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 satisfy individuals and the most cost effective lodging choice 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 began touring 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 feels like enjoyable.”

Whereas hostels are all in regards to the individuals, administration can do a couple 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, basic filth, unknowledgeable workers).

All of my favourite hostels share widespread traits that make them a number of the greatest on the planet.

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

1. Is There a Frequent Room?

I like assembly new individuals once I journey. Since I often journey solo, I must exit of my technique to meet individuals if I need to be social. Frequent rooms in hostels make that simple. They assist me discover individuals 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, be sure to keep someplace that has a good widespread room (or a number of). It’s the perfect 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 outside area is a should.

2. Is It Centrally Positioned?

Location, location, location. At any time when I’m in search of a brand new hostel I ensure that 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 all the time make sure that my hostels are in a central location and that they’re near public transportation. That approach, 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 while you’re on a shorter journey and time is of the essence. Sure, they could price more cash, however you’ll get monetary savings on transportation. Plus, the extra centrally-located hostels are often the extra widespread ones, making them higher locations to satisfy individuals.

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

3. Is It Clear?

Positive, 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 are 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 bogs 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!

For the reason that pictures hostels publish on their web site and social media will 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 possibly can often 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 finances.

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

Moreover, be sure to solely keep at inns with numerous critiques. A hostel may need a excessive ranking on Hostelworld but when it solely has 10 or 20 critiques then I’ll possible avoid it (it’s simple to faux rankings 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 a very good signal it’s a stable place to remain.

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

5. Do they Arrange 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 strolling excursions (my private favourite exercise), pub crawls, trivia nights, cooking lessons, or BBQs. These occasions are a good way to satisfy different vacationers and find out about your vacation spot.

My favourite hostels are all the time social hostels that manage occasions. It simply makes your keep far 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. The most effective hostels have 11am checkout instances, and the actually good ones allow you to try at midday. Sleep is effective 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 flawed a few hostel asking you to be packed and out so early within the morning.

7. Is There a Bar?

Bars aren’t deal breakers and there are quite a lot of fantastic hostels with out them, however they make for an important 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.

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 truly been in hostels that don’t present lockers or will cost you for them. These days, lockers must be normal. It is best to by no means pay for safety. This can be a deal-breaker for me (particularly since I journey with electronics). All the time carry 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 individual meals, decrease your meals finances, and share a meal together with your new buddies. Nothing binds individuals nearer collectively than a shared meal (and some glasses of wine).

10. Do They Supply Breakfast?

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

11. Do They Have Pod-style Beds?

Gone are the times of sleeping on creaky, metallic bunks. At any time when potential, 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 an enormous plus in my guide.

12. Are There Particular person Lights & Shops?

Earlier than you guide, discover out if the dorm bunks have their very own outlet and lightweight. Not solely will this guarantee you possibly can cost your units with out having to struggle for area, nevertheless it means your fellow vacationers can activate their very own small lamp as a substitute of the room’s most important mild. (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 fantastic hostel that understands what vacationers are in search of has the vast majority of the issues listed above.

Moreover, as increasingly 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 simple to attach and community with different digital nomads. Nonetheless, in case 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 in case you’re not doing it too. As an alternative, keep at a hostel that caters to backpackers. Will probably be far more satisfying and also you’ll have a better time assembly individuals.

Ultimately, what actually makes a very good hostel are the individuals and even the worst hostels will likely be nice in case you meet good individuals. However eradicating the individuals from the equation, I search for hostels which have a number of 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 trying to ensure I’ve a very good time.

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