6 Ways to Avoid Staying in a Bad Hostel

I love hostels. Even after over fifteen years traveling the world, I still stay in hostels because they’re the best way to meet people and the cheapest accommodation option in much of the world.

But what makes a good hostel?

And how do you avoid a bad hostel?

After staying in over a thousand hostels since I first started traveling the world, I’ve become adept at figuring out very quickly if the hostel owners know what they are doing or if they just randomly woke up one day and said, “Let’s open a hostel. It sounds like fun.”

While hostels are all about the people, management can do a few things to make their hostel the perfect framework for making your experience better. Certain features make a hostel memorable (common rooms, group activities, kitchens) while others can make them forgettable — or worse (push-button showers, general filth, unknowledgeable staff).

All of my favorite hostels share common traits that make them some of the best in the world. In the video below, I talk about the six main things you want to look for when picking a hostel to stay at.

Here’s a breakdown of what I talk about in the video, plus some new and expanded information to help you learn how to pick the best hotel for your next trip.

1. Is There a Common Room?

I love meeting new people when I travel. Since I usually travel solo, I need to go out of my way to meet people if I want to be social. Common rooms in hostels make that easy. They help me find people to chat with, get tips from, do activities with, or even travel with.

Plus, they’re good for just having fun. They usually have pool tables or video game consoles, TVs/movies (perfect for rainy days), foosball, ping pong, and comfy couches (comfy couches are a must!). If you want to be social, make sure you stay somewhere that has a decent common room (or several). It’s the best place to easily connect with other travelers.

In warmer destinations, a common area outside is also a big plus. Rooftop bars, patios, BBQ areas, a pool — any social outdoor space is a must.
 

2. Is It Centrally Located?

Location, location, location. Whenever I’m looking for a new hostel I make sure that it’s near the things I want to see. I don’t want to spend all my time commuting when I get somewhere new. For that reason, I always make sure my hostels are in a central location and that they’re close to public transportation. That way, I can get around easily and don’t need to worry about having to waste money on taxis.

This is especially important in large cities where things are spread out and when you’re on a shorter trip and time is of the essence. Yes, they might cost more money, but you’ll save money on transportation. Plus, the more centrally-located hostels are usually the more popular ones, making them better places to meet people.

Don’t waste your vacation in transit; book somewhere central!
 

3. Is It Clean?

Sure, budget travelers like things cheap — but that doesn’t mean we like things dirty. While hostels have come a long way in recent years, there are still many that are poorly maintained and in need of a thorough scrubbing. Since it’s easy to get sick on the road, avoid dirty hostels. Gross bathrooms and showers (as well as the increased risk of bed bugs) aren’t worth the risk — even if the hostel is cheap. Invest in yourself. You deserve a clean room!

Since the photos hostels post on their website and social media can be misleading, make sure to specifically read reviews on sites like Hostelworld for hints on cleanliness. If just one person complains, maybe it’s not a big deal. But if numerous reviews mention the lack of cleanliness, take that as a cue.
 

4. Did You Read Reviews?

Always read reviews before you book. Is the hostel quiet or noisy? Is it a party hostel or more laid back? Are the mattresses comfy? Are the bunk beds squeaky? You can usually answer all of these questions (and many more) by reading reviews.

Websites like Hostelworld and Booking.com have tons of reviews to help you find the hostel that best suits your needs and budget.

While you’ll want to take them with a grain of salt (people love to complain), they are definitely helpful when it comes to picking the best hostel. Make sure you leave reviews too — good reviews help hostels grow and bad reviews can warn your fellow travelers so they don’t make the same mistake.

Additionally, make sure you only stay at hotels with lots of reviews. A hostel might have a high rating on Hostelworld but if it only has 10 or 20 reviews then I’ll likely stay away from it (it’s easy to fake ratings like that). However, if a hostel has hundreds (or thousands) of reviews and still has a rating of 8 or 9 out of 10 then that’s a good sign it’s a solid place to stay.

Generally, I try to only book hostels with a rating of 8 or higher on Hostelworld.
 

5. Do they Organize Group Activities?

If you plan on staying at a social hostel and want to meet people, choose a hostel that offers group activities. These could be walking tours (my personal favorite activity), pub crawls, trivia nights, cooking classes, or BBQs. These events are a great way to meet other travelers and learn about your destination.

My favorite hostels are always social hostels that organize events. It just makes your stay much more fun and lively!

6. Other Considerations

Additionally, here are some smaller things to look out for when looking for the perfect hostel:

Free breakfast – Look for a place with a decent breakfast (i.e., more than bread and cheese) or at least one that begins when you’re actually awake. Breakfast is also a great way to load up on snacks for the day, cutting down your food budget. Conversely, a hostel that offers free communal dinners is also great.

Late check-out time – Unless you’re a morning person, never stay at a hostel with a check-out time before 10am. The best ones won’t make you check out until 11am or later. Sleep is valuable on the road because you’ll rarely get enough of it. Hostels with late checkout times understand this. This is especially true if you’re visiting somewhere to party.

Lockers – It’s surprising, but I’ve actually been in hostels that don’t provide lockers or will charge you for them. In this day and age, lockers should be standard, and you should never pay for security. This is a deal-breaker for me (especially since I travel with electronics). Always bring a lock with you as well, so you can use the lockers when they are provided.

Kitchen – Try to look for hostels with kitchens since you can then prepare your own food, lower your food budget, and share a meal with your new friends. Nothing binds people closer together than a shared meal (and a few glasses of wine).

Clear rules – Not every traveler is familiar with basic hostel etiquette so it’s important to stay somewhere with clear rules. When do the lights have to be off? Are there set quiet hours during the day or night? Can you smoke inside? Are bunks assigned or is it a free-for-all? Staying somewhere with clear rules just makes life easier for everyone.

Pod-style bed – Gone are the days of sleeping on creaky, metal bunks. Whenever possible, look for a hostel with pod-style beds. These beds provide much better privacy and dampen the noise around you so you can sleep better. They usually have curtains too, which are always a big plus in my book.

Individual lights and outlets – Before you book, find out if the dorm bunks have their own outlet and light. Not only will this ensure you can charge your devices without having to fight for space, but it means your fellow travelers can turn on their own small lamp instead of the room’s main light. (I hate it when people turn the lights on in the middle of the night. Use your bed’s lamp or a flashlight!)

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What makes hostels great are the people. A top-rated hostel can be home to an unpleasant experience if the people are bad, while you can fondly remember the dirtiest, grossest, and most disgusting hostel in the world if you enjoy good company while you’re staying there.

But removing people from the equation, I look for hostels that have many of these qualities I’ve mentioned. Great, memorable hostels know what you want as a traveler and will enhance your travel experience.