Hosteling is basically like a dormitory in college where you share rooms or bunks with other people. In this case, other travelers. These have been around for a very long time, at least dating back to the 1960s.

Another difference between a hostel and a hotel (not only the difference in pronounciation and one less letter), they have shared dining areas, bathrooms and kitchens. Yet, the newer hostels have accommodated the demands of the present generation of traveler and include private rooms for couples and families as well.

Wi-fi today is a popular amenity for travelers with laptops. Some hostels even provide chargers for iPhones and iPods. Today at hostels you may even see travelers in their 50s and 60s who have lived in them earlier in their lives while traveling and like to reminisce their past adventures.

Recently, I took a trip to Macau and visited numerous casinos and hotels.  The most notable was at the Cotai Strip in the Taipa just south of the traditional Macau hotel and casino districts.  The Venetian.

Staying there made me feel like I was in Las Vegas.  It looked exactly the same as the Vegas property.  But there were distinct features found in the Macau property and not at Vegas.  Shuttle buses would drive tourists from the border of Macau and Zhuhai, China as well as from the ferry terminals.  

It becomes less of a hotel/resort and more of just a gambling destination.  Recent news has shown that the casino operations in Macau are more profitable than its counterpart in Vegas because Chinese and other Asian people who are into gaming, they usually play in larger amounts than their American counterparts.  Therefore, it appears that casinos in Macau are profitable businesses.

Meanwhile, across the street from the Venetian is the newly opened City of Dreams, in which we will talk about next time.  Anyway, good luck and have fun if you go to Macau!