12 Ways to Avoid Staying in a Bad Hostel in 2025

I like hostels. Even after over nineteen years touring the world, I nonetheless keep in hostels as a result of they’re one of the best ways to fulfill individuals and the most cost effective lodging possibility in a lot of the world.

However what makes a good hostel?

And the way do you keep away from a unhealthy hostel?

After staying in over a thousand hostels since I first started traveling the world, I’ve grow to be adept at determining in a short time if the hostel homeowners know what they’re doing or if they simply randomly wakened at some point and mentioned, “Let’s open a hostel. It seems like enjoyable.”

Whereas hostels are all in regards to the individuals, administration can do a number of issues to make their hostel the proper framework for making your expertise higher. Sure options make a hostel memorable (widespread rooms, group actions, kitchens) whereas others could make them forgettable — or worse (push-button showers, normal filth, unknowledgeable workers).

All of my favorite hostels share widespread traits that make them a few of the greatest on this planet.

Right here’s a breakdown of what I might search for in a hostel that can assist you decide the very best one in your subsequent journey:

1. Is There a Widespread Room?

I like assembly new individuals once I journey. Since I normally journey solo, I have to exit of my solution to meet individuals if I need to be social. Widespread rooms in hostels make that simple. They assist me discover individuals to talk with, get suggestions from, do actions with, and even journey with.

Plus, they’re good for simply having enjoyable. They normally have pool tables or online game consoles, TVs/motion pictures (excellent for wet days), foosball, ping pong, and comfortable couches (cozy couches are a should!). If you wish to be social, be sure to keep someplace that has an honest widespread room (or a number of). It’s the very best place to simply join with different vacationers.

In hotter locations, a standard space outdoors can be an enormous plus. Rooftop bars, patios, BBQ areas, a pool — any social out of doors area is a should.

2. Is It Centrally Situated?

Location, location, location. Each time I’m searching for a brand new hostel I make it possible for it’s close to the issues I need to see. I don’t need to spend all my time commuting once I get someplace new. For that motive, I at all times be certain my hostels are in a central location and that they’re near public transportation. That means, I can get round simply and don’t want to fret about having to waste cash on taxis.

That is particularly necessary in giant cities the place issues are unfold out and if you’re on a shorter journey and time is of the essence. Sure, they may value more cash, however you’ll lower your expenses on transportation. Plus, the extra centrally-located hostels are normally the extra fashionable ones, making them higher locations to fulfill individuals.

Don’t waste your trip in transit; e-book someplace central!

3. Is It Clear?

Positive, funds vacationers like issues low cost — however that doesn’t imply we like issues soiled. Whereas hostels have come a good distance in recent times, there are nonetheless many which can be poorly maintained and in want of an intensive scrubbing. Because it’s simple to get sick on the street, keep away from soiled hostels. Gross loos and showers (in addition to the elevated danger of mattress bugs) aren’t well worth the danger — even when the hostel is reasonable. Put money into your self. You deserve a clear room!

Because the images hostels put up on their web site and social media will be deceptive, be certain to particularly learn critiques on websites like Hostelworld for hints on cleanliness. If only one individual complains, possibly it’s not an enormous deal. But when quite a few critiques point out the dearth of cleanliness, take that as a cue.

4. Did You Learn Critiques?

All the time learn critiques earlier than you e-book. Is the hostel quiet or noisy? Is it a celebration hostel or extra laid again? Are the mattresses cozy? Are the bunk beds squeaky? You may normally reply all of those questions (and lots of extra) by studying critiques.

Web sites like Hostelworld and Booking.com have tons of critiques that can assist you discover the hostel that most closely fits your wants and funds.

Whilst you’ll need to take them with a grain of salt (individuals like to complain), they’re positively useful in the case of selecting the very best hostel. Be sure to go away critiques too — good critiques assist hostels develop and unhealthy critiques can warn your fellow vacationers in order that they don’t make the identical mistake.

Moreover, be sure to solely keep at lodges with a lot of critiques. A hostel might need a excessive ranking on Hostelworld but when it solely has 10 or 20 critiques then I’ll doubtless avoid it (it’s simple to pretend scores like that). Nonetheless, if a hostel has tons of (or 1000’s) of critiques and nonetheless has a ranking of 8 or 9 out of 10 then that’s signal it’s a stable place to remain.

