Hostels sold-out months in advance?

Accommodation

I'm planning a trip in Southeast Asia for September.

I would want to be flexible on how many days I stay in each location & my plan was to book hostels for the first few days and then decide afterwards if I want to extend my stay / change.

I saw here many user mentioning they book Hostel a couple of weeks in advance, even a few days in advance, so I assumed this was not going to be a problem, but as I'm looking at Hostelworld some hostel seems to already getting full for September!

Is it becoming more common for people to book super far in advance now? Or do hostels reserve some availability for later in the season (faking scarcity to encourage more booking)? Should I look into booking my hostels now, or is it better to wait and hope more availability opens up later?

Any insights or tips would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

in solotravelby -ofcitsme-

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13d

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Fully time since 2008 - based in Europe now.

13d

If you want flexibility, book refundable reservations. Then you can feel secure that you have a bed but be flexible to change your plans if wanted/needed.

I'm generally a 'book a day or two in advance, sometimes day-of' kind of person and it's occasionally bit me on the ass but not enough to make me change. And if you have the funds and experience to be able to turn on a dime, it's not a huge deal usually.

OP

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13d

I think it's what I will do! What surprise me the most is not the "need to book 2 weeks in advance", but that it seems even 3 months in advance places seems to be filling up!

6

Fully time since 2008 - based in Europe now.

13d

there may be holidays or events you are unaware of as a non-local.

13

13d

Southern thailand maybe you would need to book a bit in advance (especially if going to full moon party) but everywhere else a few days to a week before is fine. I had a few more popular places I wanted to stay in vietnam that were booked up but I just waited a few days longer and booked for a later date. (Having a flexible itinerary is good) Laos and Cambodia are fine (koh rong plan a little in advance) and Don Det in Laos only a couple places have aircon so book those.

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Ref - been in SEA since February.

Inevitable-Site7846

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Second this! The only slight problem I had was koh Tao. Phang ang is indeed a different story during full moon party. My recommendation: skip the party and go outside of those dates. The island is really pretty.

Ref: Been in SEA since March

OP

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Super interested about your Koh Tao & Full Moon Party experience! (I've actually asked a related question about it in a different post ).

Why are you suggesting to skip it? Not worth the complexity of getting there around that time or it's just a overhyped party?

Glad to see you are having fun!

Inevitable-Site7846

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Well it just depends on what you’re looking for. I am a partygoer but such a big organized event just doesn’t appeal to me. It’s also expensive. When you search the internet, the first thing you see is the full moon party. And then I will know immediately: this will be full of (mostly) drunk people who just come here to drink. I want to know more about the culture, the locals and the geography of the island for example. And going to such an enormous event takes the charm away from it.

Like if it was 10 years ago I would’ve probably gone. But social media has caught up with the party. And unfortunately, when social media and the internet gets involved, it gets worse most of the time.

OP

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I think you captured my feeling quite well! If I'm staying only ~8 days in Thailand spending 3/4 days of travel just to manage to get to that party may not be a good use of it!

So I take you got the experience of the island but not the party itself and you liked it? I was considering skipping the party and just doing Ko Samui, how would you compare it to Koh Tao? (if you've been there)

OP

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Thanks for the feedback! I think your comment about the Full Moon Party & Thailand Is very much in line with one of the idea I had for my trip. (I've actually asked about it in a different post ).

Have you been to the Full Moon Party? Would you say it's worth flexing your itinerary around to make it or is it one of wild party you also get to experience elsewhere?

Glad to see you are having fun! It seems you went there right at the perfect time :)

99drunkpenguins

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Full moon parties are awesome.

Eat a tab of acid and go bananas.

The only thing better than a full moon party would be hill top or parvati valley in goa.

OP

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Sounds like you liked it! I'm just worried if it's worth spending that many days commuting just to get there, also a solo traveler i feel i might not enjoy the party as much....

99drunkpenguins

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You will, people will want to dance with you and interact with you.

Think of it as a 21st century drum circle.

