How Does a Hostel Owner Spend a Workday?

The Rooms

Hostels are different from hotels in that their rooms contain several beds and bunkbeds. These beds are what are rented, as opposed to rooms. This means that you will be sharing a room with people that you don't even know. The hostel owner must check the rooms to make sure they are clean and that none of the furniture is in need of repair. Once the inspection is complete the owner can then order any new furniture or hire someone to fix the broken pieces. The owner can then also list that room and its beds as ready for the next set of customers.

Making Reservations-Customer Service

The owner will spend most of the day taking reservations, setting up walk-ins with beds, and helping the guests with anything they need. Student backpackers, world travelors, missions groups, and individuals on a travel budget are some of the types of guests that take advantages of the many hostels around the world. There is less privacy, but the rates are more affordable. The owner will also be available at the reservation desk to arrange taxi's or day trips for the customer. This is done as a courtesy. Often the hostel owner will have a business arrangement with a taxi service, etc. so that they can both benefit.

Managing Employees

The hostel owner will need to create a schedule for the employees. The hostel owner may hire a few receptionists to help out as well as a cleaning crew to get the rooms and beds back in to shape once the guests leave. The owner will also need to spend some time conducting employee interviews, doing background checks, and then hiring and firing employees based on their performances.

Ordering Supplies

The hostel owner is responsible for taking inventory and ordering more supplies as needed. These can be anything from ink for the printer to towels for the guests. The owner must keep track of which supplies are used and which ones are left over in order to properly prepare taxes at the end of the year. The owner will already have companies that he or she uses to order the supplies, but they will still take some time to research companies that could give them their supplies at a discount.

Bookkeeping-Employee Payroll

Bookkeepers are usually hired to keep track of the hostel owner's income and expenses. It is still the owners duty to gather the daily sales receipts and expenses and submit them to the bookkeeper at the end of the day. The hostel owner must also submit employee work hours so that the bookkeeper can take the necessary deductions and print out the paychecks. The bookkeeper will also be responsible for sending out the taxes quarterly. The owner must take the time to review all of the financial statements to make sure they are correct.

Advertising

The hostel owner must spend some time each month promoting their company. They will look for travel agents to partner with as well as place ads in travel magazines. They may create some business cards to hand out to taxi and rental car companies. The hostel owner will have to take some time to research the best place to put an ad since local citizens would not need their services.