What kind of room is suitable for a hostel. Open hostel

In the last few years, hostels have become very popular in our country. This is due to several factors. Firstly, not everyone can afford expensive hotels, secondly, young people, namely they make up the backbone of hostel clients who are not picky about the conditions of rest, thirdly, good hostels, if they are well-designed, are not inferior in comfort to many hotels, but significantly better in price.

In this article, we will talk about how to open a hostel, what aspects to pay attention to first of all, what documents to collect so that the activity is legal, how to advertise your business, and where to get the first customers. We will also try to draw up a hostel business plan, taking into account all the features and subtleties of the modern real estate market.

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Documents required to open a hostel

Your goal is a serious and solid institution, with development prospects not only in your city, but also in the region, and in the future throughout the country. It is clear that you need to officially register your business. For this you will need the following documents:

1. Company registration certificate. If you plan to open one hostel to start with, then a sole proprietorship is perfect. In the future, when the network grows, you can think about registering legal entity.
2. Be sure to register with the tax authorities, and obtain a certificate of tax payment. Many experienced businessmen advise starting with a single tax, because this will save on deductions to the state treasury and reduce the difficulties with reporting on your activities.
3. Next, you need to get the conclusion of the fire inspection that your premises meets all norms and standards, is safe for visitors and staff. This is a very important point, because you are responsible for the lives of people who will stay with you. No negligence needed. Follow all the requirements of the fire department, and even more.
4. SES conclusion. Your premises in which the hostel will be located must meet the requirements of the sanitary and epidemiological service.
5. An agreement on the lease of premises, or documents that confirm the ownership of real estate.
6. Agreement with a company that is engaged in the removal of solid household waste.

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The list of documents is not exhaustive, because our legislation is in a state of eternal reformation and "improvement". Therefore, at the time of opening the hostel, we advise you to familiarize yourself with the current legislative framework, find out what changes have been made to the laws governing the opening and operation of hostels. We do not think that in the coming years something will change drastically, but God saves the safe. It is better to be safe than to have problems with regulatory authorities and various government services later.

What should be in a modern hostel

As we have already said, a hostel is not a place where two Tajiks live on one square meter. We can say that this is an analogue of the well-known hostels, only you can rent your place for a day or more. Hostels are mainly used by young people, tourists, lovers of inexpensive rest, and spend the money saved on other, more important points. Based on the main audience of hostels, you can make a list of the required minimum:

• First, free access to the Internet. As a rule, all good hostels have a WI-FI point, with normal coverage and decent speed. The youth most spends his life in the global network. Someone works, someone communicates, someone reads or plays games, and for someone the Internet is a virtual world, without which life is no longer life. Everyone has different goals, but the need is the same - high-quality WI-FI. Sometimes the choice of a hostel is based on the availability of free and free access to the network. I am very surprised by the establishments that still charge for the Internet from their vacationers. There is no longer any desire to stay in such a sleazy place.
• Good furniture. Of course, most holiday hostels are not picky, but you should not skimp on whitewash. At a minimum, you need to buy normal beds, after a night on which, a person will not feel back pain.
• Household appliances: iron, hair dryer, washing machine, etc. You need to take care of the comfort of your customers.
• Kitchen with all necessary utensils: kettle, stove, pots, cups, spoons.
• Dining room where everyone can eat. You can offer breakfast yourself, for a fee, you can arrange something like a buffet where you can buy sandwiches and light snacks, or you can not bother at all and give vacationers the opportunity to cook something for themselves.

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This is a minimum, but if you want to be the best, then you need to come up with something more. It is possible to organize a game room, where to put several soft sofas, to check a couple of TVs and set up set-top boxes. This will be your chip, and a trump card in advertising, which can attract even more vacationers. If you open a hostel in a tourist city, then free guides and maps for each client can be a plus. This will help the tourist not to get lost in an unfamiliar city, and in this way you will show concern, and once again show that you care about the client.

The problem of many hostels is cleanliness and comfort. If you want to be the best, then you need to always keep the brand, and not work out the first few months at the level, and then let everything take its course. Therefore, sign an agreement with a cleaning company that will do a general cleaning once a week. At the same time, you need to wash the kitchen, shower room, and clean the rest rooms every day. All towels, bed linen, all utensils - everything should be clean, pleasant, neat in appearance.

Choosing a hostel

Separately, it is worth dwelling on the issue of choosing a room for a future hostel. It would seem that there is nothing to think about - a large room, in the center or near the center, and it's in the bag. But not everything is so simple. It is necessary to proceed from some features that will affect the final choice.

