The hotel business in Russia is not slowing down, despite the economic crisis. One of the most popular areas in this business has become hostels - economy class mini-hotels that came to us from the West, arranged like hostels. In contrast to the established Soviet ideas about hostels, hostels are positioned as clean, tidy establishments where traveling students, young businessmen on business trips and unpretentious youth can find inexpensive accommodation for the night, and at the same time make new acquaintances. Hostels are also interesting because they do not require large initial investments compared to the hotel business in general, and allow young entrepreneurs to try themselves as a homeowner. Today we will tell you how open your own hostel in a private house, what legal framework is needed for your enterprise and what difficulties you will have to face.

For a long time, hostels in apartment buildings and separate hostels in private houses were not classified as a separate category, as there were no special requirements for such establishments. In many ways, this played into the hands of the first wave of hosteliers; it was their hostels that announced to the world the opening of such a business in Russia and became an example to follow for the next generation of young entrepreneurs.

This does not mean that initially the hostel business was not subject to taxation, but had not yet acquired a heap of regulations and prohibitions, like any profitable area of ​​business under the vigilant control of the state. The absence of bureaucratic restrictions has provided fertile ground for the unfettered growth of economy class hotels throughout Russia.

New requirements for hostels

In January 2015, the first state standard was released, defining hostels as a separate category for providing temporary housing, and establishing a number of mandatory requirements for hostels. Since the first law was written in a hurry, having discovered that a very promising segment of the hotel and tourism business had been living and thriving uncontrollably for almost 10 years, the restrictive measures were not too strict.

They concerned mainly the minimum requirements for communications and equipment of such premises, and SES standards. And, in a way, they protected the guests’ right to free space, limiting particularly zealous entrepreneurs in the ultra-profitable use of the square footage, dooming guests to suffer in cramped spaces. The obvious idea that the client himself has the right to choose the degree of acceptable comfort, just as the owner of the hostel is interested in creating such a thing, is alien to legislators educated in the economics of the State Planning Committee.

If the first version of GOST made us think about the further profitability of apartment hostels, then the package of amendments in 2016 puzzled even the owners of hostels in private houses. Nevertheless, the rigid machine of public consciousness still presents hostels as an extremely profitable enterprise in Russia. This cannot be completely denied, but if you have seriously decided to try yourself as a hostelier, do not rush to try on rose-colored glasses. We will dwell on the features of the updated law in more detail below.

Against the backdrop of the new requirements for the presence of a separate bathroom (handroom + shower + toilet) for every 10 guests, it is easier to organize a hostel in a private house, if only because it is easier to obtain permission from the BTI and the department for the protection of historical and cultural monuments for redevelopment, which is now probably not possible to avoid. Opening a hostel in a private house is also made easier by the absence of neighbors.

Despite the fact that sometimes their complaints are indeed justified, but for the most part, accusations from the ever-vigilant volunteer staircase concierges are a real headache for hostel owners. The regulatory authorities, in turn, will be only too happy to warm their hands to the fire of your business, despite the fact that the law is on their side. Therefore, if you share a private home with someone, gain their support and trust in advance. And be sure to try your best to maintain friendly relations with your neighbors.

What other innovations have affected hostels in private homes?

If previously the question of whether it was possible to open a hostel in a private house was not in doubt, now the situation has changed radically. From now on, it is only permissible to use the area for commercial purposes in non-residential premises. That is, if you were dreaming about your own personal guesthouse, give up these thoughts. The premises for the hostel must be removed from the housing stock and transferred to non-residential use. This initiative had a certain meaning regarding apartment-based hostels, and according to the authors’ idea, it should protect the sleep of the hostel’s unwitting neighbors. But why this practice is applied to owners of private houses remains a mystery.

Otherwise, the procedure for opening a hostel in a private house is identical to hostels in residential apartments and office premises, except that in your own private house you are not limited by anything except your imagination, and the quality of the layout and general design in your hostel can be an order of magnitude higher than in premises with a preset layout. After forced hassle with residential and non-residential assets, you will have to give the future hostel a look that complies with the standards.

In addition to sanitary facilities, each guest should have at least 4 square meters of space at their disposal, including their bed. The ceiling height in the room must be at least 2.5 meters, and from now on it is allowed to use beds of no more than two tiers. The distance from the second tier to the ceiling should not exceed 75cm.

