Where to stay
Hostel, hotel, apartment — what's actually different?
Booking sites assume you already know. This is the plain-language version: what each kind of place gives you, what it quietly doesn't, and what that means for the bag you pack.
Side by side
The five things that change what you pack
Everything else is decoration. Whether you get your own room, your own bathroom, a kitchen, a washing machine and breakfast is what decides how much you carry — and roughly what you pay.
Type of stay
Own room
Own bathroom
Kitchen
Laundry
Breakfast
Price
Type of stayHotel
Own roomYes
Own bathroomYes
KitchenNo
LaundryNo
BreakfastDepends on the place
PriceMid-range
Type of stayHostel
Own roomDepends on the place
Own bathroomDepends on the place
KitchenYes
LaundryDepends on the place
BreakfastDepends on the place
PriceCheapest
Type of stayApartment
Own roomYes
Own bathroomYes
KitchenYes
LaundryYes
BreakfastNo
PriceCheaper than average
Type of stayAparthotel
Own roomYes
Own bathroomYes
KitchenYes
LaundryDepends on the place
BreakfastDepends on the place
PriceMid-range
Type of stayGuesthouse or B&B
Own roomYes
Own bathroomDepends on the place
KitchenNo
LaundryDepends on the place
BreakfastYes
PriceCheaper than average
Type of stayMotel
Own roomYes
Own bathroomYes
KitchenNo
LaundryDepends on the place
BreakfastDepends on the place
PriceCheaper than average
Type of stayResort
Own roomYes
Own bathroomYes
KitchenNo
LaundryDepends on the place
BreakfastYes
PriceMost expensive
Type of stayHomestay or staying with family
Own roomYes
Own bathroomDepends on the place
KitchenYes
LaundryYes
BreakfastDepends on the place
PriceCheapest
Type of stayCamping
Own roomNo
Own bathroomNo
KitchenDepends on the place
LaundryDepends on the place
BreakfastNo
PriceCheapest
Type of stayCapsule hotel
Own roomNo
Own bathroomNo
KitchenNo
LaundryDepends on the place
BreakfastNo
PriceCheapest
A dash means it depends on the individual place, not on the type. That is a real answer: plenty of hostels have private rooms and plenty of guesthouses skip breakfast.
Every kind of place, explained
HotelYour own room and bathroom, cleaned every day, staff at the desk.HostelA bed in a shared room, a shared bathroom, a kitchen, and other travellers.ApartmentSomebody's flat, to yourself — with a kitchen and, usually, a washing machine.AparthotelAn apartment with a kitchen, run like a hotel with a front desk.Guesthouse or B&BA small, family-run place where breakfast is the point.MotelA no-frills road stop where you park at your own door.ResortA closed complex where the point is to stay in it.Homestay or staying with familyA room in someone's home, with the people who live there.CampingYour own shelter on a pitch, with shared washblocks.Capsule hotelA private sleeping pod in a shared room, with a shared bathroom.
Plan the trip
Know where you're staying? Pack for it.
Answer six questions and get a packing list sized for your trip — including the bits a shared bathroom or a kitchen changes.