First you need to decide which hostel you want to open. There are several types of hostels:

• The first type of hostels is designed for 100 or more people. During the day they need a large room, which is divided into several blocks with separate bathrooms, kitchens, rooms for leisure and recreation. As a rule, such hostels require a lot of effort, time and cost. But the payback is faster. Very often, large hostels are rented by companies that hold seminars or conferences. They invite their representatives from all over the country, and, paying for their housing, lodge them in hostels of this type. If you are lucky, you can sign an agreement with the company that you will constantly provide them with services of this type.
• Average hostels for 30-50 people. This is the most popular option. If you settle in a room for 8 people, then you need from 4 to 6 rooms. You can rent or buy two apartments, connect them together, and organize such a hostel. But most often the whole floor is redeemed, on which there are three apartments. Another one is being equipped as a place to relax, a large kitchen is being made there, and another shower room.
• Small family hostels. This is usually one apartment with 3-4 rooms. These hostels are designed for 10-15 people. Everything is cozy, without unnecessary noise, at home. 3-4 people can live in one room, which is very convenient. If you come with a small company, you can rent a separate room, without strangers. Such hostels do not require large investments, they are easier to follow and take care of, running costs are much lower. And they have one significant plus - the price can be set more. Due to coziness, tranquility, and comfort, you can keep the price 10% higher than that of competitors who have large and medium-sized hostels. And believe me, if you have a good reputation, then many will gladly overpay, but will go to you.

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With the choice of a place for a hostel, everything is simple - it is desirable that they be near interchanges public transport, or within walking distance to the main attractions of the city. Many hostels open right in the center, or very close to it. But there is only one minus - the price of real estate. It is very good if you own an apartment, or some kind of residential area, and if not, are you ready to invest a tidy sum? Therefore, it is better to make a hostel somewhere far away, but so that your guests can get by metro, trams or buses to anywhere in the city.

Advertising and promotion of the hostel

The advertisement is engine of the trade. In the tourism business, namely hostels, you won’t get far without advertising. Of course, over time, when several hundred customers stay at your place and they are all satisfied, word of mouth will work well, and the fame of your hostel will spread across the latitudes of our country. But these customers need to be attracted, and for this you need to advertise. We want to say right away that the advertising budget should not be small. But in order not to waste money, letting them into completely ineffective areas of advertising, we will give a few main directions that will be optimal for hostels.

• Internet advertising. For successful development business, you need to create your website on the Internet. Beautiful and pleasant design, clear structure, maximum information content - these are the three pillars on which a normal hostel website should be based. You must describe your hostel, talk about its advantages, show photos of rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, beds. You can even brag about the view from the window, if you have something to brag about. Also show where the hostel is located on the map, what cafes, shops, public transport stops are nearby. Do not forget that many potential customers are interested in the reviews of those who have already rested in your hostel. Therefore, you need to somehow agitate people to leave their impressions, write comments, share their opinions.

The site is good, but if it is not promoted in search engine Yandex and Google, then there will be little sense. If you yourself are familiar with the basics of SEO, then you can do promotion. Otherwise, entrust this matter to professionals.

It is very important that your site has several interface languages. If the city is touristy, then there is a high probability that foreigners can stay at your place. And they are looking for places for a future overnight stay just on the Internet.

• Social media. Don't forget about them either. Create your pages "Vkontakte" and "Facebook". Engage in the promotion and advertising of the hostel there. Conduct various promotions, give out discounts, attract people to your group in every possible way. Social media is a great place to find potential clients. Also, do not forget about the advertising offered by networks. You can set up the targeting you need, and show it only to those who, in your opinion, best fit the image of a potential client.
• Advertising through international networks online booking. Now more and more people around the world are using sites that allow you to book accommodation in minutes. You can study the admission conditions for such online platforms. If you have good rating, normal price, positive reviews, then through these sites you will receive up to 90% of all orders. Therefore, it makes sense to try to fulfill all the conditions and get into their base. These sites include Booking, TripAdvisor, Airbnb and others that you can easily find on the Internet.

Investments, profitability and payback of the hostel

If you are going to open a hostel, then the issue of initial investment, profitability and payback will definitely concern you. Perhaps the most important investment is real estate. You can rent it, but then the payback period will increase several times, or you can buy it. If we talk about real estate somewhere in the city center, then often it can be a completely unbearable amount, and not at all realistic for a hostel. Therefore, there are only two options left - either you have suitable premises(this is ideal), or you will rent it. Renting is more difficult. Not every owner agrees to rent out his apartment for this type of business. Unless you sign a contract for a year, or even more, in advance, give a good deposit, and agree to pay 10-15% more than the standard price in the rental housing market. What other initial costs for opening a hostel can be?

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• Design and decoration of the hostel. Very often they are decorated in some interesting style that would symbolize the hostel, or the city in which it is located. In Odessa, you can find hostels on the marine theme, the theme of ships, sailors, fishermen, etc. The cost of registration and design depends on your vision and desire to transform the room. Perhaps you will leave everything as it is, and will not invent anything. If you rent a room, then most likely you will not be allowed to roam much in terms of repair and design.
• Furniture. Be sure to buy beds, chairs, tables, furniture in the rest rooms and in the kitchen. In order to save space, you can order bunk beds. This is a common practice in many hostels.
• Household appliances: kettle, iron, hair dryer, table lamps, washing machines.
• Sets of towels, bed linen, cups, plates, pots, spoons, forks and other trifles necessary for a normal life.
• If the price includes bath accessories, then you need to buy shampoos, shower gels.