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Honestly the majority of people I met actually didn’t go. There’s a lot of really good parties all over sea and since covid etc the official full moon party is not what it once was. The jungle party in koh tao is popular. Anything in Pai in the north. Koh Phi Phi. And the party on Koh Rong (can’t remember the name)

You will absolutely meet people going and have a good time but I heard more bad than good about it! Especially as I think the minimum booking at hostels on the island is around 5 nights so you really have to plan accordingly. Or you have to get for the first boat off the island in the morning back to Samui or Tao.

OP

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All fantastic information! Thanks so much for sharing :) Have you been to any great-party you would recommend in the region?

ringadingdingbaby

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It might say 'only 6 beds left' or something because that particular hostel only has one six bed dorm.

OP

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I added a couple of examples above eg: Singapore, the nice capsule seems to have size of 6 but only 2 beds are left.

whatsmyusernametho

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I'm not sure what dates you're looking at but I believe the Singapore Grand Prix is on in September. If the dates line up you should book accommodation ASAP otherwise you may not be left with many options.

OP

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Oh that's very good to know! I'm actually going a couple of weeks before that, so hopefully won't get in the way!

7

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Where are you looking that is sold out in September? That’s low season for almost all of SEA. You really shouldn’t have problems booking just a day or two in advance, if that.

OP

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Early September I'm seeing already some accomodation type with the tag "only x beds left", so it seems places for some kind of accomodation is already running out. (Singapore, Kuala Lumpur)

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13d

Haha I think you’re misunderstanding how certain places use the “only x beds left”. A lot of times they’ll say only 1 or 2 beds left when they have plenty, they’re trying to create a false sense of urgency and hope you’ll book right away. Trust me, you do not need a sense of urgency traveling SEA in September

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13d

I think Hostelworld requires inventory to be set aside. The hostel itself can add more whenever they want. Its not really fake but it is annoying.

OP

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Gotcha! Glad to hear that, did you encounter this often or it's rare all things consider? Sometimes some kind of rooms seems sold out, so i don't get why they benefits from "faking" all room to be booked out :S

2

Fully time since 2008 - based in Europe now.

13d

it gets people to book early and most do non-refundable. so it's guaranteed income. also sometimes it's only a couple beds left in that room type or at that price.

AcademicMaybe8775

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13d

the 'sold out' rooms give you FOMO for the ones that arent. its all designed to get you to book now.

Ever wonder how '3 people just booked the same hotel as you on the same date in the past 15 minutes' works 9 months out? its all completely nonsense

OP

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I'm aware of those scummy tactics, but I've used Hostelworld for booking >30 hostel in Europe and didn't get to encounter this beforehand, so it didn't feel like a platform-trick, but potential a regional-based difference.

AcademicMaybe8775

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yeah possibly. or they only licenced a small number of rooms out of the total maybe

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Here is another possibility - they're not sold out, but rather they don't let people book rooms that far ahead.

A very popular hostel in Chiang Mai does this on purpose. They only open bookings a week before, otherwise all the other dates are "sold out" because they deliberately closed the dates further out. The reason why they do that is the owner wants a more spontaneous crowd that booked the place a few days before or last minute rather than people who booked weeks and months ahead.

OP

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I like your explanation! I would like to be spontaneous and go with the flow, but would prefer to avoid getting a last-minute terrible hostel because everything is sold out :D!

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On my last trip, I only booked the hostel for the first few days when I arrived. Other than that I booked everything either a few days before or last minute and I had no problems getting the best reviewed hostels in each city.

And in places like SEA there are hostels everywhere, so I doubt you're going to find everything sold out.

OP

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Thanks for sharing! Glad to hear about the "best reviewed" thingy. I'm less worried of hostel beign sold out (i could always get a hotel in a emergency), but i'm more worried about finding a place that i don't flike people-wise

8

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I was in South East Asia in Jan/Feb this year. In some of the very popular areas such as the islands in Thailand (Koh Tao, Koh Lanta etc) you definitely needed to book a month in advance for the most desirable hostels, a week or so in advance for good options, and are left with dregs if you try to book a day or two in advance.

