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 best ways to satisfy individuals and the most affordable lodging choice 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 develop into adept at determining in a short time if the hostel homeowners know what they’re doing or if they simply randomly awakened someday and mentioned, “Let’s open a hostel. It feels like enjoyable.”

Whereas hostels are all concerning the individuals, administration can do just a few 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 among the finest on the earth.

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

1. Is There a Widespread Room?

I like assembly new individuals after I journey. Since I often journey solo, I have to exit of my method to meet individuals if I need to be social. Widespread rooms in hostels make that straightforward. They assist me discover individuals 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 (excellent for wet days), foosball, ping pong, and comfortable couches (cozy couches are a should!). If you wish to be social, be sure to keep someplace that has an honest widespread room (or a number of). It’s the most effective 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. Every time I’m in search of a brand new hostel I guarantee that it’s close to the issues I need to see. I don’t need to spend all my time commuting after I get someplace new. For that purpose, I all the time ensure that my hostels are in a central location and that they’re near public transportation. That manner, I can get round simply and don’t want to fret about having to waste cash on taxis.

That is particularly vital in massive cities the place issues are unfold out and once you’re on a shorter journey and time is of the essence. Sure, they may value more cash, however you’ll lower your expenses 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; ebook someplace central!

3. Is It Clear?

Certain, 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 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 loos and showers (in addition to the elevated danger of mattress bugs) aren’t well worth the danger — even when the hostel is reasonable. Put money into your self. You deserve a clear room!

Because the pictures hostels submit on their web site and social media may be deceptive, ensure that to particularly learn evaluations 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 evaluations point out the shortage of cleanliness, take that as a cue.

4. Did You Learn Evaluations?

All the time learn evaluations earlier than you ebook. Is the hostel quiet or noisy? Is it a celebration hostel or extra laid again? Are the mattresses cozy? Are the bunk beds squeaky? You possibly can often reply all of those questions (and plenty of extra) by studying evaluations.

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

Whilst you’ll need to take them with a grain of salt (individuals like to complain), they’re positively useful on the subject of selecting the most effective hostel. Be sure you depart evaluations too — good evaluations assist hostels develop and dangerous evaluations can warn your fellow vacationers in order that they don’t make the identical mistake.

Moreover, be sure to solely keep at motels with a number of evaluations. A hostel might need a excessive score on Hostelworld but when it solely has 10 or 20 evaluations then I’ll doubtless avoid it (it’s straightforward to pretend rankings like that). Nevertheless, if a hostel has a whole lot (or 1000’s) of evaluations and nonetheless has a score of 8 or 9 out of 10 then that’s an excellent signal it’s a strong place to remain.

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

5. Do they Manage Group Actions?

In the event you plan on staying at a social hostel and need to meet individuals, select a hostel that gives group actions. These could possibly be strolling excursions (my private favourite exercise), pub crawls, trivia nights, cooking lessons, or BBQs. These occasions are an effective way to satisfy 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 way 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 instances, and the actually good ones allow you to take a look at at midday. Sleep is effective on the highway since you’ll hardly ever get sufficient of it. Hostels with late checkout instances perceive this and are sometimes extra relaxed environments. There’s simply one thing mistaken a couple of 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 loads 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 robust emphasis on ensuring the individuals staying there are having enjoyable, interacting, and being festive.

In the event you’re trying 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 really been in hostels that don’t present lockers or will cost you for them. These days, lockers needs to be normal. 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 carry a lock with you as effectively, so you should use 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 price range, and share a meal along with your new associates. Nothing binds individuals 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 at the least one which begins and ends when individuals 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, slicing down your meals price range.

11. Do They Have Pod-style Beds?

Gone are the times of sleeping on creaky, metallic bunks. Every time doable, 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 ebook.

12. Are There Particular person Lights & Retailers?

Earlier than you ebook, discover out if the dorm bunks have their very own outlet and light-weight. Not solely will this guarantee you possibly can cost your units with out having to struggle for house, however it means your fellow vacationers can activate their very own small lamp as a substitute of the room’s important gentle. (I hate it when individuals 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 in search of has nearly all of the issues listed above.

Moreover, as increasingly more individuals shift to distant work, hostels have began to accommodate long-term vacationers who work on their laptops. In the event 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. Nevertheless, in the event 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 the event you’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 individuals.

Ultimately, what actually makes an excellent hostel are the individuals and even the worst hostels will probably be nice in the event you meet good individuals. However eradicating the individuals 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 trade for a mattress. I might moderately keep at a spot that’s trying to ensure I’ve an excellent time.

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