Typically, I attempt to solely e-book hostels with a ranking of 8 or greater on Hostelworld.

5. Do they Set up Group Actions?

In the event you plan on staying at a social hostel and need to meet individuals, select a hostel that provides group actions. These could possibly be walking tours (my private favourite exercise), pub crawls, trivia nights, cooking courses, or BBQs. These occasions are an effective way to fulfill different vacationers and find out about your vacation spot.

My favorite hostels are at all times social hostels that set up occasions. It simply makes your keep rather more enjoyable and vigorous!

6. Is There Late Checkout?

By no means keep at a hostel with a checkout time earlier than 10am. One of the best hostels have 11am checkout occasions, and the actually good ones allow you to take a look at at midday. Sleep is efficacious on the street since you’ll not often get sufficient of it. Hostels with late checkout occasions perceive this and are sometimes extra relaxed environments. There’s simply one thing flawed a few hostel asking you to be packed and out so early within the morning.

7. Is There a Bar?

Bars are usually not deal breakers and there are plenty of great hostels with out them, however they make for a fantastic place to socialize with different hostel visitors. Often if a hostel has a bar, they put a powerful emphasis on ensuring the individuals staying there are having enjoyable, interacting, and being festive.

In the event you’re trying to be social and meet individuals, you’ll need to keep someplace with a bar.

8. Do They Have Lockers?

It’s shocking, however I’ve really been in hostels that don’t present lockers or will cost you for them. These days, lockers must be commonplace. You must by no means pay for safety. It is a deal-breaker for me (particularly since I journey with electronics). All the time deliver a lock with you as effectively, so you should utilize the lockers when they’re offered.

9. Is There a Kitchen?

Attempt to search for hostels with kitchens since you possibly can then put together your individual meals, decrease your meals funds, and share a meal together with your new mates. Nothing binds individuals nearer collectively than a shared meal (and some glasses of wine).

10. Do They Provide Breakfast?

Search for a spot with an honest breakfast (i.e., greater than bread and cheese) or no less than one which begins and ends when individuals are really awake (breakfasts that begin round 8:30am normally go late). Breakfast can be an effective way to load up on snacks for the day, reducing down your meals funds.

11. Do They Have Pod-style Beds?

Gone are the times of sleeping on creaky, metallic bunks. Each time attainable, search for a hostel with pod-style beds. These beds present a lot better privateness and dampen the noise round you so you possibly can sleep higher. They normally have curtains too, that are at all times an enormous plus in my e-book.

12. Are There Particular person Lights & Shops?

Earlier than you e-book, discover out if the dorm bunks have their very own outlet and light-weight. Not solely will this guarantee you possibly can cost your gadgets with out having to struggle for area, nevertheless it means your fellow vacationers can activate their very own small lamp as an alternative of the room’s primary gentle. (I hate it when individuals flip the lights on in the midst of the evening. Use your mattress’s lamp or a flashlight!)

I don’t want a hostel to have all these items, however a really great hostel that understands what vacationers are searching for has the vast majority of the issues listed above.

Moreover, as increasingly more individuals shift to distant work, hostels have began to accommodate long-term vacationers who work on their laptops. In the event you’re a distant employee, these hostels are nice locations to remain as they’ve quick Wi-Fi and make it simple to attach and community with different digital nomads. Nonetheless, if you happen to’re not working on-line whereas touring, keep away from these hostels since most individuals will simply be on their laptops working and that’s type of boring if you happen to’re not doing it too. As a substitute, keep at a hostel that caters to backpackers. Will probably be rather more satisfying and also you’ll have a better time assembly individuals.

In the long run, what actually makes hostel are the individuals and even the worst hostels might be nice if you happen to meet good individuals. However eradicating the individuals from the equation, I search for hostels which have a few of the above qualities in them. Hostels that know what you need as a traveler are there to reinforce your journey expertise, not merely take cash from you in change for a mattress. I might quite keep at a spot that’s wanting to verify I’ve time.

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