension
A regular payment to a person that iis intended to allow them to subsist without working
Pension
Grant a pension to
Common Curiosities
Is breakfast always included in pensions?
Breakfast is often included but may vary, so it's best to confirm this when booking.
Are pensions suitable for solo travelers?
Yes, pensions can be suitable for solo travelers seeking a quieter, more private setting.
Are pensions common in big cities?
Pensions are more common in smaller towns or rural areas, though some are also found in urban settings.
Which is cheaper, a hostel or a pension?
Hostels are generally cheaper, with dormitory-style rooms and shared facilities. Pensions are affordable but usually cost more due to private rooms.
Do hostels only have dormitory rooms?
No, some hostels also offer private rooms, though their primary feature is shared dormitories.
Are pensions open year-round?
Most pensions are open year-round, but some in tourist destinations may have seasonal closures.
Can families stay at hostels?
Yes, many hostels have family rooms or private rooms suitable for families.
Do hostels have age restrictions?
Some hostels have age restrictions, especially youth hostels, but many welcome guests of all ages.
Do hostels provide towels and linens?
Many hostels provide linens, but towels might come at an extra cost or require a deposit.
Do hostels have private bathrooms?
Some hostels offer private en-suite bathrooms, but many have shared facilities.
Do hostels offer cooking facilities?
Many hostels have communal kitchens available for guests to use.
Is Wi-Fi available in pensions?
Most pensions offer Wi-Fi, though the speed and availability can vary.
Are pets allowed in pensions?
Some pensions allow pets, but it's best to check their pet policy in advance.
Is there a security risk in hostels?
While shared rooms can pose a security risk, most hostels provide lockers for valuables.
Do pensions provide laundry services?
Some pensions offer laundry services or have facilities for guests to use.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Cheers vs. Chear
Next Comparison
Podcast vs. VodcastAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