Despite the minor leitmotif that has always accompanied Russian business, the situation on the hotel business market in Russia is far from critical. And even though online forums of failed hostel owners verbally attack draconian laws, it should be understood that these are only echoes of yesterday’s permissiveness. Someone mourns the previous profits, not overshadowed by unnecessary costs and adherence to some incomprehensible norms, while another part of the disappointed investors became victims of the enthusiasm of previous years, and did not take into account the realities of today.

So one gets a very contradictory impression about the profitability of hostels, from opuses full of resentment about the unprofitability of this business and reflections on the mentality of the Russian people, to the frightening fanatical delight of those who know about the new gold mine of the hotel business and are offering to sell their souls right now for investments in hostels. Among the latter, franchise sellers are especially noted. They even offer returns of up to 50%.

The reality is that actual businessmen, exchanging experience among themselves and sharing it with newcomers on specialized sites, rarely give figures above 20%. If there are any, be sure that their next message will be an incredibly profitable offer to sell a ready-made hostel with the above-mentioned profitability.

The distinctive features of a hostel compared to a regular hostel are good repairs and order in the room. The order is maintained by the administrator on duty, who carefully ensures that the internal regulations of the hostel are observed. Sometimes you can find hostels without an administrator on duty, but in such cases the rules are quickly forgotten, and soon this affects both the interior details and the peace of other guests.

A good hostel always has a set of rules that must be followed:

• Sometimes hostels limit maximum length of stay for a guest. To prevent cheap housing from becoming a magnet for the homeless, they are sometimes allowed to stay for two or three days. This is quite enough if we are talking about overnight accommodation for a traveler, but more is not needed.
• Hostel opening hours is also usually limited to 22-23 hours. This common courtesy rule protects the sleep of other guests.
• Alcohol ban. Quite a common type of restriction. People from all over the world, bearers of different cultures and traditions stay at the hostel, and the neutral sobriety policy saves both guests and hostel owners from unnecessary problems.
• Ban on love. An obvious rule known to most educated people. Obviously, there is not enough education for everyone, and this point has to be conveyed separately, printed and in capital letters. Advice: since it is not always possible to keep track of all the guests, especially at night, it is better to choose wooden beds for the hostel. Even tossing and turning in their sleep, the neighbors will not respond with a ringing metallic echo around the room.

There are hostels that do not have any special rules, but it is not difficult to imagine the degree of comfort in such establishments. That’s why hostels often monitor their reputation and have an administrator on duty.

Hostel as a type of hotel business is gaining increasing popularity. Especially in cities with a large flow of tourists: in Moscow and St. Petersburg, hostel owners are provided with a stable profit all year round.

From the article you will learn what documents a hostel needs when opening, where to start, what organizational and legal form is best to choose and what authorities to notify.

Documents are important, but first we are looking for premises

Resolve the issue of premises before registering as an individual entrepreneur or legal entity. This will save you a lot of money.

The fact is that after registration it is necessary to regularly pay insurance contributions to the Pension Fund. And this does not depend on whether you have already started your activity or are still deciding organizational issues. Therefore, start with choosing a room, so that after registration you can open a hostel as quickly as possible and not pay all social contributions from your own pocket.

When choosing a room, you should remember that hostels cannot be located in basements or basements. With no exceptions. This requirement is put forward by the Sanitary Rules and Standards. The building must also meet fire safety requirements.

Don’t forget that a good hostel should register its visitors with migration records. Make sure that the owners of the premises (provided that you are renting it) give their consent to this.

Recently, the scandal surrounding the law banning the placement of hostels in residential buildings has not subsided. If consideration of the law is not postponed once again, its fate will be decided before the end of this year. It is not yet known whether the law will be adopted, since the government has both supporters and opponents of this ban. But just in case, take a closer look at non-residential premises.

Found the ideal premises? Wonderful. If you own it, then immediately move on to the next point and deal with the regulatory documents for your hostel. If you are going to rent property for a hostel, then it’s time to sign a lease agreement. Make sure that all the nuances are spelled out in the text of the contract and that you have the right to provide guest accommodation services in the rented area. Sign the contract for the longest possible period or discuss with the tenant the possibility of extending the contract in the future.

A lease agreement or documentary evidence of property rights should always be at hand to avoid problems with law enforcement agencies.

Choosing a legal form

The best choice for a hostel owner would be to register an individual entrepreneur or a limited liability company. Let's look at the main differences.

The best option is to register as an individual entrepreneur. Firstly, this is relevant for those who are planning to open one hostel. Registration of a legal entity is required for a network of hostels.