This is something that should be mandatory, and without which the normal functioning of the hostel is impossible. Everything else, according to your desire, and based on the set of services provided by your hostel, you can buy certain items.

If we talk about a specific amount, then here, too, not everything is clear. When compiling a business plan for a hostel, you should start from the prices that will be at the time of opening the business. Also, a lot depends on the city and region in which you want to start your business. The same can be said about payback. Here a lot depends on the advertising that you give, and on how high quality the services provided will be. A small hostel, which is designed for 15 people, can pay off in half a year. But this is on condition that it will be located in a convenient place for the tourist, and you will provide services at a high level to ensure the constant filling of the hostel.

Today, more and more employees yesterday are striving to open their own business. Whatever the risks, the profit that you can get out of the business every month will be able to cover the costs and, most importantly, it will give you an incomparable feeling of freedom and independence from the changeable mood of the authorities or the intrigues of work colleagues.

The hostel as a business is quite viable!

To date, one of the most promising types of business is the organization of hostels. Their relevance is growing day by day, since every year tens of millions of people go on trips, and not everyone and not always has money for really expensive and luxurious hotels.

Economy class tourists are happy to resort to hostels. What are they? These are hotels that are inexpensive and outwardly very reminiscent of hostels. Anyone who considers a hostel as a business is primarily attracted by its low costs, even at the initial stage of organization. But the profit can be very tangible due to the constant flow of people who want to settle in them.

Background

By the way, hostels were first invented in Germany. The representatives of the Germans liked the idea so much hotel business around the world, that their experience was adopted and began to be implemented in various countries. To date, there are about forty million people - fans of hostels. In this type of hotel, there must be a bed, a kitchen for cooking, a bathroom and a bathroom or shower. At the same time, it is not worth spending a lot on design.

The most important thing in this matter is cleanliness, comfort and accuracy. Very often, rooms are equipped with safes for storing personal belongings of customers. The rooms have six or eight beds. Hostel furniture is also not particularly luxurious. As a rule, these are single strong beds made of wood, reliable and practical.

How much will it cost you to open a hostel?

In most cases, the main costs go to the payment of rent or the acquisition of real estate. Ideally, you should purchase a room closer to the city center or to its historical sights. Remember that your guests will stay with you for 1-2 days. During this time, it is very important for them to have time to see as many interesting buildings or amazing places as possible, so they will give preference primarily to those hostels that are in close proximity to their route.

Thus, it turns out that the hostel profitability is quite high. Having solved the issue with the premises, you will not experience any particular difficulties with other organizational issues. As for the staff, an administrator and a cleaning lady will be needed here. The first one can work in 24-hour mode after three, that is, you need 4 people. Their average salary is about 20 thousand rubles.

Additional business

Also as extra income you can organize the preparation and delivery of breakfast for your customers. You can equip the kitchen for about 80 thousand rubles. A separate shower and toilet can cost about the same amount. Don't forget Wi-Fi yet. Its presence is very important, especially for foreigners.
And, most importantly, since you will have strangers in your rooms, make sure that an appropriate contract is drawn up with a security agency. A well-thought-out scheme of ready-made options for excursions, cycling and hiking routes, and picturesque places in the surroundings will also not be superfluous. Before organizing own business, try to compose detailed business plan hostel with financial model. This will help you in the correct distribution of your available funds and accelerate profits.

Advantages of a hostel over a hotel

Even from the position of a person inexperienced in entrepreneurship, the advantages of just this type of hotel over a hotel are obvious: this is a large number of customers attracted thanks to cheap services, and in general, any house or a spacious apartment can be used to implement the idea in Russia (recently it has become especially popular embody hostels in old buildings).

Among other things, you do not have to worry about the traditionally high level of service (necessary for ordinary hotels). As we have already noted, large funds are not needed to open a business here. It is quite possible that you do not even have to take out a loan - you can manage with your own funds. The most important thing is to plan everything correctly. Do not try to give an exact answer to the question of how to open a hostel, the business plan of which is not fully developed or thought out. Otherwise, you will simply lose money.

In how many years can the investment be recouped?

By the way, in continuation of the conversation about the merits of economy class hotels. It is worth noting that today in Western Europe their number has long exceeded the figure of 5000. There are still few such economical hotels in Russia. However, this area of ​​business is developing at a very fast pace. And it is quite possible that in 5-10 years our country will become one of the leaders in this market (in any case, there are all the prerequisites for this). Today the situation is the opposite.

The niche is almost completely free. This, in turn, creates fertile ground. The profitability of a hostel in Russia can be very, very high. The main thing here is the right organization (we will not get tired of repeating this). Hostel business plan should be thought out to the smallest detail. You must clearly understand for yourself what funds you need to invest and what benefits you will derive from this. Only then can success be predicted. By the way, you should not hesitate with this business either. If you decide, do everything faster, while there are no major players on the market.

Many aspiring entrepreneurs who decide to master the fertile field of the hotel business make their choice in favor of a hostel. Becoming a hostel does not require large investments, while the hostel remains highly demanded in the market hotel services, which together makes hostels an ideal springboard to start your career. If you have decided to start your business from a hostel, it will be useful for you to know some aspects regarding the location of your future enterprise. Which premises are suitable for a hostel, residential or non-residential, is it possible to open a hostel in a non-residential premises, what should be the non-residential premises for the hostel and other frequently asked questions below.

