America is not so cutting-edge if you ask
me, but what do I know. To be quite honest the only time I’ve ever stepped into a youth hostel was abroad, yet the kind
of things mentioned in this San
Francisco Chronicle piece by Arthur Frommer don’t quite seem to happen around these parts. Or do they? Free Aveda
hair-care products and beds made of feather pillows – at a youth hostel? (Gasp!) Sure many of you may have probably
seen or even used that orange and ginger smelling Bath & Body Works shampoo/conditioner popping up in various
hotels stateside, but think about the cost of your room. I want low cost. I want to have my cake and I would
like to eat it too, if you certainly don’t mind.
Apparently Europe, Asia and Australia seem to understand
what cheap penny-pinchers want on their holidays. They understand that backpackers want royalty, no-frills chic, and
great interior design at ridiculously low cost without the bed bugs. Not to say that any of this is new news like the
article suggests it may be for many Americans, but I can’t help wondering if the concept will ever fully catch on here.
If you’re headed away to Europe, Asia or Australia to stay and play, check out some of the following sites mentioned in
the article: