Hostels are fun if you have that disposition.

If you don't, even 5 star hotels can be miserable.

Meh, although I'm conscious of the possibility I might be seen as a creepy old guy in his mid-thirties, I still find that hostels can be fun. I don't necessarily want to go out partying with 20 year olds, but an occasional few drinks with strangers and the ability to re-allocate funds to something more interesting than a hotel is very valuable. Travelling is already expensive as hell, I'm going to do it the way I want, and there's usually outgoing people within the same approx age range that want to do similarly.

That said, much like hotels, some hostels do suck; bedbugs are not chill, location is important, cost is important, vibe is important. I found that hostels that were more suited to families trying to save money were the least appealing as someone with just a spouse and a type B personality.

I hate paying for hotels so much that I visit my hometown less than I would otherwise if the city had a decent hostel.

58 here. Hostels are fun. But I do avoid party hostels full of only people in their 20s.

In my late 30s now, I don’t even do hotels with a shared toilet anymore. I need my own private room and my own private en-suite bathroom at minimum.