Do you stay in hostels? If not, would you? Why or why not?
I recently posed this question on my Facebook page and was surprised by the range of responses. There were some who frequented hostels and espoused the benefits (cheap! great for those travelling alone! great way to meet people!) of staying in one. There were those who absolutely abhorred the idea of sharing a room and toilet facilities (germy! smelly! lack of privacy!) with others. And of course, there were those who fell somewhere in between on the spectrum.
I, for one, often waffle when it comes to hostels. In one of my blog posts, written last year, I wonder aloud whether or not at nearly 30 (damn, I’ve just outed myself!) I am too old to be bunking with 6-8 strangers when I go on vacation. After loudly proclaiming that I work too hard and value my privacy too much to do such a thing, not even half a year later I stayed exclusively in hostels during my solo trip to Chile. Hypocrite much? Sorry.
The truth is that staying in hostels can be a great way to stretch your dollar (or euro/dirham/rupee) when you travel. While I prefer to stay in hotels, my wallet sometimes doesn’t match my expensive tastes *le sigh*. As such,
I will book myself into a hostel when my budget doesn’t allow for a hotel stay.
Sleeping in a hostel doesn’t mean that my stringent requirements fly out the window. I still am invested in ensuring that my hostel experience is the best possible, and I’ve been pretty successful at doing that so far. Here are some of my tips for improving your hostel stay:
 |
| Spick and span toilet facilities at one of my hostels in Chile |
1. Regardless of rating, I always try stay in the NEWEST hostels available. I mean, if the facilities are only a year old they are probably still relatively decent unless buffaloes stomped through there.
2. I stay in the rooms with the LEAST amount of people. I don’t mind paying an extra $2 dollars a night if it means there will be two less bodies in the room. I try to aim for rooms with 4 to 6 people where possible.
 |
| The ensuite bathroom at another hostel in Chile |
3. I stay in the dorms that have an ENSUITE bathroom. This way, you know exactly how many people are sharing the washroom at any given time. The devil you know…
4. I try to stay in the SINGLE SEX dorm. This is not because I am afraid of boys (quite the contrary!)- this is a strategy. The way I figure it, it’s a numbers game. I’ll pay a little bit more to stay in an all-female dorm; sometimes I end up having a whole room to myself because I’m the only girl staying in the hostel! #winning
5. I also try to do homestays/ b&b’s instead of proper hostels, or alternatively stay in very small hostels (with only 3 rooms or so) as they tend to be cleaner. I also stay away from tried and true “backpacker/party” hostels because they tend to have the smelly, natty dreadlocked, heavy drinking, cigarette rolling, long-term travelling, “earthy” Australian/Kiwi/Spanish/
6. I opt for the private room in the hostel. This is a great option for the solo or squeamish traveller. For a few bucks more you can have a room all to yourself, but still benefit socially since staying in hostels is an amazing way to meet other travellers. Best of both worlds!
 |
| My private room at a hostel in Chile last October |
And voila! Some of my tips for improving your hostel experience. Do you have any of your own tips to share? And I repose the question from above: have you ever stayed in a hostel? Would you? Why or why not?
Psst! Don’t forget to “like” me on Facebook if you haven’t already! Your support is much appreciated!
96 Comments
For me, 4-6 people in a room is ideal. More than that and you're BOUND to have a snorer, less than that and you'll get stuck with a couple or two best friends who aren't interested in making new friends.
Oh the private room in a hostel is great! Especially the ones with ensuite bathrooms. I've stayed in one of these in New Zealand twice now, once as a student and once on my honeymoon. It was a great way to save money.
that first pic is my dream sister room!!! 5 girls!!!
I haven't stayed in a hostel in years, and I have to admit if they were as nice as the ones you've shown here I might still choose them (my most memorable hostel didn't have sheets on the bed). I've stayed in some okay hostels, which were more like small guesthouses and others that were more like dorm/student housing. I've never stayed in a room with people that I didn't know. I had to draw the line there. Since I travel a lot with my husband now, hostels aren't so much an option 'cause he's not going for it. 🙂
I avoid it if I can, I don't have much of a choice on my next trip. A dorm room was booked for all my travel companions, at 16 bucks a day I can't complain. I usually like a room to myself bc I value my privacy. My first hostel experience was a nightmare, and the second one was worse. From black moldy walls to what smelt like a prison bathroom.
