12 Ways to Avoid Staying in a Bad 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 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 develop into adept at determining in a short time if the hostel homeowners know what they’re doing or if they only randomly awakened in the future and stated, “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, common filth, unknowledgeable employees).

All of my favourite hostels share widespread traits that make them a number of the greatest on this planet.

Right here’s a breakdown of what I might search for in a hostel that can assist you decide the most effective one in 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 solution to meet individuals if I wish to be social. Widespread rooms in hostels make that straightforward. 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 (excellent for wet days), foosball, ping pong, and cozy couches (cozy couches are a should!). If you wish to be social, ensure you 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 typical space exterior 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 Situated?

Location, location, location. At any time when I’m in search of 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 after I get someplace new. For that purpose, I all the time ensure 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 necessary 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 price 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; guide 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 great 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 loos and showers (in addition to the elevated danger of mattress bugs) aren’t well worth the danger — even when the hostel is affordable. Spend money on your self. You deserve a clear room!

For the reason that pictures hostels put up on their web site and social media could be deceptive, ensure to particularly learn opinions 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 opinions point out the shortage of cleanliness, take that as a cue.

4. Did You Learn Evaluations?

All the time learn opinions earlier than you guide. 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 often reply all of those questions (and lots of extra) by studying opinions.

Web sites like Hostelworld and Booking.com have tons of opinions that can assist you discover the hostel that most closely fits your wants and funds.

When you’ll wish to take them with a grain of salt (individuals like to complain), they’re undoubtedly useful relating to selecting the most effective hostel. Ensure you go away opinions too — good opinions assist hostels develop and unhealthy opinions can warn your fellow vacationers in order that they don’t make the identical mistake.

Moreover, ensure you solely keep at accommodations with a number of opinions. A hostel may need a excessive ranking on Hostelworld but when it solely has 10 or 20 opinions then I’ll seemingly keep away from it (it’s straightforward to faux rankings like that). Nonetheless, if a hostel has tons of (or 1000’s) of opinions and nonetheless has a ranking of 8 or 9 out of 10 then that’s signal it’s a stable place to remain.

Typically, I attempt to solely guide hostels with a ranking of 8 or increased on Hostelworld.

5. Do they Arrange Group Actions?

In case 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 lessons, or BBQs. These occasions are an effective way to fulfill different vacationers and find out about your vacation spot.

My favourite hostels are all the time social hostels that set up occasions. It simply makes your keep way 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 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 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 should not deal breakers and there are quite a lot of fantastic hostels with out them, however they make for an incredible place to socialize with different hostel visitors. Often 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 case you’re seeking 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. These days, 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). All the time deliver a lock with you as nicely, so you should utilize the lockers when they’re offered.

9. Is There a Kitchen?

Attempt to search for hostels with kitchens since you’ll be able to then put together your personal meals, decrease your meals funds, and share a meal together with your new buddies. Nothing binds individuals nearer collectively than a shared meal (and some glasses of wine).

10. Do They Supply 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 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, chopping down your meals funds.

11. Do They Have Pod-style Beds?

Gone are the times of sleeping on creaky, steel bunks. At any time when potential, search for a hostel with pod-style beds. These beds present significantly better privateness and dampen the noise round you so you’ll be able to sleep higher. They often have curtains too, that are all the time an enormous plus in my guide.

12. Are There Particular person Lights & Retailers?

Earlier than you guide, discover out if the dorm bunks have their very own outlet and lightweight. Not solely will this guarantee you’ll be able to cost your gadgets with out having to struggle for area, but it surely means your fellow vacationers can activate their very own small lamp as a substitute of the room’s major mild. (I hate it when individuals flip the lights on in the midst 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 very fantastic hostel that understands what vacationers are in search of has the vast majority 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 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. Nonetheless, for those who’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 form of boring for those who’re not doing it too. As a substitute, keep at a hostel that caters to backpackers. It will likely be way more gratifying and also you’ll have a better time assembly individuals.

Ultimately, what actually makes hostel are the individuals and even the worst hostels might be nice for those who meet good individuals. However eradicating the individuals from the equation, I search for hostels which have a number 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 alternate for a mattress. I might slightly keep at a spot that’s wanting to verify I’ve time.