Secondly, the tax and administrative burden on individual entrepreneurs is much lower. Thus, a patent taxation system is available to individual entrepreneurs. In this case, the entrepreneur simply buys a patent for a certain type of activity, which exempts him from paying personal income tax and VAT. But keep in mind that this only applies to entrepreneurs who own hostels. That is, those who rent premises for a hostel do not have access to a patent.

In addition, the individual entrepreneur is freed from the need to keep accounting records, register the charter and contribute the authorized capital. And, of course, an individual entrepreneur, provided that he works alone, is “deprived of the pleasure” of regularly reporting to the pension fund and social insurance fund.

Also, registering as an individual entrepreneur is ideal for those who plan to open a hostel in a city other than their own, since an individual entrepreneur is registered at his place of residence, and an LLC at the actual location of the organization.

In the end, registering an individual entrepreneur is simply a faster and more economical procedure.

But an LLC should be chosen by those who plan to open a hostel not alone, but together with business partners, since this form provides for the possibility of co-founding.

OKVED codes for hostels - 55.23.3 “Renting out furnished rooms for temporary accommodation.”

So, have you decided on the organizational and legal form of the hostel and collected a full package of necessary documents? Now submit them to the tax authority or multifunctional center, wait for documentary confirmation of your registration and proceed to the next stage.

We get the go-ahead from the fire inspectorate and sanitary and epidemiological station

The fire inspection puts forward the same requirements for hostels as for hotels and hostels, that is, this is a functional fire hazard class of 1.2. in the Federal Law “Technical Regulations on Fire Safety Requirements”.

As for sanitary standards, you should familiarize yourself with the Sanitary Rules and Standards for Small Hotels and Hostels. So, from them it follows that for each bed (including bunk beds) in the room there should be at least 4 square meters, in the hostel itself (even the largest) there should be no more than 120 guests, and wet cleaning must be carried out at least once per day.

Bring your premises into full compliance with all requirements. Approach this responsibly, do not allow negligence, because the lives of many people depend on your actions.

Solving the waste issue

The law obliges hostel owners to independently remove and dispose of waste.

It is necessary to conclude an agreement with a solid waste removal company. It is important to remember that garbage removal must be carried out daily. Be sure to reflect this aspect in your contract.

Last stage: Rospotrebnadzor

Now the only thing left to do is to inform Rospotrebnadzor. Notification of the start of the hostel's activities can be sent by mail (registered letter with an inventory and receipt of receipt) or electronically with the electronic signature of the applicant.

After successfully completing all the above procedures, you can open your own hostel and place guests in it.

Ready-made hostel as an alternative solution

Opening a hostel from scratch is quite a troublesome task. A clear algorithm of actions is always interfered with by some circumstances that slow down the process. And even after going through all the circles of bureaucratic hell, there is no guarantee that the hostel will receive all the permits and be able to operate. It is often more useful for the budget and nervous system, which is already a functioning business. In this case, you receive a fully equipped premises, all permitting documentation, established business processes and an establishment that has already created a positive reputation for itself and earned the trust of visitors.

We have collected all the articles about hostels that will be useful to you.

In recent years, hostels have become popular throughout the Russian Federation. Firstly, this is due to the inexpensive cost for acceptable services and comfort. Secondly, prices for accommodation in such a mini-hotel are much lower than hotel prices. Thirdly, the need for hostels among traveling people increases every year. Therefore, many novice entrepreneurs are thinking about how to open a hostel from scratch.

A hostel is a type of hotel, but in a narrower sense, namely, this building has economy class status, which has its own specific conditions that differ from its “brothers” in appearance and prices.

The main difference between a hostel and a hotel is the availability of beds in one room. It can accommodate from 6 to 12 people at a time. They have bunk beds, a shared bathroom, kitchen, shower and refrigerator. At the same time, the price is 5 times lower than that of ordinary hotels; because of this advantage, hostels are accessible even to the student masses.

Despite such conditions, this type of mini-hotel is in demand, especially if it is located in a good location and does not inflate prices for amenities.

All hostels also have basic amenities with additional services, namely, they offer their clients breakfast, a safe for securities, and the opportunity to use free WI-FI.

Types of hostels:

1. mixed;
2. youth;
3. with the direction to receive large groups of people, for example, delegations coming to a conference, seminar, meeting, etc.

Types of rooms offered in hostels:

• for individual use;
• same-sex guests;
• mixed.

Large cities have round-the-clock types of such mini-hotels, but smaller ones prefer to close their establishments at night.

Hostels are also divided into long-term accommodation and short-term stays in a mini-hotel.

Important! You need to be careful when choosing a hostel. You must book rooms only from reliable companies.

Hostel advantages:

1. The most important advantage of this type of hotel complex is the price. Here you can choose a room ten times lower than apartments and hotels.
2. You can make new acquaintances at the hostel. For example, meet other travelers like yourself.
3. The services provided here are no worse in comfort than in a hotel or inn:
   • laundry;
   • equipped room for a kitchen;
   • Internet and Wi-Fi.
4. Professional staff, who are always guarding the comfort of their guests, can at any time suggest where to have a good time, and will also help in organizing excursions with various discounts.

Market research and choosing a location for a hostel

At the moment, there are more than 6 thousand hostels in Moscow and St. Petersburg, the number of which is constantly increasing. These statistics indicate the increased attention of entrepreneurs to this type of business and customer demand.

Before opening a hostel, you need to carefully study the market for the provision of services and the place of choice for a mini-hotel.

The main point here will be the demand for these types of services. Make an accurate analysis of such a place, find the necessary information on the World Wide Web. And if you don’t want to waste your time on this, then turn to freelancers for help.

Ways to open a hostel:

• franchise;
• opening a mini-hotel with the purchase of premises;
• opening a hostel with rented premises.

Also, before opening a hostel from scratch, you need to evaluate your strengths in relation to other hotel establishments.

The main competitors will be:

• hotels;
• hotels;
• other hostels;
• daily rented apartments.

The advantage of your establishment compared to hotels will be the low price for services, but with hostels and apartments you will have to come up with some kind of feature that will be the highlight of your mini-hotel.

Attention! The choice of premises is an important factor that will play a big role in promoting your hostel.

An excellent option is to be located near public places, namely: train stations, airports, educational institutions, large companies.

To choose a suitable location, you should pay attention to:

• transport accessibility;
• availability of nearby attractions;
• availability of cafes and restaurants;
• availability of shopping centers and parks;
• environmental situation;
• densely populated area;
• a sign of the sphere of activity of a particular region.

Should I take a franchise or not?

The easiest way to open a hostel is with a franchise. As a business, it brings quite a good profit, which can amount to 1.5 million rubles in one year.

A franchise can help with organizing all the complex work, draw up a business plan for the hostel, ensure an uninterrupted flow of clients and avoid unnecessary mistakes. And now newcomers, with the help of a franchise, have quite a good profit, up to 300,000 rubles per month.

Hostel franchises are a completely new area of ​​commercial activity and there are several enterprises in this area in Russia. They are generally popular due to their low price and quality of service.

Hostel franchising is a very real activity that can help aspiring entrepreneurs.

Premises requirements

First of all, you need to decide on the type of establishment to open and the number of clients, namely:

• Room for one hundred or more people. This option requires a large area, divided into several sectors.
• Room for 30-50 people, so-called medium-sized hostels. With this option, two apartments are usually connected or an entire floor is purchased.
• Small family-type hostels for 10-15 people. Here you will need one cozy and comfortable apartment.

Necessary requirements for hostels:

1. It is strictly forbidden to open mini-hotels on the ground floors, as well as in basements.
2. It is necessary to comply with sanitary standards:
   • for 12 guests you need one toilet;
   • for 15 guests – one shower;
   • for 6 guests - one sink;
   • a place to sleep is allocated per guest at the rate of 0.8x2 meters.
3. Availability of a storage room for clients' belongings, as well as a safe for securities.
4. There should be a place to relax with magazines and TV, as well as an equipped kitchen.

Criteria for requesting space for a hostel:

• by area;
• according to the required repairs and cost per square meter;
• by location - either it is a separate building or a residential building;
• at the entrance, it is best if it is separate;
• if there is a need for redevelopment;
• by cost;
• by type of property - for the purpose of determining whether the premises are residential or created specifically for commercial purposes;
• environment.

The documentation does not contain any special requirements for hostel premises. But still, it is worth adhering to the necessary safety standards, taking into account the reliability of electrical equipment and other conditions for any room.

Business registration

How to open a hostel for entrepreneurs and register it correctly?

It is believed that registering an individual entrepreneur is the best option for opening one hostel. One of the advantages will be the burden on activities where the tax rate will be reduced. Finally, registering an individual entrepreneur is faster and more economical.

