12 Methods to Keep away from Staying in a Dangerous 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 best ways to fulfill 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 change into adept at determining in a short time if the hostel house owners know what they’re doing or if they only randomly awoke in the future and stated, “Let’s open a hostel. It seems 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, common filth, unknowledgeable workers).

All of my favourite hostels share widespread traits that make them among the greatest on the earth.

Right here’s a breakdown of what I might search for in a hostel that will help you choose one of the best one on your subsequent journey:

1. Is There a Widespread Room?

I really like assembly new individuals once I journey. Since I often journey solo, I must exit of my technique to meet individuals if I wish to be social. Widespread rooms in hostels make that simple. They assist me discover individuals 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/films (good for wet days), foosball, ping pong, and cozy couches (comfortable couches are a should!). If you wish to be social, be sure you keep someplace that has a good widespread room (or a number of). It’s one of the best 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 out of doors 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 make it possible for 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 purpose, I all the time make 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 vital 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 extra money, however you’ll get monetary savings on transportation. Plus, the extra centrally-located hostels are often the extra standard ones, making them higher locations to fulfill 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 lately, there are nonetheless many which can be poorly maintained and in want of a radical 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 threat of mattress bugs) aren’t definitely worth the threat — even when the hostel is affordable. Put money into your self. You deserve a clear room!

Because the images hostels put up on their web site and social media will be deceptive, make 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 dearth of cleanliness, take that as a cue.

4. Did You Learn Evaluations?

At all times learn evaluations earlier than you ebook. 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’ll be able to 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 will help 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 (individuals like to complain), they’re positively useful in terms of selecting one of the best hostel. Be sure to go away evaluations too — good evaluations assist hostels develop and unhealthy evaluations can warn your fellow vacationers in order that they don’t make the identical mistake.

Moreover, be sure you solely keep at accommodations with plenty of evaluations. A hostel may need a excessive ranking on Hostelworld but when it solely has 10 or 20 evaluations then I’ll seemingly steer clear of it (it’s simple to faux rankings like that). Nonetheless, if a hostel has lots of (or 1000’s) of evaluations and nonetheless has a ranking of 8 or 9 out of 10 then that’s a superb signal it’s a stable place to remain.

Typically, I attempt to solely ebook 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 individuals, 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 a good way to fulfill different vacationers and study your vacation spot.

My favourite hostels are all the time social hostels that manage occasions. It simply makes your keep rather 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 very best hostels have 11am checkout occasions, and the actually good ones allow you to take a look at at midday. Sleep is effective on the street since you’ll not often get sufficient of it. Hostels with late checkout occasions 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 great hostels with out them, however they make for a terrific 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.

Should you’re trying to be social and meet individuals, 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 normal. It’s best to 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 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 price range, and share a meal together with your new mates. Nothing binds individuals 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 not less than one which begins and ends when individuals 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 price range.

11. Do They Have Pod-style Beds?

Gone are the times of sleeping on creaky, metallic bunks. At any time when 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 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 combat for area, however it means your fellow vacationers can activate their very own small lamp as a substitute of the room’s foremost gentle. (I hate it when individuals flip the lights on in the midst of the night time. Use your mattress’s lamp or a flashlight!)

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I don’t want a hostel to have all this stuff, however a very great 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. Should you’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, 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 type 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 rather more gratifying and also you’ll have a neater time assembly individuals.

In the long run, what actually makes a superb hostel are the individuals and even the worst hostels will probably be nice when 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 boost your journey expertise, not merely take cash from you in trade for a mattress. I might relatively keep at a spot that’s trying to verify I’ve a superb time.