Topic 3.3: Accommodation Providers » Types of Accommodation - Hotels, Guest Houses and Hostels

What you'll learn this session

Study time: 30 minutes

The different types of accommodation available to tourists
What makes hotels, guest houses and hostels different from each other
How accommodation is classified and graded (star ratings etc.)
The facilities and services each type of accommodation offers
Who uses each type of accommodation and why
Real-world examples and case studies of each accommodation type
The advantages and disadvantages of each type for tourists and providers

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🏠 Introduction to Accommodation in Tourism

When people travel whether for a holiday, a business trip or an adventure they need somewhere to sleep! Accommodation is one of the most important parts of any trip. It can make or break a holiday experience. The type of accommodation a tourist chooses depends on lots of things: their budget, how long they're staying, what they want to do and who they're travelling with.

Accommodation is split into two big categories in travel and tourism:

🏠 Serviced Accommodation

This is where staff provide services like cleaning, meals and reception. Hotels are the classic example. You pay for the room and the services that come with it.

🏕 Self-Catering Accommodation

Here, guests look after themselves cooking their own food, cleaning up etc. Examples include holiday cottages, apartments and camping. It's usually cheaper but you do more yourself.

Key Definitions:

Accommodation: A place where tourists can stay overnight or for a longer period during their travels.
Serviced accommodation: Accommodation where services such as meals, cleaning and reception are provided by staff.
Self-catering accommodation: Accommodation where guests provide their own meals and look after themselves.
Grading: A system used to rate the quality and facilities of accommodation, often using stars (⭐).
Tariff: The list of prices charged by an accommodation provider.

💡 Did You Know?

The global hotel industry is worth over $600 billion per year. There are more than 700,000 hotels worldwide, offering around 17 million rooms every single night!

⭐ Hotels

Hotels are probably the first thing you think of when someone says "accommodation." They range from tiny budget places to jaw-dropping luxury resorts. A hotel provides guests with a private room and usually a whole range of services on top of that.

What is a Hotel?

A hotel is a commercial establishment that provides paid lodging, usually on a short-term basis. Hotels offer private en-suite rooms and a variety of services. The bigger and more luxurious the hotel, the more services it tends to offer. Hotels are found all over the world in city centres, at airports, beside beaches and in the countryside.

💳 Budget Hotels

Clean, basic rooms at low prices. Think Premier Inn or Travelodge in the UK. Great for travellers who just need a bed and a shower. Usually 1–2 stars.

👔 Mid-Range Hotels

Good quality rooms with more facilities like a restaurant, gym or pool. Often 3 stars. Popular with both business and leisure travellers. Examples: Holiday Inn, Novotel.

💎 Luxury Hotels

Top-end experience with fine dining, spas, concierge services and stunning décor. Usually 4–5 stars. Examples: The Ritz (London), Burj Al Arab (Dubai).

⭐ Hotel Star Ratings Explained

Hotels are graded using a star rating system. In the UK, this is managed by organisations like AA (Automobile Association) and VisitEngland. The more stars, the better the facilities and service.

⭐ 1 Star: Basic accommodation. Clean rooms, limited facilities. Budget travellers.
⭐⭐ 2 Stars: More comfortable. May include a breakfast option.
⭐⭐⭐ 3 Stars: Good quality. Restaurant on site, en-suite bathrooms, TV in rooms.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars: High quality. Superior rooms, excellent food, gym, room service.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars: Exceptional luxury. World-class service, fine dining, spa, concierge, stunning interiors.

🍴 Meal Plans in Hotels

Hotels often offer different meal arrangements, known as board basis. This affects the price and what's included in your stay.

Room Only (RO): Just the room no meals included.
Bed and Breakfast (B&B): Room plus breakfast each morning.
Half Board (HB): Room, breakfast and one other meal (usually dinner).
Full Board (FB): Room plus all three meals breakfast, lunch and dinner.
All Inclusive (AI): Everything included meals, snacks, drinks (often alcoholic too) and sometimes activities.

🏢 Case Study: The Ritz London

The Ritz in Piccadilly, London, is one of the most famous 5-star hotels in the world. Opened in 1906, it has 136 rooms and suites, a Michelin-starred restaurant and afternoon tea that costs over £60 per person. Guests have included royalty, celebrities and world leaders. A standard room can cost over £500 per night. The Ritz is a perfect example of luxury serviced accommodation targeting high-income tourists.

📈 Who Stays in Hotels and Why?

Hotels attract a wide range of guests. Understanding who stays and why is important for the iGCSE exam.

Business travellers: Need Wi-Fi, meeting rooms, central location, room service. Often stay mid-week.
Leisure tourists: Want comfort, pools, restaurants, good location near attractions.
Families: Need family rooms, child-friendly facilities, safe environments.
Couples: May prefer boutique or romantic hotels with spa facilities.
Conference delegates: Large hotels with conference centres and banqueting facilities.

🏠 Guest Houses

Guest houses are a much more personal type of accommodation. They're usually smaller than hotels often a family home that's been opened up to paying guests. They're popular in the UK, especially in seaside towns, the countryside and historic cities like Bath and York.

What is a Guest House?

A guest house (sometimes called a B&B Bed and Breakfast) is a private home or small property where the owner lives on-site and rents out rooms to guests. They typically offer a bedroom and breakfast in the morning. The atmosphere is much more homely and personal than a hotel.