If you plan to expand the project in the future, you can register a legal entity.

So, what documents are needed to open your own hostel:

1. Certificate of registration of the enterprise.
2. Certificate of payment of taxes and registration with the relevant authorities.
3. Conclusion of fire authorities.
4. Conclusion of the SES.
5. Premises rental agreement.
6. An agreement for the provision of services to another company for the removal of solid household waste.

Of course, the document base can be more extensive and you can learn about it from the current law. Deputies introduce something new every time, therefore, it is necessary to monitor existing changes in legislation on opening your own hostel business.

Which premises to choose: apartment or non-residential premises?

In accordance with the Housing Code, apartments can be converted into a hostel, but in this case, each client will have to enter into a contract or rental agreement, which can be approved in the form of a guest registration card.

Important! It is possible to transfer residential premises to non-residential premises, provided that the apartment is located on the first floor of the building or the second, if there is non-residential premises underneath it.

If you decide to transfer the apartment to a non-residential property for a mini-hotel, this will allow you to get rid of unwanted inspections. But it is worth considering one factor - with this transfer, the rules that apply to any hotels come into force. There are no special or basic requirements for small hotels.

If a hostel opens in a residential area, this will first of all reduce the costs of opening a mini-hotel; you also need to take care of the neighbors’ consent.

When choosing non-residential premises, you should take into account the costs of repairs. Based on these considerations, draw conclusions about which room is best suited for a hostel.

Attention! What kind of premises it will be is not so important; it will not particularly affect the entire business. The main thing is to make this place a great holiday and so that the visitor can relax peacefully.

Recruitment

To open a hostel in an apartment or non-residential premises, you will need to hire appropriate staff, preferably with professional skills.

In the first stages, you can involve family members, relatives or acquaintances in the work. Knowledge of foreign languages ​​will be considered a big plus.

Cleanliness is one of the main keys to the success of the entire enterprise. Here you can use the services of a cleaning company and dry cleaning, which will do everything efficiently and if investment allows.

The number of staff depends on the size of the hostel, and the main characters may be the administrator and the cleaning lady.

Basic costs and profitability

You need to draw up a hostel business plan with calculations and profitability of your enterprise, from which the following cost indicators will be visible:

The profitability of a business can depend on various factors. These are location, regions, etc. The table shows some examples of hostel revenues.

Promotion: advertising and marketing

What does it take to open a hostel in an apartment in Moscow and have it flourish? Marketing and advertising will help here.

Marketing in the field of opening your own hostel will ensure a constant influx of customers. Attracting clients to your side will be an important circumstance, and hostel advertising can help in this matter.

The most effective tool for attracting customers is advertising:

1. An effective way to achieve this goal would be to place a reservation for accommodation in your hostel on such large sites as Booking.com or Hostelbookers;
2. you can take advantage of free advertising on international websites;
3. all kinds of promotions, discounts and bonuses for regular customers;
4. flyers and leaflets that will be distributed at train stations;
5. You can create your own hostel groups on social networks.

The term “hostel” refers to a type of economy-class hotel accommodation. The services of modern hostels are most often used by avid travelers, among whom young people predominate. The demand for such housing is constantly growing, since its guests pay rent not for a whole room, but for a bed. It turns out that for a reasonable fee you can spend the night or take a break along the way. One room of such a mini-hotel can simultaneously accommodate from four to ten tenants. Most tourists are satisfied with the concept of housing, which is to provide a sufficient level of comfort and coziness for a minimum fee. As a rule, a person who is, for example, on a business trip does not need an expensive room with additional services, which he simply does not have time to fully use.

In addition, not every tourist can afford to rent comfortable hotel apartments at a higher cost in order to get acquainted with local attractions or simply explore the city. Numerous hostels, for a minimal fee, provide their guests with a comfortable, clean bed, cozy surroundings, the opportunity to visit the toilet, take a shower and use a mirror. This type of hotel accommodation is most in demand in the historical and business centers of a particular city, so that it is easier for out-of-town guests to find it.

Before opening a hostel, you will need to purchase an apartment, but it is worth considering that real estate in the most popular areas is expensive, so opening your own business in this area is quite difficult. However, you can organize a hostel in a less expensive, quiet area. In this case, the most important criterion is developed transport links. As a rule, hostels located near the center are also popular.