Non-residential premises for a hostel - the law on hostels

Hostels appeared in Russia relatively recently. Coming to us from Europe, for a long time they were not at all subject to a separate regulation protecting the safety and comfort of both the guests themselves and the unwitting neighbors of apartment hostels in residential buildings. The number of hostels grew uncontrollably. Somewhere they were registered as mini-hotels, and many were forced to work “in the shadows”.

Finally, in 2014, the government reacted and recognized the hostel as an independent type of budget hotel housing, releasing a single GOST for hostels. The original law established formal free standards and, in fact, did not solve the problem of hostels in apartment buildings, who have set the teeth on edge with ordinary citizens who are forced to coexist with such hostels. Responding to their requests, two years later, a package of amendments was developed and implemented, forever closing the conflict between hostel owners and their neighbors.

Requirements for non-residential premises for a hostel

According to the new law, the hostel, as a hostel for temporary stay, can no longer occupy living quarters, which were previously apartments. From now on, to set up a hostel in an apartment, you will first have to withdraw it from the fund of residential premises and transfer it to non-residential premises, and in order to fulfill a number of mandatory requirements.

Non-residential premises are located, as a rule, on the first floor of the building. On the second floor, an apartment can be transferred to a non-residential fund only if the first floor is already occupied by non-residential premises.

An additional requirement in the new amendments is the arrangement of a separate entrance to the hostel, not adjacent to the common entrance to the entrance. In fact, these fundamental two points protect the peace of tenants of an apartment building and the cleanliness of their stairwells from unfamiliar hostel guests.

Same way, new law prohibits placing a hostel in non-residential premises of the basement floors. The rather cheap cost of renting such areas attracted hostels, while the sanitary standards of living in the basement were usually turned a blind eye.

Basement floors are still suitable for temporary residence of people. It is allowed to place showers here, build a gym or a kitchen, but permanent residence of people in the basement is no longer allowed.

How to transfer an apartment to a non-residential fund for a hostel

Everything is pretty simple here. Initially, the apartment must meet the requirements for non-residential premises and not have technical restrictions for a separate entrance (see above). To transfer an apartment to a non-residential fund, it is enough to apply on your behalf to the local government, indicating the planned redevelopment (if required) and, in fact, a petition to transfer the area to non-residential fund. There is no single standard for such a statement, so it is written in free form. You will be required to attach a document certifying your right to property, or a notarized copy of it.

If you decide to re-plan the premises for a hostel, you will need to obtain a registration certificate for the premises at the technical inventory bureau at the place of residence, paying the necessary fees. Also, in the case of redevelopment, permission from the body for the protection of history and culture is required if the building is considered part of the cultural heritage or an architectural monument.

It will not be superfluous to coordinate your event with the neighbors. Formally, the law does not oblige you to do this, but regular dissatisfaction from neighbors, collection of signatures and protests can significantly delay the process, and the attitude of local government to your application will become picky and meticulous.

If you do not want to get involved with the bureaucratic machine and drown in complex legal formulations and amendments, collect certificates and communicate with BTI representatives, you can turn to professional lawyers for help. For a relatively small fee, they will help you with the transfer of your apartment to a non-residential fund. Along with the advent of hostels, offers of this kind appeared on the Internet at the same time. However, the procedure is not as complicated as it seems, and this is a matter of taste and your personal approach to business.

If everything is in order with your papers, the neighbors do not mind, and the cultural protection authority does not find your apartment in any way interesting for posterity, your application will be considered and an affirmative decision will be made after 45 days. From this moment on, you can start working.

Office space is non-residential by default, but not every office is suitable for a hostel. There are five main categories of office space. Let's look at them briefly:

• Class A: office space of the highest class. Typically, such offices are located in separate buildings, occupy several floors, are equipped to the latest standards, have their own parking lot, often an elevator. These prestigious premises are quite in demand in their class and are not considered as premises for a hostel.
• class B: the same, but a lower class. Such premises are located in new buildings or reconstructed mansions in the capital. Class A offices often fall into this category after several years of operation.
• class C: these are office premises leased industrial enterprises and, as a rule, do not meet the norms of residential premises. Such offices often do not even have ventilation, so the profitability of converting them into a hostel is a big question.
• class D: office space in buildings requiring overhaul. These are relatively inexpensive areas, not designed for permanent residence of people. The building may not comply with a number of sanitary or fire safety standards and hostel placement in them is unacceptable.
• class E: this includes premises not originally intended for offices, but converted due to necessity. These can also be apartments transferred to the non-residential fund, basement and semi-basement floors. Except for options with basement areas, class E offices, if well located, can be considered suitable for a hostel.

