Hostels Trending Upscale... and Too Expensive?

When's it too mainstream?

Never let it be said we're among those grouchy travelers who think nothing should change. The growing trend of urban hostels getting cooler has certainly provided us with some awesome options in hostel land, but urban hostels have also gotten more expensive -- we don't love that. And hostels are growing more appealing to US families on budgets, whom we've already heard complaining at hostel desks about those pesky facts of hostel life ("There's no soap! What do you mean, the doors are locked at 10? Yadda yadda!").

While recognizing that we may be simply grouching at the possibility that, with hostels getting ever more attractive to mainstream families, we may see the church lady in 'em, we do wonder if the growing trend for urban hostels growing more mainstream means there oughtta be another designation for those urban hostels that are off-the-charts awesome, and over-the-top expensive. Yeah, we love 'em -- we stay in spendy private rooms and sweet hostel suites all the time. We almost wish these especially unbelievably nice urban hostels had another designation, though -- hostel hotels, perhaps? Some kind of early warning system so that we know the hostel we're thinking of booking is likely to be one of those hostels? Or should a hostel catering to those wanting upscale luxury simply be a hostel, and all others be called youth hostels? And, perhaps, limit guests to actual youth? Dunno, but we do know we want to know what you think. Share your opinion!