The main advantages of opening a hostel

Before opening a hostel from scratch, you need to consider the main advantages of this business idea:

1. Hostels are a promising business in our country, as consumer demand for such a service is constantly growing. Most modern travelers do not use such inexpensive hotels simply because they have not heard of their existence.
2. Over time, the popularity of hostels will not decrease. Even a consistently high increase in the average level of income of the population will not make cheap hotels less in demand. This is explained by the fact that tourists or business travelers are triggered by elementary practicality, which is expressed by a rational approach to solving the housing issue. In addition, at all times there will be a category of people with limited financial capabilities.
3. A fairly low level of competition is a significant factor in successfully running your business. If all the “paper” nuances are correctly completed, no one will interfere with the businessman’s work productively.
4. Small financial expenses for the upcoming finishing and furnishing of the premises. If an entrepreneur fails, the main capital, which is real estate, will remain with him, and housing, as we know, only becomes more expensive over time.

Difficulties of opening a hostel

A business plan for opening a hostel in an apartment has its pitfalls. However, all problems can be solved; the main thing is to know about them and act correctly. The most serious obstacle is the search for suitable premises, which is quite difficult to find. It must have a favorable location and be suitable for living. It is advisable to open a hostel with fifteen to twenty beds.

An option with an ordinary apartment located inside an apartment building is excellent for these purposes; this option is considered less solid, but also more profitable for clients, because it costs less. An average three-room apartment can comfortably accommodate ten people at a time. In addition, you don’t even have to buy an apartment, but rent it.

How to open a hostel in an ordinary apartment?

Before opening a hostel in a residential building, it is worth understanding that converting two or three rooms is considered the simplest option. To do this, the entrepreneur needs to buy or rent an apartment on the first or second floor. If such housing is already available, many worries disappear at once. However, a businessman must remember that having opened his own mini-hostel inside a traditional city apartment, he must adhere to a number of basic legal norms, since it is difficult to leave such a business unnoticed.

A business plan for opening a hostel in an apartment implies the need to obtain a special permit if the property is part of the housing stock. Today, only housing that is located on the first or second floor (if non-residential premises are located on the first floor) of an apartment building is allowed to be deregistered. In order for an apartment to cease to be listed as an element of the housing stock, its owner must submit the following documents to the commission:

• all real estate documents;
• statement;
• technical description of the apartment and its plan;
• floor plan of the entire house;
• ready-made project for further redevelopment of residential premises.

In addition to legal regulations and rules, it is also worth taking care of compliance with other requirements, as well as acts of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The entrepreneur should pay attention to the resolutions of the local authorities, which cannot contradict the main document, which clearly describes the schemes for removing the premises from the housing stock.

What are the requirements for the premises?

The apartment must be soundproofed. The entrepreneur should pay special attention to the installation of doors and plastic windows. In addition, ordinary walls of residential apartments allow all sounds to pass through, and guests, as a rule, want to get a good night's sleep. Most often, this is what they pay money for. Inside the apartment, you need to organize a small lounge with comfortable sofas and a TV, as well as improve the kitchen space. Having a kitchen can also be considered a huge advantage. A traveler will not be able to prepare a light breakfast inside a standard hotel room.

A businessman must understand that the majority of guests are young people, so a prerequisite is to have unhindered access to wireless Wi-Fi Internet. It is also categorically not recommended to save on equipping a ventilation and air conditioning system for bedrooms where several people will be located at the same time. Powerful modern climate control equipment will solve the problem.

Particular attention should also be paid to the bathroom equipment. For twelve guests, one toilet, two sinks and one shower can be installed. Sleeping places are also strictly calculated and cannot be less than the norm. The dimensions of one bed, as a rule, are 0.8 x 1.9 meters. The density of beds should not violate the basic rule. At least five square meters are allocated per living tenant. That is why a businessman, before opening a hostel, is advised to look for comfortable bunk beds. The organizer is also obliged to take care of the belongings of his guests. To do this, you will need to equip a special storage chamber, which will be under the supervision of an administrator.

When selecting materials for finishing work, it is also worth considering the fact that operational loads will always be increased. To prevent a mini-hostel from looking like an unattractive, sloppy, shabby room in a year, unsuitable for living, you cannot skimp on building materials and plumbing equipment. You don’t need to think about any additional bells and whistles, but everything used for repairs must be of the highest quality, good quality, and durable.

