Oldest Youth hotel in the world

Hostels in popular culture

Motion pictures have portrayed hostels in two ways: as fun places for young people to stay, or alternatively, as dangerous places where unsuspecting Americans face potential horrors in Central Europe.
There are some popular misconceptions that a hostel is a kind of a flophouse, homeless shelter, or halfway house, though this does not reflect the high quality and level of professionalism in many modern hostels.