Everywhere else that I went (northern Thailand, Laos and Cambodia) I was fine with typically booking a day or two in advance, at the same time as I would book my transport

OP

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Thank you for your feedback! What was worrisome is that now i'm ~3 months in advance of my trip and some places still seems to be filling up. I was wondering if it was a fake demand or folks are getting more and more advanced when planning to stay at hostels.

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I booked a bed in a 22-person coed dorm at Kabul Party Hostel in Barcelona about 3 months in advance and thought paying $50 per night was expensive (I was there in June of last year). While I was there it was sold out and some of the people who'd booked only a week in advance had paid $100 per night for the same room I was in!

It was the weekend of a big concert, a beer festival and a soccer championship - none of which I knew when I booked but apparently was the reason everything was so full.

Moral of the story: Book in advance and pay less than waiting until the last minute!

OP

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Yep! That's what i think i will do :) 100$ for a 22-person dorm seems crazy

NeatPressure1152

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I usually book 0-2days in advance

OP

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May I ask for context were did you travel? Was this ever a problem were you had to go for a not-so-great option?

NeatPressure1152

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It was never a problem. Vietnam, thailand, mexico… however i‘m usually travel at low season

OP

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Thanks for sharing!

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I usually just book on arrival except for my first couple nights after flying in. Especially in September it shouldn’t be an issue except for maybe the very most popular tourist destinations (which I avoid like the plague). What you might be seeing is seasonal closures, because many places close in the low season

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When I was in SE Asia two years ago only full moon party had to be booked far in advance.

There were one or two very well renowned hostels (e.g. Nolo Hub in Pai) that had to be booked a few DAYS in advance. Everything else could be booked day by day.

I do think it’s gotten even more crowded the past few years but I doubt it’s changed to the extent you’re describing.

OP

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Thanks so much for the reassurance! Just wondering as I might be looking at the "full moon party" do you remember how far sooner I would be wise to look @ booking? Would it make sense to maybe stay in Ko Samui and just to go there for the party night?

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I would not stay in Ko Samui and just go there for the party night. At most I’ve heard of people doing this for Ko Tao. But if you do you need to book the boat in advance as well.

And consider if you’re really going to want to deal with getting back to Ko Samui after spending all day partying. It’s better to have a place on Ko Phangan you can just go back to to sleep.

Idk how far in advance to book because I myself booked last minute… but I ended up with a shitty overpriced hostel.

OP

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12d

Ah sorry, just to be clear I would be staying the night of the party in Ko Phangan, but would otherwise base myself in Ko Samui.

Why have you heard this happening for Ko Tao? Isn't that even further away than Ko Phangan? BTW Final question: Did you like the party? Wondering if it's something worth "spending 3 days of my itinerary to make it happens"

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Ko Samui is less popular for backpackers in general, more popular for families.

I went to full moon twice and found it overrated both times, as did many others I know. It’s a huge party yes, but past a certain point adding more people to the party doesn’t make it any better. When I was there the actual party was ending at 3 am and you had to pay a taxi boat to go to Eden if you wanted to keep partying. Many of the taxi boats take advantage of this… I knew a guy who’s taxi boat drove them out to the middle of the ocean and demanded money from everyone or else he wouldn’t move at all.

OP

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The boat thingy it's disgusting! Thanks for sharing your experience, super valuable :)! I might be considering looking at other cool party to join, even if they don't have the same "sounds cool name"

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I am very specific, I like nice boutique hostels so I always book in advance but it’s all personal preference.

I know people in this sub hates anyone to plans anything on their trip but I like having all my accommodations booked so at least I know I am staying at the best reviewed place that will make me feel comfortable!

OP

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I think we might be similar in that regards :D

May I ask how early you usually book? Any cool hostel you've been too in Thailand / Malasia?

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never been to thailand or malaysia!

I book usually a month in advance and get a decent pick of things but I would book as soon as my flights are booked personally

OP

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Make sense! Thanks a lot for your insights :)

May I ask for context were you traveled? Wondering if this may be region-dependent.

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europe!

OP

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Gotcha! With you username I couldn't help but think you went to thailand 😅