The same principles must be followed when it comes to purchasing furniture. Traditional factory-made products most likely will not be able to withstand such loads and will not last half the time allotted to them. The exception is exclusively metal beds. You should also take the selection of mattresses seriously. A profitable option is to order furniture from a trusted manufacturer, preferably with the condition of subsequent warranty service. In addition, before opening a hotel, it is best to carefully consider a business plan for opening a hostel in an apartment.

Hostel opening costs

If we do not take into account the main part of the costs that will go towards purchasing or renting premises, as well as its repair and redevelopment, you will additionally need to purchase:

1. Sleeping bunks. If we talk about furnishing a three-room apartment, you will need to buy about ten beds at six to seven thousand rubles apiece. That is, this stage will cost the entrepreneur about sixty to seventy thousand rubles.
2. To furnish the kitchen, as well as purchase all the necessary equipment, you will have to spend about seventy to eighty thousand rubles.
3. Leisure equipment, for example, TV, Wi-Fi, etc., will cost about twenty-five thousand rubles.
4. Plumbing equipment will cost about sixty thousand rubles.

How to open a hostel - step-by-step plan: necessary documents, advertising promotion methods, equipment, detailed calculations and payback periods.

Capital investments in business: from 500,000 rubles
Hostel payback period: 1-2 years

Not so long ago, few people knew about this type of budget hotel, such as a hostel.

The practice, so common in Europe, has begun to gain popularity in Russia over the past 5-7 years.

The opportunity to live in a comfortable environment with everything you need for little money has aroused great demand among the population.

Therefore, many entrepreneurs began to wonder, how to open a hostel.

Some of them have used this method of budget overnight stays and appreciated the benefits.

They have determined for themselves what they want the hostel to be like, they know many secrets and tricks, but they have absolutely no understanding of the organizational side of the issue.

While others are experienced entrepreneurs who know how to profitably invest in real estate.

But organizing a hostel requires a more sincere approach than the ability to count expenses.

What documents are needed to open a hostel?

Paperwork to open a hostel is something that scares first-time owners.

There's really no need to worry.

Yes, registering a business is a long and nerve-wracking process.

However, you can delegate the collection of papers to specialists for a fee.

The only thing you definitely shouldn’t do is open a hostel without permission.

Such a move is fraught with fines, problems and complete failure of the hostel idea.

To legally open a hostel, you will need the following documents:

• or LLC;
• tax registration certificate;
• a document confirming ownership of the premises;
• permission to operate the hostel based on the results of an inspection by the fire inspectorate and SES;
• agreement for waste removal with the relevant organization.

The above list is a basis that can be “overgrown” with additional papers, depending on the current legal requirements for business.

You should carefully check the relevance of the data before registering the hostel.

It’s better to play it safe at the start than to have problems with regulatory authorities in the future.

We analyze the market before opening a hostel

The mere fact that a hostel as a business must have demand is not enough to organize a business.

It is important to analyze the niche in which you are going to open a hostel.

To do this, pay attention to competitors in the region and the general trend of hostel development.

Now there are more than 5,000 hostels and establishments of a similar format in the country.

Their number has doubled over the past 2 years, which indicates an accelerated pace of niche development and high customer demand.

It is noteworthy that half of the hostels are concentrated in two cities - St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Thus, to open your own hostel in one of them, you will have to “fight” with competitors.

At the same time, the prospects for business development in big cities are much better.

If we analyze the formats of hostel organization, the leader is premises with medium capacity (30-50 guests).

This business option is beneficial for entrepreneurs due to relatively modest capital investments and quick payback.

What are the risks of the idea of ​​opening a hostel?

Any mini-hotel may encounter circumstances that could ruin its business.

Entrepreneurs must analyze potential risks before opening a hostel and think through ways to minimize them.

How to open your own hostel and promote it: advertising methods

It is important to understand not only how to open your own hostel according to all the rules of the law, but also how you will promote it to the masses.

And the service sector is those areas that cannot do without a marketing strategy.

You should immediately realize that there is no such thing as high-quality, cheap advertising.

There are rare exceptions, but you shouldn't rely on them.

Consider the 3 main channels for promoting hostel services:

Website and promotion of the hostel on the Internet.

A modern business cannot do without its own website.

Don’t skimp and order its creation from specialists.

After all, the electronic page will be the face of the hostel.

The website itself does not attract customers so actively, but rather is an important image attribute.

To ensure that guests find you, use SEO optimization, contextual and banner advertising.

