12 Methods to Keep away from Staying in a Unhealthy Hostel in 2025

I really 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 grow to be adept at determining in a short time if the hostel house owners know what they’re doing or if they simply randomly wakened sooner or later and mentioned, “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 a few of the finest on the earth.

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

1. Is There a Frequent Room?

I really like assembly new folks after I journey. Since I normally journey solo, I must 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 talk with, get suggestions from, do actions with, and even journey with.

Plus, they’re good for simply having enjoyable. They normally 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, ensure you 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 standard space outdoors can also be an enormous plus. Rooftop bars, patios, BBQ areas, a pool — any social outside house is a should.

2. Is It Centrally Situated?

Location, location, location. Each time I’m on the lookout for a brand new hostel I guarantee 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 cause, I all the time be sure 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 necessary in massive cities the place issues are unfold out and if you’re on a shorter journey and time is of the essence. Sure, they could price extra money, however you’ll lower your expenses on transportation. Plus, the extra centrally-located hostels are normally the extra in style ones, making them higher locations to fulfill folks.

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

3. Is It Clear?

Positive, funds 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 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 danger of mattress bugs) aren’t well worth the danger — even when the hostel is reasonable. Spend money on your self. You deserve a clear room!

For the reason that pictures hostels publish on their web site and social media will be deceptive, be sure that to particularly learn evaluations on websites like Hostelworld for hints on cleanliness. If only one particular person complains, perhaps 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?

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 cozy? Are the bunk beds squeaky? You’ll be able to normally reply all of those questions (and lots 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 accurately fits your wants and funds.

When you’ll wish to take them with a grain of salt (folks like to complain), they’re positively useful in terms of choosing one of the best 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, ensure you solely keep at motels with a number of evaluations. A hostel may need a excessive score on Hostelworld but when it solely has 10 or 20 evaluations then I’ll doubtless keep away from it (it’s straightforward to pretend rankings like that). Nevertheless, if a hostel has tons of (or 1000’s) of evaluations and nonetheless has a score of 8 or 9 out of 10 then that’s a superb signal it’s a strong place to remain.

Usually, I attempt to solely e book hostels with a score of 8 or larger on Hostelworld.

5. Do they Manage Group Actions?

In case you plan on staying at a social hostel and wish to meet folks, select a hostel that gives group actions. These might be strolling excursions (my private favourite exercise), pub crawls, trivia nights, cooking courses, or BBQs. These occasions are a good way to fulfill different vacationers and study 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 flawed a couple of hostel asking you to be packed and out so early within the morning.

7. Is There a Bar?

Bars are usually not deal breakers and there are loads of great 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 robust emphasis on ensuring the folks staying there are having enjoyable, interacting, and being festive.

In case you’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 really been in hostels that don’t present lockers or will cost you for them. Nowadays, 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). At all times carry a lock with you as effectively, so you need to use the lockers when they’re offered.

9. Is There a Kitchen?

Attempt to search for hostels with kitchens since you may then put together your personal meals, decrease your meals funds, 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 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 persons are really awake (breakfasts that begin round 8:30am normally go late). Breakfast can also be a good way to load up on snacks for the day, slicing down your meals funds.

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 significantly better privateness and dampen the noise round you so you may sleep higher. They normally have curtains too, that are all the time an enormous plus in my e book.

12. Are There Particular person Lights & Shops?

Earlier than you e book, discover out if the dorm bunks have their very own outlet and lightweight. Not solely will this guarantee you may cost your gadgets with out having to battle for house, nevertheless it means your fellow vacationers can activate their very own small lamp as an alternative of the room’s fundamental 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 great hostel that understands what vacationers are on the lookout for has the vast majority of the issues listed above.

Moreover, as increasingly more folks shift to distant work, hostels have began to accommodate long-term vacationers who work on their laptops. In case 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 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. It will likely be way more gratifying and also you’ll have a better time assembly folks.

Ultimately, what actually makes a superb hostel are the folks and even the worst hostels might be nice in case you meet good folks. However eradicating the folks from the equation, I search for hostels which have a few 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 trade for a mattress. I’d slightly keep at a spot that’s trying to ensure I’ve a superb time.

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