A hostal is a type of

lodging Lodging refers to the use of a short-term dwelling, usually by renting the living space or sometimes through some other arrangement. People who travel and stay away from home for more than a day need lodging for sleep, rest, food, safety, shelt ...

very common in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

and

Hispanic America The region known as Hispanic America (in Spanish called ''Hispanoamérica'' or ''América Hispana'') and historically as Spanish America (''América Española'') is the portion of the Americas comprising the Spanish-speaking countries of North, ...

. Hostals tend to be cheaper than

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

s. They normally have a bar, restaurant or cafeteria where drinks and food are sold to guests and locals alike. Accommodations typically include private bedrooms, and sometimes apartments, available for either short or long term rent. Linens and towels are usually provided, unless it is a long term apartment rental in which case the guest is considered a resident and does not receive cleaning and other services. Guests sometimes share a common bathroom, but a number of rooms with en suite bathrooms may also be available. Hostals are common in Spain and are also found in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sou ...

and

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. They are often family-run, independent businesses, with a strong involvement with the local community. ''Hostal-residencias'' are the same as hostales, but generally without a cafetería or other place where guests can eat.

Difference from hostels

Though the word ''hostal'' is similar to ''

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 share ...

'', the two words refer to different types of accommodation. ''Hostels'' refers to properties that offer shared accommodation, typically in dormitories, while ''hostal'' refers to a type of family-run

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 ...

typically common only in Spain and a few other Spanish-speaking countries. In Mexico, ''hostal'' is just the Spanish word for ''hostel'': A cheap hotel-like accommodation that will normally have one or two dormitory rooms with bunk beds and a few individual or shared with other rooms. They are ideal for backpackers, youth, and those with little funds for accommodations. Some regular hotels will however add the word ''hostal'' to their names to try to increase business. Hostals are classified from one to three stars, contrary from hostels, which are not classified under the star rating, and from hotels which are classified from one to five stars.

References

External links

{{Tourism Hotel types