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 the easiest way to fulfill folks 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 change into adept at determining in a short time if the hostel homeowners know what they’re doing or if they simply randomly awoke at some point and stated, “Let’s open a hostel. It seems like enjoyable.”

Whereas hostels are all in regards to the folks, administration can do a couple of issues to make their hostel the right 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, basic filth, unknowledgeable workers).

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

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

1. Is There a Frequent Room?

I like assembly new folks once I journey. Since I often journey solo, I have to exit of my approach to meet folks if I wish to be social. Frequent rooms in hostels make that straightforward. They assist me discover folks to speak 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/motion pictures (good for wet days), foosball, ping pong, and cozy couches (comfortable couches are a should!). If you wish to be social, ensure you keep someplace that has a good widespread room (or a number of). It’s one of the 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 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 make it possible for it’s close to the issues I wish to see. I don’t wish to spend all my time commuting once I get someplace new. For that purpose, I at all times make sure that 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 while you’re on a shorter journey and time is of the essence. Sure, they could price extra money, however you’ll lower your expenses on transportation. Plus, the extra centrally-located hostels are often the extra standard ones, making them higher locations to fulfill folks.

Don’t waste your trip in transit; guide someplace central!

3. Is It Clear?

Positive, price range 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 might be poorly maintained and in want of an intensive scrubbing. Because it’s straightforward to get sick on the highway, keep away from soiled hostels. Gross loos and showers (in addition to the elevated danger of mattress bugs) aren’t definitely worth the danger — even when the hostel is reasonable. Put money into your self. You deserve a clear room!

Because the photographs hostels submit on their web site and social media might be deceptive, make sure that 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 Opinions?

All the time learn critiques earlier than you guide. Is the hostel quiet or noisy? Is it a celebration hostel or extra laid again? Are the mattresses comfortable? Are the bunk beds squeaky? You may often reply all of those questions (and plenty 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 accurately fits your wants and price range.

Whilst you’ll wish to take them with a grain of salt (folks like to complain), they’re undoubtedly useful in relation to choosing one of the best hostel. Be sure to depart 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, ensure you solely keep at motels with a lot of critiques. A hostel may need a excessive ranking on Hostelworld but when it solely has 10 or 20 critiques then I’ll seemingly steer clear of it (it’s straightforward to faux rankings like that). Nonetheless, if a hostel has lots of (or hundreds) of critiques and nonetheless has a ranking of 8 or 9 out of 10 then that’s a very good signal it’s a strong place to remain.

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

5. Do they Arrange Group Actions?

For those who plan on staying at a social hostel and wish to meet folks, select a hostel that provides group actions. These may very well be walking tours (my private favourite exercise), pub crawls, trivia nights, cooking lessons, 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 arrange occasions. It simply makes your keep rather more enjoyable and full of life!

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 try at midday. Sleep is efficacious on the highway since you’ll hardly ever get sufficient of it. Hostels with late checkout occasions perceive this and are sometimes extra relaxed environments. There’s simply one thing mistaken 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 numerous great hostels with out them, however they make for a fantastic place to socialize with different hostel friends. Normally if a hostel has a bar, they put a robust emphasis on ensuring the folks staying there are having enjoyable, interacting, and being festive.

For those who’re trying to be social and meet folks, you’ll wish to keep someplace with a bar.

8. Do They Have Lockers?

It’s shocking, however I’ve truly been in hostels that don’t present lockers or will cost you for them. At the present time, lockers must be commonplace. You need to by no means pay for safety. This can be 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 may then put together your individual meals, decrease your meals price range, and share a meal along with your new mates. Nothing binds folks nearer collectively than a shared meal (and some glasses of wine).

10. Do They Provide Breakfast?

Search for a spot with a good breakfast (i.e., greater than bread and cheese) or at the least one which begins and ends when individuals are truly awake (breakfasts that begin round 8:30am often go late). Breakfast can be an effective way to load up on snacks for the day, reducing down your meals price range.

11. Do They Have Pod-style Beds?

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

12. Are There Particular person Lights & Retailers?

Earlier than you guide, discover out if the dorm bunks have their very own outlet and lightweight. Not solely will this guarantee you may cost your gadgets with out having to struggle for house, however it means your fellow vacationers can activate their very own small lamp as an alternative of the room’s fundamental mild. (I hate it when folks flip the lights on in the midst of the night time. Use your mattress’s lamp or a flashlight!)

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

Moreover, as increasingly more folks shift to distant work, hostels have began to accommodate long-term vacationers who work on their laptops. For those who’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. Nonetheless, should you’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 should you’re not doing it too. As an alternative, keep at a hostel that caters to backpackers. It will likely be rather more satisfying and also you’ll have a neater time assembly folks.

In the long run, what actually makes a very good hostel are the folks and even the worst hostels can be nice should you meet good folks. However eradicating the folks from the equation, I search for hostels which have among the above qualities in them. Hostels that know what you need as a traveler are there to boost your journey expertise, not merely take cash from you in alternate for a mattress. I’d reasonably keep at a spot that’s wanting to verify I’ve a very good time.

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