Getting started, it is important to remember that despite the fact that the apartment has been transferred to the status of non-residential premises, you still have neighbors, and their peace is partly the guarantee of the stable operation of your enterprise, which is not disturbed by inspections of regulatory authorities or the visit of a local police officer. Therefore, first of all, you should take care of good sound insulation for your guests. It is known that the target audience of hostels is young people under 30 years old, and having become friends, they can make a lot of noise. Along with the rapid growth in the number of hostels in our country, the question of how to close a hostel in non-residential premises becomes relevant in proportion to the number of citizens dissatisfied with careless hostels. On the contrary, there are cases when hostels equipped with violations on the high floors of apartment buildings continued to work successfully for a long time solely due to good relations with their neighbors.

The law obliges you to equip your hostel with the appropriate number of washbasins, toilets and showers, from a ratio of one bathroom per 10 guests. That is, having 31 places in the hostel, you will have to equip 4 latrines. GOST, which entered into force in 2015, sets standards for a minimum bed size of 190x80cm for a single bed and 190x140cm for a double bed. In the absence of a partition, the distance between beds should be at least 75cm, and, with a minimum bedroom height of 2.5m, the distance from the top bunk of the bed to the ceiling should not be less than 75cm. Under the ban were three-tiered and above the bed.

Protecting the right of guests to free space, from now on, each guest has 4 square meters, including the bed. Usually, for a comfortable stay, a person requires 5-6 meters of free space, but we will leave this on the conscience of the hosteler. Here we are talking about the choice between saving usable space and the prestige of the institution.

Now there are many sources of income, if we consider the option of working for someone. But many do not like this idea, people want to open their own business, try themselves as a manager or manager. There are more than enough ideas for starting a business today, you will learn about one of them right now.

What is the profitability of the hostel?

How cost-effective and profitable are hostels? Have you ever asked for this information? And in vain, because this type of small business is a very profitable business that can bring simply dizzying profits, but for this, of course, you should first try.

To begin with, it is necessary to analyze the general situation of the profitability of such establishments not only in the country, but also in the city.

First of all, you need to consider the following: opening a hostel is much more profitable than a hotel. Not so much profitable as safer and less risky. The cost of the hostel is relatively small, to buy a room under the hostel you will not need bank loans. And also such an acquisition quickly pays off and begins to bring real profits.

What do you need to open a hostel? Paper Aspects

Someone wants to buy a hostel already equipped and adapted for living and simply become its owner in order to make a profit over time with the help of calculations and calculations, and, of course, to proudly bear the title of hostel manager. Someone prefers this option to purchase a ready-made base.

In order to open such an institution, you should draw up a lot of documentation, write a single application and go through paperwork. So, in order to open a hostel from scratch, you need the following documentation:

• license - a paper that is needed to open any institution of a public nature. Today, there are quite a few opportunities to buy a hostel franchise. That is, to purchase a building that was built in strict accordance with the rules of the network of such institutions;
• permits of the sanitary and epidemiological service - this is also indispensable;
• it is also important to obtain permission from the fire department.

After you collect all the necessary papers, you will need to register with the tax office in order to formalize the activities of an entrepreneur or testify about yourself as a separate legal entity. Those who already own such a small business assure that there is no need to give any bribes, there is no deception. It is beneficial for the state to open such establishments, because this to some extent increases the number of tourists and visitors to the city.

Hostel space

So, we choose a place. You can rent a room for a hostel, or you can buy it if you have the finances. In any case, it should be a conveniently located non-residential building with rooms, corridors, a spacious lobby, preferably elevators and, of course, amenities. So to arrange a hostel in non-residential premises is not an option. Otherwise, the amount of repair will significantly exceed the cost of the building itself. Be sure to consider several proposed options, and if none of the buildings you see suits you, look for more. In large cities and regions, finding such a building is not entirely easy, but it is quite possible.

Be sure to pay attention to how radically it will be necessary to convert the building into a hostel. People who have been successful in running hostels state that they initially bought just commercial real estate, which was low in price due to the fact that they just wanted to sell it.

By the way, there are hostel room requirements, which must be followed when creating and equipping rooms. The minimum area per person is five square meters, the bed must be at least 80 by 190 centimeters, and the distance between beds must be at least 75 centimeters. One toilet can serve a maximum of twelve people, and a shower room for fifteen. The sink can be one for six customers.

How much does it cost to open a hostel?

You can take a somewhat original step and come up with a specific concept for the operation of the institution. For example, a hostel for climbers or for musicians, athletes.

Try to calculate your steps in advance as much as possible. Difficulties with finances can be a significant obstacle to the creation of a small business of this type. Re-equipment, repair work, facade work and so on - all this requires money. Therefore, the calculation “the building will cost such and such a price, and all together ten to twenty thousand more” is erroneous! In addition, cleanliness and order will need to be constantly maintained, and the payback of the hostel, although quite fast, is not instant, by no means.

Personnel search- a separate issue. Choose only people who are really experienced and well able to work in this area, it is better not to take newcomers at the start of a business. Even if inexperienced people agree to receive very little wages, still give preference to those who know how to work, although they ask for more money.

Let's talk about numbers

The payback period for any hostel is about six years. There are no specific numbers, as this will depend on its popularity and attendance, and, of course, on the cost that you set for a day's stay.

