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 the easiest way to fulfill individuals 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 simply randomly awakened sooner or later and mentioned, “Let’s open a hostel. It appears like enjoyable.”

Whereas hostels are all concerning the individuals, 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 (widespread rooms, group actions, kitchens) whereas others could make them forgettable — or worse (push-button showers, normal 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 will help you choose the perfect one on your subsequent journey:

1. Is There a Frequent Room?

I like assembly new individuals once I journey. Since I often journey solo, I have to exit of my strategy to meet individuals if I wish to be social. Frequent 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/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 widespread room (or a number of). It’s the perfect place to simply join with different vacationers.

In hotter locations, a typical 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 Positioned?

Location, location, location. At any time when I’m on the lookout for a brand new hostel I be sure 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 motive, I at all times be sure my hostels are in a central location and that they’re near public transportation. That method, I can get round simply and don’t want to fret about having to waste cash on taxis.

That is particularly vital 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 could value more cash, however you’ll lower your expenses 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; e-book 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 great distance lately, 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 loos and showers (in addition to the elevated threat of mattress bugs) aren’t well worth the threat — even when the hostel is affordable. Spend money on your self. You deserve a clear room!

Because the images hostels submit on their web site and social media could be deceptive, be sure to particularly learn evaluations 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 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 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 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 accurately fits your wants and price range.

Whilst you’ll wish to take them with a grain of salt (individuals like to complain), they’re undoubtedly useful relating to selecting the perfect hostel. Be sure to 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 you solely keep at motels with plenty of evaluations. A hostel might need a excessive ranking on Hostelworld but when it solely has 10 or 20 evaluations then I’ll possible avoid it (it’s straightforward to pretend scores like that). Nonetheless, if a hostel has lots of (or hundreds) of evaluations and nonetheless has a ranking of 8 or 9 out of 10 then that’s an excellent signal it’s a stable place to remain.

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

5. Do they Arrange Group Actions?

If you happen to plan on staying at a social hostel and wish to meet individuals, select a hostel that provides group actions. These could possibly 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 at all times social hostels that manage occasions. It simply makes your keep far 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. One of the 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 usually are not deal breakers and there are plenty of fantastic hostels with out them, however they make for a terrific place to socialize with different hostel visitors. Normally if a hostel has a bar, they put a powerful emphasis on ensuring the individuals staying there are having enjoyable, interacting, and being festive.

If you happen to’re trying to be social and meet individuals, 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. These days, lockers ought to be normal. You need 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 need to 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 individual meals, decrease your meals price range, and share a meal together with your new pals. 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 not less than one which begins and ends when individuals are really awake (breakfasts that begin round 8:30am often go late). Breakfast can also 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 potential, 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 an enormous 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 light-weight. Not solely will this guarantee you possibly can cost your gadgets 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 principal 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 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 individuals 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. Nonetheless, 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 sort 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 far more pleasurable and also you’ll have a better time assembly individuals.

In the long run, what actually makes an excellent hostel are the individuals and even the worst hostels will probably be nice in case 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 relatively keep at a spot that’s trying to ensure I’ve an excellent time.

Easy methods to Journey the World on $75 a Day

My New York Occasions best-selling e-book to journey will educate you tips on how to grasp the artwork of journey so that you just’ll get off lower your expenses, at all times discover offers, and have a deeper journey expertise. It’s your A to Z planning information that the BBC referred to as the “bible for price range vacationers.”

Click on right here to study extra and begin studying it immediately!