👍 Advantages of Guest Houses

Personal, friendly atmosphere
Usually cheaper than hotels
Home-cooked breakfasts often better than hotel buffets!
Local knowledge from the owner
Often in great locations (countryside, coastal towns)
Unique, characterful buildings

👎 Disadvantages of Guest Houses

Fewer facilities than hotels (no gym, pool, restaurant)
Limited number of rooms can get fully booked quickly
Less privacy shared spaces with other guests
Quality can vary a lot between different guest houses
May have strict check-in/check-out times

🏭 Guest House Grading

Guest houses in the UK are also graded, usually by VisitEngland or the AA. They use a diamond (♦) or star system. Inspectors visit and check things like cleanliness, quality of breakfast, comfort of beds and how welcoming the host is. A 5-diamond guest house offers exceptional quality and hospitality.

🏠 Case Study: The Cotswolds B&B Scene

The Cotswolds in England is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the UK, attracting over 38 million visitors per year. The area is famous for its honey-coloured stone villages, rolling hills and charming B&Bs. Guest houses here often charge between £80–£180 per night for a double room including breakfast. Many are run by local families who have converted old farmhouses or cottages. They offer tourists a truly authentic, local experience that a chain hotel simply can't match.

🏭 Hostels

Hostels are the go-to choice for budget travellers especially young people, backpackers and students. They're very different from hotels and guest houses. The key thing about hostels is that guests usually sleep in shared dormitory rooms with bunk beds. This makes them much cheaper, but also means less privacy.

What is a Hostel?

A hostel is a low-cost accommodation option where guests share sleeping areas (dorms), bathrooms and common spaces like kitchens and lounges. Hostels are found all over the world, particularly in major backpacking destinations like Southeast Asia, South America and European cities. They're a brilliant way to travel on a tight budget and meet other travellers.

👤 Who Stays?

Mainly young travellers aged 18–30, backpackers, students on gap years and budget-conscious solo travellers exploring new destinations.

💰 How Much?

A dorm bed can cost as little as £10–£25 per night in the UK. Private rooms in hostels are also available, usually at £40–£70 still cheaper than most hotels.

🌐 Famous Hostel Brands

YHA (Youth Hostel Association) in the UK, Hostelling International worldwide and Generator Hostels in major European cities.

🏠 Types of Hostel Room

Dormitory (Dorm): Shared room with bunk beds. Usually 4–12 beds per room. Cheapest option.
Mixed Dorm: Males and females share the same dorm room.
Female-Only Dorm: For female travellers who prefer more privacy and security.
Private Room: A room just for you (or your group) within the hostel. More expensive but still cheaper than a hotel.

👍 Advantages and Disadvantages of Hostels

✓ Very cheap great for budget travellers
✓ Social atmosphere easy to meet other travellers
✓ Central locations often in the heart of cities
✓ Shared kitchens save money by cooking your own food
✗ Less privacy sharing with strangers
✗ Noise dorms can be noisy, especially at night
✗ Security concerns though most have lockers for valuables
✗ Not suitable for families or those wanting comfort and quiet

🏭 Case Study: YHA (Youth Hostel Association) England & Wales

The YHA was founded in 1930 and now has over 150 hostels across England and Wales, including locations in London, the Lake District, the Peak District and Snowdonia. YHA hostels are popular with school groups, families and solo travellers. A dorm bed starts from around £15 per night. The YHA also runs environmental programmes and aims to make travel accessible to everyone, regardless of income. In 2023, the YHA welcomed over 1 million overnight stays.

📊 Comparing the Three Types

It's really important for your exam that you can compare hotels, guest houses and hostels clearly. Here's a summary to help you:

⭐ Hotels

Wide range of star ratings
Full range of services
Suitable for all types of traveller
Can be expensive (luxury) or cheap (budget)
Found worldwide
Private rooms with en-suite

🏠 Guest Houses

Small, personal, homely
Owner usually on-site
Breakfast often included
Mid-range price
Popular in rural/coastal areas
Private rooms

🏭 Hostels

Very low cost
Shared dorm rooms
Social atmosphere
Popular with young/budget travellers
Shared facilities (kitchen, bathrooms)
Found in cities and tourist areas

📚 Exam Tip ✏

In the iGCSE exam, you might be asked to recommend a type of accommodation for a specific type of tourist. Always think about: budget, age, purpose of trip, group size and facilities needed. A business traveller needs Wi-Fi and a central location. A backpacker needs a cheap bed. A family might want a guest house with a home-cooked breakfast. Match the accommodation to the traveller!

🌎 Global Examples

Accommodation types vary around the world. Here are some interesting global examples that show how these categories work in different contexts:

🏭 Capsule Hotels (Japan): A unique Japanese version of budget accommodation tiny pod-sized "rooms" stacked on top of each other. Very cheap and efficient. Popular with business travellers who miss the last train!
🏠 Riads (Morocco): Traditional Moroccan guest houses built around a central courtyard. Found in cities like Marrakech and Fez. A unique cultural experience.
⭐ Burj Al Arab (Dubai): Often called the world's only "7-star" hotel (though officially 5 stars). Shaped like a sail, it sits on its own artificial island. Rooms start at over £1,000 per night.
🏭 Generator Hostels (Europe): A modern, stylish hostel chain in cities like London, Paris, Amsterdam and Rome. Aimed at young travellers who want a social, design-led experience at a low price.

💡 Quick Recap Key Points to Remember

Accommodation is either serviced or self-catering
Hotels are graded by stars (1–5) based on facilities and service
Meal plans include: RO, B&B, Half Board, Full Board, All Inclusive
Guest houses are small, personal, owner-run and usually include breakfast
Hostels are the cheapest option shared dorms, great for backpackers
Always match accommodation type to the needs of the tourist

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