To some extent, buying a franchise is more profitable, especially if the institution that is the basis of the franchise is quite popular. In the case of purchasing a franchise unit, you are relieved of the obligation to search for a suitable building, create a hostel concept. The main task will be marketing, that is, advertising. It is also up to you to select staff and the general duties of the franchise owner. The payback of this option is much more active. However, many people want to independently manage everything related to their entrepreneurial estate, so they start a business from scratch.

Hostel promotion

In order for your institution to quickly become popular, advertising is necessary. There is no point in waiting for the hostel to develop itself, because, no matter how great the conditions you offer, information does not always spread quickly. Therefore, it is necessary to act.

1. Really experienced businessmen recommend working with an audience of schools and universities, because pupils and students often travel to different cities, booking rooms is made for a large number of people at once. Set a kind of limit: the more people there are in the group, the cheaper the rooms will cost. By the way, this type of visitors are the most effective word of mouth, your task is to demonstrate the advantages of a mini-hotel.

2. Register your hostel in the most popular social networks, add friends, offer services with prices (if they are pleasant enough) and listing amenities. This also works well. In the place reserved for filling in information data, indicate the coordinates of the institution and your contacts. The Internet is very, very wide, for young people today the World Wide Web has become the main source of information. Therefore, place ads on sites and pages, create a separate website for your hostel, indicate there as much information as possible, upload as many photos as possible.

3. specialized schools, clubs and basketball teams should also be taken into account. Organize ads for them too. And let there be special bonuses for managers, this will play in your favor.

4. Compose commercial offers with bonuses, promotions and seasonal discounts, for example. So the number of visitors will increase more actively.

5. Contact travel agencies. Most travel agencies immediately offer travelers accommodation, as this gives a person a guarantee that he will have a place to live immediately upon arrival, and, accordingly, improves the quality of the company's services. Contact several tourism companies, leave your contacts, arrange a room reservation. Employees of the company themselves will be interested in settling a person with you, especially if you offer a good price and proper conditions.

6. Corporate clients are the heads of different firms and enterprises. Offer them your services, let your subordinates know about it. Hand out business cards generously and don't be greedy for voice advertising - talk about the place non-stop.

Advertise the establishment endlessly. You can hire promoters to distribute flyers. You can come up with many more ways to promote the hostel, ranging from small to large-scale marketing projects.

Let's highlight the general rules for managing a hostel

How to properly manage a hostel, so as not only not to go bankrupt, but soon start making a net profit. Here are some simple but very effective rules.

Opening a hostel - no problem! It's not that difficult if you look into it in more detail.

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A mini-hotel that does not require serious investments and brings a steady income is the dream of many entrepreneurs. To learn how to open a hostel from scratch, read this article.

Hostel - what is it?

A rather new phenomenon for Russia, which has not yet managed to gain a foothold in the understanding of people.

Some consider a hostel to be an ordinary hostel in which there are people of different nationalities. This is a little different, below we will talk about the reasons for the appearance of such a stereotype.

In practice, the hostel is a fashionable trend that came from Europe. Many young people traveling around the world stay overnight in small rooms that can accommodate several people at once.

The building has a place for cooking and eating, rooms for two or more people, a bathroom, often a common living room. This is called a hostel.

Prices here are much lower than in ordinary hotels, and the level of service is sufficient for those who want to comfortably live in a foreign city for several days.

Video - how to open a successful hostel:

Unfortunately, many Russian entrepreneurs they call hostels places where several dozen two- or even three-story beds are placed in one room, there is one toilet for everyone on the floor, and there is no place for eating at all.

These underground flophouses, proudly called hostels, influence the entire industry. A foreign tourist, looking for a hostel familiar to him, may find himself in a place where he wants to run away without looking back, cursing the harsh Russian service.

Hostel types

• aimed at a youth audience;
• intended for conference participants.

These two types of hostels are seriously different from each other, primarily in the price range. Another difference is that most often the hostel of the first type occupies a smaller area compared to the second.

Well, the second one is often empty, while the workload of the first one can reach 80-90% per month. However, even one delegation, which arrived only for three or four days, can cover all the expenses of the second type hostels. This is also worth considering.

Requirements for hostels in Russia

Our legislation, with a delay of only four years, managed to notice that something new has appeared in Russia - hostels, which earn as much as individual entrepreneurs as well as legal entities.

Therefore, in January 2015, special GOSTs appeared that regulate the work of hostels.

In addition, there appeared official definition the hostel is now an economical place for low-budget tourism. The GOST notes that the hostel has rooms of various sizes, and the bathroom is located outside the rooms.

The legislators did not lose sight of the fact that gives the hostel a special romance - a place for guests to communicate, it must be in every hostel.

But as far as food is concerned, the requirements turned out to be mild. The hostel does not have to be equipped with a place for cooking if there is a place where you can eat within walking distance. The only thing you need to provide is the availability of clean drinking water and a kettle.

Finally, the requirements for the rooms were determined. There should be at least four square meters per bed, and the ceiling height in the rooms should be at least 2.5 m.

