12 Methods to Keep away from Staying in a Unhealthy 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 simplest ways 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 dangerous hostel?

After staying in over a thousand hostels since I first began touring the world, I’ve turn into adept at determining in a short time if the hostel house owners know what they’re doing or if they simply randomly awoke someday and stated, “Let’s open a hostel. It appears 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 (frequent rooms, group actions, kitchens) whereas others could make them forgettable — or worse (push-button showers, common filth, unknowledgeable workers).

All of my favourite hostels share frequent traits that make them among the greatest on this planet.

Right here’s a breakdown of what I’d search for in a hostel that will help you choose one of the best one to 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 strategy 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 suggestions 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 (good for wet days), foosball, ping pong, and comfortable couches (comfortable couches are a should!). If you wish to be social, be sure to keep someplace that has an honest frequent room (or a number of). It’s one of the best place to simply join with different vacationers.

In hotter locations, a typical space outdoors can be a giant plus. Rooftop bars, patios, BBQ areas, a pool — any social outside area is a should.

2. Is It Centrally Positioned?

Location, location, location. At any time when I’m on the lookout for a brand new hostel I ensure that 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 cause, I all the time ensure 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 essential 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 could price more cash, 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 folks.

Don’t waste your trip in transit; ebook 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 good distance lately, 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 highway, keep away from soiled hostels. Gross bogs and showers (in addition to the elevated threat of mattress bugs) aren’t definitely worth the threat — even when the hostel is reasonable. Spend money on your self. You deserve a clear room!

Because the images hostels publish on their web site and social media may be deceptive, ensure that to particularly learn opinions on websites like Hostelworld for hints on cleanliness. If only one individual complains, perhaps it’s not a giant deal. But when quite a few opinions point out the shortage of cleanliness, take that as a cue.

4. Did You Learn Evaluations?

At all times learn opinions earlier than you ebook. 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 opinions.

Web sites like Hostelworld and Reserving.com have tons of opinions that will help 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 positively useful in terms of selecting one of the best hostel. Be sure to depart opinions too — good opinions assist hostels develop and dangerous opinions can warn your fellow vacationers so that they don’t make the identical mistake.

Moreover, be sure to solely keep at inns with plenty of opinions. A hostel might need a excessive score on Hostelworld but when it solely has 10 or 20 opinions then I’ll probably avoid it (it’s straightforward to faux scores like that). Nevertheless, if a hostel has lots of (or hundreds) of opinions and nonetheless has a score of 8 or 9 out of 10 then that’s a very good signal it’s a strong place to remain.

Usually, I attempt to solely ebook hostels with a score of 8 or greater on Hostelworld.

5. Do they Set up 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 might be strolling excursions (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 favourite hostels are all the time social hostels that arrange 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. The most effective 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 not often get sufficient of it. Hostels with late checkout occasions perceive this and are sometimes extra relaxed environments. There’s simply one thing unsuitable a few hostel asking you to be packed and out so early within the morning.

7. Is There a Bar?

Bars should not deal breakers and there are lots of fantastic hostels with out them, however they make for an incredible place to socialize with different hostel visitors. 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 really been in hostels that don’t present lockers or will cost you for them. Nowadays, lockers must be customary. It is best to by no means pay for safety. It is a deal-breaker for me (particularly since I journey with electronics). At all times convey a lock with you as effectively, so you need to use the lockers when they’re supplied.

9. Is There a Kitchen?

Attempt to search for hostels with kitchens since you possibly can then put together your personal meals, decrease your meals price range, and share a meal along with your new buddies. Nothing binds folks nearer collectively than a shared meal (and some glasses of wine).

10. Do They Supply Breakfast?

Search for a spot with an honest breakfast (i.e., greater than bread and cheese) or at the very least one which begins and ends when persons 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, reducing down your meals price range.

11. Do They Have Pod-style Beds?

Gone are the times of sleeping on creaky, metallic bunks. At any time when 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 often have curtains too, that are all the time a giant plus in my ebook.

12. Are There Particular person Lights & Shops?

Earlier than you ebook, discover out if the dorm bunks have their very own outlet and lightweight. Not solely will this guarantee you possibly can cost your gadgets with out having to combat for area, however it means your fellow vacationers can activate their very own small lamp as a substitute of the room’s fundamental mild. (I hate it when folks 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 the vast majority of the issues listed above.

Moreover, as an increasing number of 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. 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 form of boring for those who’re not doing it too. As a substitute, keep at a hostel that caters to backpackers. Will probably be rather more pleasurable and also you’ll have a better time assembly folks.

In the long run, what actually makes a very good hostel are the folks and even the worst hostels shall be nice for those who 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 change for a mattress. I’d moderately keep at a spot that’s wanting to verify I’ve a very good time.

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