12 Methods to Keep away from Staying in a Dangerous 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 satisfy folks and the most affordable 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 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 only randomly awakened sooner or later and stated, “Let’s open a hostel. It appears like enjoyable.”

Whereas hostels are all in regards to the folks, administration can do a number of issues to make their hostel the proper 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 employees).

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

Right here’s a breakdown of what I’d search for in a hostel that will help you decide the very best one in 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 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 (excellent 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 a good frequent room (or a number of). It’s the very best place to simply join with different vacationers.

In hotter locations, a typical space exterior can be a giant 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 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 at all times ensure 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 giant cities the place issues are unfold out and while you’re on a shorter journey and time is of the essence. Sure, they may price more cash, however you’ll get monetary savings on transportation. Plus, the extra centrally-located hostels are often the extra fashionable ones, making them higher locations to satisfy folks.

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 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 well worth the threat — even when the hostel is reasonable. Spend money on your self. You deserve a clear room!

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

4. Did You Learn Evaluations?

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 comfortable? Are the bunk beds squeaky? You may often reply all of those questions (and lots of extra) by studying evaluations.

Web sites like Hostelworld and Reserving.com have tons of evaluations that will help you discover the hostel that most closely fits your wants and finances.

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

Moreover, be sure to solely keep at inns with numerous evaluations. A hostel may need a excessive ranking on Hostelworld but when it solely has 10 or 20 evaluations then I’ll possible steer clear of it (it’s straightforward to faux rankings like that). Nevertheless, if a hostel has tons of (or hundreds) of evaluations 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 e-book hostels with a ranking of 8 or larger on Hostelworld.

5. Do they Set up Group Actions?

If you happen to plan on staying at a social hostel and wish to meet folks, select a hostel that provides group actions. These may very well 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 arrange occasions. It simply makes your keep way 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 instances, and the actually good ones allow you to take a look at at midday. Sleep is effective on the highway 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 fallacious 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 quite a lot of fantastic 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 powerful emphasis on ensuring the folks staying there are having enjoyable, interacting, and being festive.

If you happen to’re seeking to be social and meet folks, you’ll wish to keep someplace with a bar.

8. Do They Have Lockers?

It’s stunning, however I’ve truly been in hostels that don’t present lockers or will cost you for them. At the moment, lockers ought to be normal. You must by no means pay for safety. This can be a deal-breaker for me (particularly since I journey with electronics). At all times deliver a lock with you as properly, so you should utilize the lockers when they’re offered.

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 finances, and share a meal together with your new buddies. 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 no less than one which begins and ends when persons 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, slicing down your meals finances.

11. Do They Have Pod-style Beds?

Gone are the times of sleeping on creaky, metallic bunks. Each time 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 at all times a giant plus in my e-book.

12. Are There Particular person Lights & Retailers?

Earlier than you e-book, 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 battle for house, but it surely means your fellow vacationers can activate their very own small lamp as a substitute of the room’s essential gentle. (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 these items, however a really 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 folks 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, if you happen to’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 if you happen to’re not doing it too. As a substitute, keep at a hostel that caters to backpackers. It will likely be way more fulfilling 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 will probably be nice if you happen to 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 reinforce your journey expertise, not merely take cash from you in change for a mattress. I’d quite keep at a spot that’s trying to verify I’ve a very good time.

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