12 Methods to Keep away from Staying in a Unhealthy Hostel in 2025

I really like hostels. Even after over nineteen years touring the world, I nonetheless keep in hostels as a result of they’re the easiest way 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 dangerous 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 only randomly wakened someday and mentioned, “Let’s open a hostel. It appears like enjoyable.”

Whereas hostels are all concerning the individuals, administration can do just a few 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, common filth, unknowledgeable workers).

All of my favorite hostels share widespread traits that make them a few of the finest on the earth.

Right here’s a breakdown of what I’d search for in a hostel that can assist you choose the most effective one in your subsequent journey:

1. Is There a Frequent Room?

I really like assembly new individuals after I journey. Since I often journey solo, I have to exit of my method to meet individuals if I need to be social. Frequent rooms in hostels make that straightforward. They assist me discover individuals to talk with, get ideas from, do actions with, and even journey with.

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

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

2. Is It Centrally Positioned?

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

That is particularly vital in massive cities the place issues are unfold out and whenever you’re on a shorter journey and time is of the essence. Sure, they may price extra money, however you’ll lower your expenses on transportation. Plus, the extra centrally-located hostels are often the extra well-liked ones, making them higher locations to fulfill individuals.

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

3. Is It Clear?

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

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

4. Did You Learn Opinions?

At all times learn evaluations 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’ll be able to often reply all of those questions (and plenty of extra) by studying evaluations.

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

When you’ll need to take them with a grain of salt (individuals like to complain), they’re undoubtedly useful in terms of selecting the most effective hostel. Be sure to go away evaluations too — good evaluations assist hostels develop and dangerous evaluations can warn your fellow vacationers so that they don’t make the identical mistake.

Moreover, ensure you solely keep at accommodations with plenty of evaluations. A hostel might need a excessive ranking on Hostelworld but when it solely has 10 or 20 evaluations then I’ll seemingly steer clear of it (it’s straightforward to faux rankings like that). Nevertheless, if a hostel has lots of (or 1000’s) of evaluations and nonetheless has a ranking of 8 or 9 out of 10 then that’s signal it’s a strong place to remain.

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

5. Do they Manage Group Actions?

If you happen to plan on staying at a social hostel and need to meet individuals, select a hostel that provides group actions. These might 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 study your vacation spot.

My favorite hostels are all the time social hostels that arrange occasions. It simply makes your keep far more enjoyable and vigorous!

6. Is There Late Checkout?

By no means keep at a hostel with a checkout time earlier than 10am. The perfect hostels have 11am checkout instances, 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 instances perceive this and are sometimes extra relaxed environments. There’s simply one thing improper a couple of hostel asking you to be packed and out so early within the morning.

7. Is There a Bar?

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

If you happen to’re seeking 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. Nowadays, lockers needs to be commonplace. You need to by no means pay for safety. It is a deal-breaker for me (particularly since I journey with electronics). At all times carry a lock with you as nicely, so you should utilize the lockers when they’re offered.

9. Is There a Kitchen?

Attempt to search for hostels with kitchens since you’ll be able to then put together your personal meals, decrease your meals finances, and share a meal together with your new associates. 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 not less than one which begins and ends when individuals are really awake (breakfasts that begin round 8:30am often go late). Breakfast can be an effective way to load up on snacks for the day, slicing down your meals finances.

11. Do They Have Pod-style Beds?

Gone are the times of sleeping on creaky, steel bunks. Each time attainable, search for a hostel with pod-style beds. These beds present significantly better privateness and dampen the noise round you so you’ll be able to sleep higher. They often have curtains too, that are all the time 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’ll be able to cost your gadgets with out having to struggle for house, but it surely means your fellow vacationers can activate their very own small lamp as an alternative of the room’s principal gentle. (I hate it when individuals flip the lights on in the course of the night time. Use your mattress’s lamp or a flashlight!)

I don’t want a hostel to have all this stuff, however a very fantastic hostel that understands what vacationers are on the lookout for has nearly all of the issues listed above.

Moreover, as an increasing number of individuals shift to distant work, hostels have began to accommodate long-term vacationers who work on their laptops. If you happen to’re a distant employee, these hostels are nice locations to remain as they’ve quick Wi-Fi and make it straightforward to attach and community with different digital nomads. Nevertheless, for those who’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 for those who’re not doing it too. As a substitute, keep at a hostel that caters to backpackers. It is going to be far 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 will probably be nice for those who 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 alternate for a mattress. I’d somewhat keep at a spot that’s wanting to verify I’ve time.

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