This pleasure is not cheap, but the effect is noticeable.

Another important element of the marketing policy of modern business.

Most of the hostel visitors are students, young people, and budget tourists.

They are attracted not just by the opportunity to spend the night, but by the spirit that reigns in hostels.

It’s worth opening the hostel’s Facebook and VKontakte pages.

This will allow you to share news, hold promotions, collect feedback from guests and create your own special atmosphere that you will want to plunge into.

Hotel and hostel booking sites.

Few people do not know about the existence of resources for online booking of accommodation.

Hostels that are not there lose up to 90% of their potential target audience.

Just listen to this number!

But the registration process is simple and, as a rule, free.

How to choose a building to open a hostel?

To choose a location and decide how to open a hostel in non-residential premises or apartment, first select a format.

There are three main types:

A large hostel that can accommodate more than 100 guests.

In Russia, this format is not in demand due to the lack of demand and the high financial threshold for entry.

If you are still interested in this hostel option, you will need to rent a large non-residential premises.

To ensure fullness, you need to work on concluding agreements with companies that can hold seminars or conferences.

Hostel with medium capacity (30-50 guests).

The most in demand. To organize them, they usually buy 2-3 apartments located on the floor and combine them.

This is enough to equip a hostel with a kitchen, two bathrooms, a hall and 5-6 bedrooms.

In an ordinary apartment you can set up a hostel for 10-15 guests.

The mini-format hostel is chosen by those who like to relax in a cozy home environment.

This option requires the least investment, but also pays off over a long period of time.

The peculiarity of such hostels is that the price of a bed can be 10-15% higher than that of competitors.

And this will be justified, because the level of comfort in mini-hostels is noticeably higher.

• advantage – the hostel is close to the city center;
• It’s good if there are interesting sights nearby the hostel;
• It is important for guests that there is a good transport connection near the hostel;
• It should be easy for visitors to find the hostel, so a noticeable sign and signs are needed.

Hostel as a business: necessary equipment

Those who have stayed in hostels more than once know very well what they should be equipped with.

If your knowledge is limited to your own apartment and expensive hotels, here is an indicative list of the necessary equipment:

Schedule plan for how to open a hostel from scratch

It will allow you to track whether all stages of the organization are going according to the planned schedule.

It is worth noting that in a hostel business plan, the calendar plan should be supplied not only with deadlines, but also with an indication of the performers and responsible persons.

Recruitment of staff for a hostel

In order to open a hostel in an apartment or non-residential premises, you will need to assemble a team of professionals who will work there.

Family members are often involved in cases.

It is important to hire people from “outside” only with work experience.

A big plus is knowledge of foreign languages.

The number of staff depends on the size of the hostel.

Often the level of cleanliness is the weak point of hostels.

To avoid problems, sign a contract with us for periodic general cleaning.

Also, do not forget about washing, and enter into an agreement with a dry cleaner to provide this service.

How much does it cost to open a hostel?

“The most serious risk in business around the world is the risk of being ineffective.”
Mikhail Prokhorov

So from organizational issues we came to the question, how much does it cost to open a hostel?

Regular investments in the operation of the hostel

We must not forget that a business needs not only start-up investments.

To operate a hostel you will need to invest a certain amount monthly.

Payback periods and profitability of a hostel as a business

Due to its price advantage over expensive hotels, the hostel pays for itself faster and requires less investment.

Dry calculations show that 100% occupancy of the hostel will bring about 115,000 rubles per month.

However, at the beginning of the hostel’s operation and in the low season, such an indicator cannot be achieved.

It is possible to achieve 75-85% of hostel profitability with the active use of advertising methods.

With this indicator, it is possible to recoup the investment in 1-2 years.

How to make good money by opening your own hostel, you will learn from the video:

A hostel is a place for a budget holiday, but not a poor one.

Guests should not see shabby doors, broken locks, mold or a non-functioning electric kettle.

Keep an eye on the details in the hostel.

Many people stay in a hostel just for the experience.

Develop a special hostel design style.

It could be a Soviet Union theme or a psychedelic creative space.

Many guests are tourists.

Enter additional services in the hostel: excursions, the ability to call an inexpensive taxi, free city maps.

Thinking through how to open a hostel, You should only manage personal funds, not credit.

But when business takes off, you can contact the bank or investors to get money to develop the business.

In this case, the risks are lower, and it is easier to obtain consent from sponsors.

After you promote one point, you should think about opening new hostels.

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