There are also requirements for the bathroom: at least one shower and one toilet cubicle must be equipped for 15 people. Therefore, if the hostel has 46 beds, then four bathrooms will be required.

There is one more requirement for hostels. If earlier it was not clear whether it is allowed to place hostels in ordinary apartments, then from January 1, 2015 this issue has been removed: accommodation of hostels in apartments is officially allowed.

Prior to this, the apartment had to be re-registered in non-residential premises, and then already in it to conduct commercial activities.

And so now hostels are subject to the requirement of part 4 of article 17 Housing Code Russian Federation: they should not disturb the peace and living conditions for all citizens in this house, comply with sanitary and fire standards.

What does it take to open a hostel from scratch?

The main one is a room located in the city center and meets the requirements of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation.
Then it is necessary to purchase furniture and equipment, arrange rooms and solve sanitary issues. You will also need to register as a .

But the most important thing that a hostel owner needs is a clear understanding of their target audience and where to look for it. Only by creating a constant flow of customers, you can bring the hostel to payback.

Hostel space

You can arrange a hostel in an ordinary apartment with several rooms. But this will be a small level that will not be able to bring constant profit.

Larger projects start with an area of ​​150 square meters. Then you can create several individual rooms at once, a common living room, decorate everything in a youth style and create a kind of center of attraction for travelers, hipsters, young entrepreneurs and many other representatives of progressive youth.

If the hostel owner wants to immediately go to the business class level and receive conference delegates in his hostel, then he will need a room with an area of ​​at least 300 square meters.

It can be a whole floor, or one of the sections of the building, which should be decorated in the same style. At the same time, the requirements for the premises of the hostel are unchanged: at least four square meters per bed.

Is it possible to organize a hostel in an apartment?

Since January 2015, officially you can. But you should immediately think about the specifics of the hostel. It will take considerable effort to load it at least 50% of its maximum capacity.

In addition, the consent of other tenants living in this building will be required. This often becomes a stumbling block between entrepreneurs and residents.

What about in a non-residential area?

If it meets the standards of SanPina and Fire Supervision, then it is possible. But if the room is located on the basement floor of a building or even in the basement, without windows, then the law here is strict - people cannot be settled in the basement.

Documents to open

• lease agreement or ownership of the premises;
• the conclusion of the sanitary service on the suitability of the premises for living;
• a similar conclusion from the Fire Supervision;
• registration documents of a legal entity or individual entrepreneur.

Furniture and equipment

A hostel without beds is like a car dealership without cars. Therefore, the beds will have to buy. They will need a lot: by the number of beds plus spare ones.

Beds must also meet certain requirements: the minimum dimensions are 80 x 190 cm for a single bed and 140 x 190 for a double bed. And putting them closer than 75 cm to each other is prohibited. The only exception is for beds separated by a partition.

Video - how to open a hostel (success story):

In addition to beds, you will need wardrobes, bedside tables for personal belongings, tables for eating, a minimum set of dishes, a washing machine, and possibly more than one. Many visitors to the hostel ask for access to the Internet, which must be provided.

In the common living room, a TV, a sofa, several armchairs and pouffes will not be superfluous. They will help create a cozy atmosphere.

Do not forget about irons and ironing boards, your visitors will really need them. And if you think about having a few hair dryers in your hostel, then the women will kiss you. Well, unless they're married and have wet hair.

Name for the hostel

Nobody limits you here. But if tourists often come to the city, then do not forget to provide an English version of your name. A bright sign that will help you navigate in an unfamiliar place and advertising booklets with your name will attract new guests.

Staff

You will need an administrator who will control the settlement of residents, resolve issues that arise and accept payment. It is also necessary to foresee how the premises will be cleaned: a cleaning service or a hired person.

Accounting is simpler, and the functions of promoting the institution are assigned to the administrator.

To eliminate the facts of theft by staff, consider a system for accounting for guests and the total time they spent in the institution, as well as a reporting system for all current expenses.

Or ignite your team with the idea of ​​​​creating the best hostel in the city, involve them in development, and then you can forget about theft, you will become a single team focused on results.

Business processes

The whole essence of the hostel can be built in the form of a chain of actions.

Promotion - booking by a potential client - check-in - payment - accommodation - provision of additional services - check-out - collection feedback– recommendations = promotion.

In more simple form this chain looks like this.
First, you promote your establishment by advertising it to a potential target audience. After your hostel is booked, after the person finds you in the city and checks in.

He pays for accommodation for a certain number of days or hours. You simultaneously provide him Additional services, starting from hot breakfasts ordered in the nearest cafe and ending with the organization of city tours.

After the person moves out, you get to know his opinion, correct mistakes and do everything so that he would recommend you to his friends. This is also a promotion that again leads to the launch of the entire chain.

In each of these points, you can build an additional system to increase the reputation of your hostel. For example, meet a person at the airport to help find you without any problems. These and many other actions are normal practice for a European service. In Russia, they are getting used to it.

Promotion

Here we come to the most interesting. Your entire ideal hostel won't last a month without active promotion. Traditional channels are not suitable here, you need targeted advertising aimed only at those who have arrived in your city and are looking for a place to spend the night.

