How opening a hostel in India can change your life

We interviewed Harish Sharma, the manager of Smyle Inn Hostel in New Delhi, to find out how his life changed when he quit his job and opened a hostel.

Smyle Inn is a popular hostel in New Delhi and for the last 16 years more and more backpackers from all over the world have been choosing this accommodation as a base for their trip in India.

We decided to make a "Google Hangouts" interview with Harish Sharma, Smyle Inn Hostel's manager. We asked him how he started his business and what his experiences are like.

1. Please introduce yourself
   
   I am a husband, a father of two children aged 13 and 9 and a son of a 78-year-old mother. I have worked for various companies for 14 years with IBM India being the last one. After working for so many years in the corporate world and having acquired various technical capabilities, I decided that I had enough. I decided to quit working long 60-70 hours in a week and do something that would allow me to spend more time with my family; so I converted my old family guest house into our hostel in Delhi.
   
   
   
   
2. Can you please tell us something about Smyle Inn Hostel, when was it established and how long you have been in the business?
   
   We are a family run hostel and have been welcoming international guests for the past 16 years. Our budget accommodation in Delhi is centrally located in the Paharganj area (backpacking street) of Delhi. We are a short walk from New Delhi Train Station, Airport Express and Metro Station. Our hostel in Delhi offers the best value for money in our area by giving all the facilities that any traveller needs.
   
   
3. I presume to open a hostel in New Delhi is totally different than in Europe. Can you briefly give us some indications about procedures there? How can you open a hostel in India? Are any particular certificates required?
   
   For opening a hostel in Delhi you need to have licenses and approvals from three government departments. First is a clearance from Delhi Fire Service department to ensure that the building is fire safety compliant. Then you need a license from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to grant you a trade license and last Delhi Police grants you a license to run a Hostel / Guest House / Hotel etc. Needless to say that you have to either have the property on lease or you have to own the property in order to get the license. All these approvals are only for one year and you have to renew them every year from each department.
   
   
4. How do you surprise your guests? Any particular events you organise for backpackers at your place?
   
   We have regular Pakora nights (which is equal to the Chicketti) once a week. We serve Indian Masala Chai and Pakoras to our guests in the lounge area. Our welcome is the biggest surprise factor. Usually hostels are rather cold when welcoming guests, but we are not, our welcome to guests is always very warm.
   
   
   
   
5. What do you do to make your hostel the most attractive place to book? What are the additional services or features your hostel offers and might be competitive to the other hostels near by?
   
   Our Hostel in Delhi offers the best value for money in our area by giving all the facilities that any traveller needs. 1) Complementary breakfast, 2) Free Wi-Fi and free use of our computers for the Internet, 3) Free Delhi map and travel information, 4) Travel services for booking train, bus or flight tickets, 5) Airport / Station pick-up and drop-off available 24 hours (at very reasonable prices) and 6) Vodafone Sim cards available at the reception at nominal charges.
   
   
6. What are your goals for the following years?
   
   To become the best hostel in Delhi with 90% rating score and to generate social media buzz around our property. We also aim to sell more than 80% occupancy through the year.
   
   
7. What channel manager do you use?
   
   None. We have limited OTAs that we work with and manage all our allocation manually.
   
   
8. What can you say about hostelling in India? Is it popular? Is it the way of travelling there?
   
   Hosteling in India is a concept which is catching up. At the moment it is unorganised but slowly a few larger chains are starting hostel chains all over India. Hosteling is a favourite with mainly non-indian guests: mostly Europeans, Americans and Australians.
   
   
9. What are the places backpackers should see in New Delhi? What do they need to bear in mind before going to India?
   
   The Lotus Temple (Bahá’í House of Worship), ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple, Jama Masjid, Akshardham Temple, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib (Sikh Temple), India Gate, Jantar Mantar, Qutub Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort, Raj Ghat, Chandni Chowk & Chawri Bazar, Dilli Haat, Connaught Place (Rajiv Chowk), Paharganj (Main Bazar). Like any big city they need to watch out for touts, tourist offices pretending to be operated by the government, pick pockets etc. Get loads of sun block and read about possible tourist scams in each city. Guide books like Lonely Planet are usually a great way to start.
   
   
   
   
10. What are your best advices for hostels owners and those who are planning to open a hostel?
    
    Firstly to open a hostel you need to have the mandatory government clearance which can be a daunting task. Please hire young staff and provide services that a young traveller is looking for. Have a separate lounge area where guests can interact, play games and chill out in general.