What is italian-hostels.com ?
italian-hostels.com is a booking network serving online reservations to thousands of establishments worldwide, guaranteeing millions of travellers a confirmed online reservation and saving establishments time and effort. We offer a wide range of accommodation choices from Hostels, Apartments and B&B's to Hotels, Guest Houses and Camping Grounds.
What is the difference between Hotel and Hostel?
Nowadays there are many different kinds of hostels, each of them with different characteristics. Some are very similar to a normal hotel, while others are completely different.
The main difference between hotels and hostels is that the former have only private bedrooms, while the latter have also shared and dormitory rooms which can have from 4 up to 20 beds. Shared bedrooms can be small or big, for women or for men only or mixed, but anyway it means that the bedroom is shared with other persons that you may not know (still).
Even if many hostels offer private bedrooms with WC and shower, the general atmosphere in most of the hostels is different from a normal hotel: while hotels offer to customer only a nice place to spend the night in a comfortable room, the hostels can give you a much more "family-like" atmosphere, where friendship is easy cause you are going to share with other people not only the bedroom but maybe also kitchen, breakfast room, laundry rooms and other facilities that a hostel may offer to customers.
Many hostels organize trips and parties, and most of them have also a pub where guests can meet each other and get acquainted. In a hostel is quite common and easy to talk to unknown persons that are going to become your friends: you'll end up talking to them about trips, suggestions for travelling, places of interest and point of views.
How to book on italian-hostels.com
How do I book online?
There are 4 easy steps to complete a reservation online: Search, Select, Book, and Confirm. You may either Search for an establishment from the Home Page or in the Hostels Search tab. Select your country, city and dates, and then click Search. You will be shown a list of available establishments which match your search, then Select an establishment to view more information including prices and availability. Select the number of beds or rooms to suit your requirements and click Book. Check booking form is correct and then insert your personal data and credit card details. All bookings must be made with a valid credit card, we accept American Express, Visa, Mastercard, JCB, and Aura. To confirm the booking, terms and conditions must be accepted by ticking the box. Now you are ready to Confirm your booking.
Can I book by email or telephone?
NO, italian-hostels.com only accepts bookings made online through the site. The only method of payment is with a valid credit card.
What credit card types are accepted?
We accept American Express, Visa, Mastercard, JCB, and Aura.
Does the name on the credit card need to be the same for the booking?
The name of the credit card holder does not need to be the same name as the booking name.
Is it safe to use a credit card online?
The booking and confirmation section of the italian-hostels.com website is secured to 128bit encryption through Thawte. This is currently the highest standard of security available on the Internet and ensures that any information which you submit, including your credit card details, will remain completely confidential.
Why can't I see prices and availability?
If the establishment of your choice does not show prices and availability this means that they are fully booked for this period.
How many people can I book for?
You are allowed to book a maximum of 10 people for every online booking.
I want to book for a group larger than 10 people, how can I do this?
italian-hostels.com does provide group bookings, but this service is not available online: you must send an email to the staff at info [at] italian-hostels.com with the following information: Country/City: Number of guests: Number of nights: Specific Requirements.
What happens with the 10% deposit?
A booking fee of €2 and a 10% deposit of the total price of the booking are deducted for each online booking made. Prices stated are per person, per night and payment is immediately processed to confirm the online booking. The deposit is a down payment to italian-hostels.com to confirm the booking, the remaining balance will be paid to the establishment upon arrival in the currency of the country. Please note: All deposits paid to italian-hostels.com are non-refundable.
Do I need to be a member to use your site or stay at one of your hostels?
There are no membership requirements for any hostels listed on Hostelsclub.com, however some hostels do offer discounts for various card-holding members. The first time you make an online booking with our site you will become a member of our My Club, this is free of charge.
Are these bookings guaranteed and confirmed?
Each online booking is guaranteed. The confirmation number provided for each booking will guarantee your bed at the hostel. This confirmation number will appear immediately on your Confirmation Page and will also be sent to your e-mail address. Please print out your confirmation and bring it with you to the establishment for a speedy check-in. If you do not have access to a printer, please make a note of your confirmation number.
Please understand that italian-hostels.com is provided all information regarding availability and prices by the establishment, and provides to you, to the best of our ability, up to date and correct information. italian-hostels.com does not own or operate any of the establishments listed on our site.
Do I need to book in advance?
It is recommended that you book at least one week in advance, if not more in peak seasons or when events are being held.
Can you check availability and prices for me?
NO, all availability and prices are available online.
Can you give me directions and contact details before I book?
NO, all contact details and directions will be included in the confirmation form after you have booked online.
Are there age restrictions?
Not usually. While most hostels do not impose an age restriction, this is not always the case, particularly in establishments which have a bar on the premises. Again, it is recommended that you check the establishment's microsite to find out whether or not there is an age restriction.
I am getting an error message while trying to book online, what could be wrong?
There are a number of reasons as to why you could be receiving an error message, if room availability and prices are changed while you are trying to book online; if your email and password are unknown; or if your payment information was not correct.
Questions about hostelling
What is the difference between a Private and a Shared Room?
Shared Rooms are dormitory style and range in size from four beds upwards. They offer mixed accommodation unless alternative arrangements have been made in advance with the hostel. Certain hostels do accommodate guests in single sex-sex dorms, if this is the case it will be indicated on the hostel's microsite.
In order to secure a Private Room, you will need to book the entire room. For example, three persons booking a four-bed private room will need to select and pay for four persons if they wish to have a private room. If you set your preference to private room and there is no private room availability, the website will offer the best alternative available.
What does WC mean?
WC is the acronym for water closet or bathroom. If the WC box is ticked this means that the room has a private bathroom, if not the bathroom is shared.
What kind of facilities are available in hostels?
Most (but not all) establishments will offer a number of facilities such as laundry room, telephone, internet connection, lockers for your things, and a breakfast service. Some may offer more than others. Every establishment on our site has an indication of the facilities it provides, so you can be sure to get what you need.
Is breakfast included in hostels? Can I cook in hostels?
Usually, breakfast is not included in the price, but it's reasonably cheap and abundant in quantity. Some hostels offer cooking facilities, such as a kitchen complete with pots and everything you need. Other hostels will be more than happy to give you advice about the cheapest bars and food outlets in the neighbourhood.
Do I need to bring my own bed linen or sleeping bag?
This is not an issue if you are booking a Hotel or Bed and Breakfast room. Otherwise, while some hostels do provide linen free of charge, others will apply a charge for this service or none at all. All hostels provide duvets or blankets and private rooms will usually include linen. Once again, it is worth checking the hostel's microsite before travelling.
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