The gold mine for you is Facebook and others social media. Most of the youth traveling various countries, first they find a place to sleep through the FB, write off with the administrator, book a room and only then arrive.

Be prepared to spend a lot of time and effort on promoting on this social network. Reputation plays a very important role in this business, so the first clients attracted through FB will promote you on their pages.

Do not forget also about the various conferences taking place in your city. The organizers can become your partners, sending participants to you and getting their share from this.

This is the only way to develop the hostel and ensure 100% occupancy.

findings

A hostel is a good way to earn money, but it requires a lot of effort and patience, however, like any business. Much depends on the reputation and quality of services provided. In all other respects, this is a mini-hotel with a special atmosphere that attracts adventurers and travelers.

Video - 10 steps to take to open a hostel:

Discussion (15 )

A hostel is a great opportunity for a traveler to have an inexpensive rest and clean up in a clean environment. For an entrepreneur, if the right place is chosen, this is an opportunity to have a stable income.

We have a studio apartment in Kazan. They wanted to rent it out as a hostel during the 2018 World Cup, but decided to leave it as it is. They just posted it on Avito and the client was found, they no longer violated the agreement. And a friend in St. Petersburg keeps a hostel, I also, in my opinion, rented places there via the Internet.

Do you know that on average, in order to open a hostel for 30 people, it will take about 1 million rubles. But often this amount is not enough if there is no experience in this area, because, without knowing many of the nuances, it is impossible to minimize costs. The most important link in the expense item is rent, of course, if this is your premises, then I think everything will work out!

I want to open a small hostel, I got a big apartment from my grandmother, as well as provide services for conducting city tours for hostel residents and just tourists who came to the city. Tell me, please, how should I proceed - to open an individual entrepreneur or an LLC? What are the pros and cons in either case? Can any of you help in this matter, I would be very grateful.

Hostel, the idea is good and I immediately liked it. I even began to develop a business plan, but recently there have been problems at the legislative level - the deputies decided to tighten this type of activity with some prohibitions (for example, opening a hostel in a residential building). Who is in the know?

I think that it makes sense to open a hostel in more or less tourist cities and in the center, because this topic in Russia is not yet very popular and is not very successful. When I started my business, I thought about opening a hostel, but my friends advised me to start with a regular store, although it was really a long time ago.

No matter how tempting the idea of ​​​​opening your own hostel may seem, it seems to me more unprofitable! You have to be a genius, at the very least. Be prepared for the fact that at first you will suffer more losses than profits and earn only, perhaps, a headache from inspection visits! I consider it inexpedient to open a hostel in an apartment - our apartments are too small for this. If tourists are your priority, then they will definitely choose a more spacious place. It will be more comfortable for them to rent, for example, an apartment for rent than to huddle in a tiny hostel with other guests.

A hostel is one of the most profitable assets on the real estate market, but if you do not have your own premises, it is problematic to find one in Moscow, because not all owners accept this form of rent.

Personally, I have been seriously thinking about converting my square meters into a hostel for a long time.
Now the apartment is rented by the day, given the convenient location, it is also a profitable business, but the idea of ​​​​a hostel seems more attractive to me. I periodically visit Europe and sometimes stay in hostels. It is always full of people, students and workers who are not able to rent separate housing.

A hostel is a profitable activity, if you approach it with full responsibility, because you need to observe not only perfect cleanliness and legal aspects, but also come up with an individual design for your hostel so that people, having stopped once, come back again and recommend it to their friends and acquaintances.

The idea to open a hostel came about by chance, and I inherited a four-room apartment on the ground floor in the city center. The apartment, of course, was “killed”, I had to take out a loan to make repairs, but after 4 years everything paid off. The main thing is not to be afraid, but to act. An idea came up - implement it, no matter how crazy it may seem.

The main problem that will haunt the hostel owner is communication with neighbors, especially if you plan to open it in an apartment. Officially, this is not prohibited, but you will have to go through "all the circles of hell", because such things are perceived by people with hostility, of course! - a den on the landing. Therefore, if possible, try to avoid apartment options, ideally - in a non-residential building or a separate entrance to a non-residential premises. If this is not possible, then I advise you to go around all the neighbors in advance and convey to them the idea of ​​the hostel movement. This will help you avoid problems in the future.

I bought an apartment in the city center, usually a three-ruble note. I wanted to rent, but the idea arose to open a hostel. As far as I understand, it is not necessary to transfer the premises to non-residential now, since in the future it may be necessary for the growing daughter.

I read in the news of our city about the opening of a hostel, so to speak, "for guest workers." On the one hand, it seemed to me great business idea- the only hostel of its kind in the city, there are a lot of guest workers, there will be demand, the quality of housing is of a low level, the cost is minimal. But then I thought about the accompanying problems ... well, you need to take into account all the features of the life and customs of "guests from neighboring countries." They need an eye and an eye, they love to quarrel among themselves, especially if there are representatives of various diasporas. We need security, we need special control over sanitation ... and this additional expenses. And it becomes not clear whether the game is worth the candle.