With COVID-19 casting its dark shadow over every possible industry, hostels too couldn’t escape its wrath. As soon as the lockdown was announced, hostel spaces in the Capital started running dry. Now, after Unlock 3.0 with economic activities slowly resuming, employers asking staff to return from their hometowns to offices and new job opportunities being created, hostels are prepping up their premises following all COVID measures to welcome guests.
“YMCA hostel is sanitised daily with all the possible precautions. We are just waiting for the government orders to welcome the visitors in stride,” says Saiju Varghese Joseph, Secretary, YMCA India, in a conversation with The New Indian Express.
Their headquarters in Delhi features 28 rooms and used to be bustling with people of different nationalities, choosing to stay here for long and short durations. Even the hotel-hostel hybrid The Poshtel Company is following adequate safety measures for its various properties. The brand also has newer experiences for visitors.
Founder Gautam Munjal reveals, “We are running a very strong campaign called staycation, where domestic visitors can come in our two spaces, located in Haus Khas Village and experience a change from regular life at home and not travelling due to the pandemic. Similarly, we also have work from Poshtel, which as the name suggests, is for working professionals.” Munjal has not postponed his plans of launching new spaces in Agra and Varanasi due to coronavirus.
“I am sure when things get better; hostels will be back on track.” Since its launch, the trend of visitors choosing hostels over hotels for the entire duration of their stay is quite popular. You pay much less compared to a hotel room. Plus, you get to indulge in the concept of community engagement and exposure to various cultures gives a high. Life is all fun and games here literally, with group traveling, language lessons, meditation and yoga, among other activities. Datstop hostel at Vasant Kunj chose the act of community cooking during the pandemic.
Founder Dhruvin Shah said a number of foreign nationals who were staying at various embassies and got stuck in the city, were housed in Datstop. “During the lockdown, a majority of the hostels in Delhi had shut down or they restricted foreign guests, but we accepted them partnered with 30+ embassies in Delhi. We were running at 100 per cent occupancy and helped 300+ foreigner nationals to get evacuated from Delhi in April, May, and June. After mid-June, we saw a decline in guests,” explains Shah. According to him, the present scenario for hostels is not good as there are limited travel opportunities to Delhi and less awareness about such spaces for backpackers.
“Many hostels are struggling to meet expenses. Before COVID, backpacker hostels would target mostly a foreign audience, but now everyone is focusing on the domestic audience. The future looks promising as more people will search for cheaper options for their stay and accommodation needs, but 2020 is all about survival for hostels,” he says. Zolo, which focuses on co-living and student housing, has announced complimentary HealthCare membership Zolo- Sure for all its residents which also covers COVID-19 among healthcare benefits.
This will be applicable for all the 50,000+ residents in 485+ Zolo properties in 10+ cities across India. ZoloSure will cover hospitalisation with an insured sum of Rs 1 lakh for their residents. At a nominal fee, a resident will have the option to upgrade their ZoloSure membership to variants with higher healthcare benefits and medical insurance totalling close to Rs 5 lakh, which will get added to their monthly rent. Co-founder and CEO, Dr Nikhil Sikri, said, “Zolo residents are mainly young professionals and students who have moved into a new city. In these uncertain times, it is a challenge for people to make long term commitments, provide big deposits and buy furniture. These healthcare benefits will surely take care of them.”