Types of Lodging: Hotel, Hostel, Guest House and Homestay

Four lodging types, sorted by what you actually rent: a room in a home, a room in a business, a bed in a dorm or a room in a small dedicated house.

Homestay: one to five guest rooms inside a family home, with the owner living on site. Meal plans run from room-only (0 meals a day) to full board (3), and the house is usually unstaffed at night.

Hotel: a small hotel runs ten to forty rooms under a star classification from one to five. Four- and five-star properties staff reception 24 hours a day; lower classes keep shorter desk hours.

Hostel: the unit is a bed, not a room — a dorm bed 90–100 cm wide in a shared dorm of 4–12 beds. A private hostel room for one or two people measures 8–12 m², the hostel format closest to a homestay room.

Guest house: a small dedicated house rather than a lived-in home, sitting between homestay and hotel. It typically runs on a breakfast plan of one meal a day and, like B&Bs, is usually unstaffed at night.

All four share the same standards: European single 90×200 cm, double 140–160×200 cm, UK double 135×190 cm; check-in 14:00–16:00 and check-out 10:00–12:00; VAT of 7% in Germany, 10% in France and 8% in Turkey; free cancellation until 24–48 hours before the 14:00 check-in. For the head-to-head see /homestay-vs-hotel; for booking, the checklist at /book-a-homestay.

• Renting a bed, not a room? That is a hostel — dorms of 4–12 beds, each 90–100 cm wide.
• Fewer than six rooms and the owner lives there? That is a homestay.
• Ten rooms or more with star classes 1–5? That is a hotel.
• A small dedicated house with breakfast and no night desk? That is a guest house or B&B.

Further reading

• Homestay vs Hotel: 10 Differences in Rooms, Meals and Rules
• How to Book a Homestay: A 6-Step Checklist