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 the easiest way to satisfy 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 change into adept at determining in a short time if the hostel homeowners know what they’re doing or if they only randomly awakened someday and mentioned, “Let’s open a hostel. It appears like enjoyable.”

Whereas hostels are all concerning the folks, administration can do a number 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, normal filth, unknowledgeable employees).

All of my favourite hostels share frequent traits that make them among the finest on the earth.

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

1. Is There a Frequent Room?

I like assembly new folks after I journey. Since I often journey solo, I have to exit of my technique to meet folks if I wish to be social. Frequent rooms in hostels make that straightforward. They assist me discover folks to talk 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/motion pictures (good for wet days), foosball, ping pong, and comfortable couches (comfortable couches are a should!). If you wish to be social, be sure you keep someplace that has an honest frequent 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 also 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. Every time 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 after I get someplace new. For that motive, I at all times be sure 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 whenever you’re on a shorter journey and time is of the essence. Sure, they may value more cash, however you’ll get monetary savings on transportation. Plus, the extra centrally-located hostels are often the extra well-liked ones, making them higher locations to satisfy 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 good distance in recent times, there are nonetheless many which might be poorly maintained and in want of a radical 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 affordable. Spend money on your self. You deserve a clear room!

For the reason that images hostels publish on their web site and social media could be deceptive, be sure to particularly learn opinions on websites like Hostelworld for hints on cleanliness. If only one particular person complains, possibly it’s not an enormous deal. But when quite a few opinions point out the dearth of cleanliness, take that as a cue.

4. Did You Learn Opinions?

All the time learn opinions 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 opinions.

Web sites like Hostelworld and Reserving.com have tons of opinions that can assist you discover the hostel that most closely fits your wants and price range.

When you’ll wish to take them with a grain of salt (folks like to complain), they’re positively useful relating to choosing the very best hostel. Ensure you depart opinions too — good opinions assist hostels develop and dangerous opinions can warn your fellow vacationers in order that they don’t make the identical mistake.

Moreover, be sure you solely keep at inns with plenty of opinions. A hostel might need a excessive ranking on Hostelworld but when it solely has 10 or 20 opinions then I’ll seemingly avoid it (it’s straightforward to pretend scores like that). Nonetheless, if a hostel has tons of (or hundreds) of opinions and nonetheless has a ranking of 8 or 9 out of 10 then that’s a great signal it’s a strong place to remain.

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

5. Do they Set up Group Actions?

Should you 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 courses, or BBQs. These occasions are an effective way to satisfy different vacationers and find out about your vacation spot.

My favourite hostels are at all times social hostels that manage occasions. It simply makes your keep far more enjoyable and energetic!

6. Is There Late Checkout?

By no means keep at a hostel with a checkout time earlier than 10am. The very 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 improper a couple of hostel asking you to be packed and out so early within the morning.

7. Is There a Bar?

Bars will not be deal breakers and there are numerous great hostels with out them, however they make for an excellent 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.

Should you’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. This present day, lockers must be commonplace. It is best to 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 properly, 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’ll be able to then put together your individual meals, decrease your meals price range, and share a meal together 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 an honest breakfast (i.e., greater than bread and cheese) or no less than one which begins and ends when individuals are truly awake (breakfasts that begin round 8:30am often go late). Breakfast can also be an effective way to load up on snacks for the day, chopping down your meals price range.

11. Do They Have Pod-style Beds?

Gone are the times of sleeping on creaky, metallic bunks. Every time potential, 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 at all times 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’ll be able to cost your units with out having to combat for house, however it means your fellow vacationers can activate their very own small lamp as an alternative of the room’s most important mild. (I hate it when folks flip the lights on in the course of the evening. Use your mattress’s lamp or a flashlight!)

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

Moreover, as increasingly folks shift to distant work, hostels have began to accommodate long-term vacationers who work on their laptops. Should you’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, when 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 form of boring when you’re not doing it too. As an alternative, keep at a hostel that caters to backpackers. It is going to be far more pleasing and also you’ll have a neater time assembly folks.

Ultimately, what actually makes a great hostel are the folks and even the worst hostels will probably be nice when 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 change for a mattress. I might slightly keep at a spot that’s trying to ensure I’ve a great time.

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