This whole post is right on – I feel the same way! As I near 30, I'm just not as interested in the dirtytravelerpartytime vibe you get in most of the popular hostels. Privacy and cleanliness are much higher on my list these days.
These are great tips but I don't think I could ever stay in one from fear of being murdered! I blame the hostel movies! I was also under the impression that all hostels are for the backpacker partier that i prefer to avoid. Lol and i have a serious case of germaphobia! I could keep going… 🙂
I will have my first hostel experience in May. I am staying in a 4 bed all female room, per Oneika's advice. It should be interesting. I am also planning on staying in a hostel when I go to Germany in October. Although I'll be staying in a larger room, the beds are all enclosed and even have a privacy curtain. Its a really cute place!
I am so excited to travel this year! Thanks for the inspiration, Oneika!
girl I do the same but lean towards private ensuite rooms in hostels. Cleanliness is the thing that I worry about too.
I'll be staying in a hostel for the first time in Berlin and Barcelona next month (at 24). Normally I get around by staying on a friend's couch in exchange for a paid/cooked meal or two (it pays to know someone in many places), or I split the cost of a hotel room with a friend or two. I admit I'm a bit queasy about sharing a room with strangers and I'm not sure what to expect. I'm just hoping it doesn't turn out to be as bad as I've heard. : )
I also did not know some hostels have private ensuite rooms. Good to know!
I have backpacked a lot when I was younger, but as I was never by myself, we always chose the private room in hostels. Which is cheap, but gives you privacy. Often the bathroom was not ensuite, which is usually fine for me. Nowadays, after starting working and earning money, I tend to book small B&B – which are still cheaper then most hotels, but often are super sweet, nicely decorated and homely. But I do not want to spent the precious little vacation I have in filthy dorm rooms 🙂 So I moved from being a backpacker to being a flashpacker 🙂 haha!!
However, if I would be traveling solo, I would probably end up in dorms, just to save some money – and it would be alright as well 🙂
Never stayed in a hostel, but as I've mentioned before, I'm a couchsurfer ALL THE WAY. I think it's the best way to travel 🙂
I'm about to have my first hostel experience in two weeks! Heading to Morocco!
Couldn't agree with you more. I stayed at a place called Maze in Sydney that was just that. Over 100 rooms, stank to high heaven, horribly filthy as I'm sure the cleaner had gotten lost amongst all the sticky corridors. Truly abhorrent. By comparison I stayed at a great place around the corner for $1 more, it was new, clean and comfy. It pays to hunt around!
Hey girl! No, I never stay in hostels. I always get an apartment from VRBO.com, I have had great results from that site. And I love having an apartment to come back to at the end of the day, I find it to be more enjoyable. I'm not a snob or anything but 4-6 people in a room just doesn't sound appealing. http://www.trilingualdiva.blogspot.com
i've always said i would NEVER but the ones above look very nice! thanks for the great info!
Good tip about the single sex dorm – I'd never thought about how if it's a bit more, it might not book up as much! For me, there's a time and a place for hostels. I do stay in hotels more often now than when I was a student, but I don't think I've totally retired from the hostel game just yet.
i'm still new to travelling. But the two hostels I've stayed in in China were quite nice. One in Inner Mongolia and the other in Xian. I loved the Xian hostel best because it had a Chinese traditional touch to it, cheap ($7/night) and with clean bathrooms. Though I didn't have a peace of mind because I was afraid one of my 5 room mates would steal my stuff! lol.
curiouskinks.blogspot.com
I've never stayed in a hostel before and am probably much too snooty for one 😉 But I may end up being a hypocrite like you if I need to strecch my dollar. In these times, I would be open to one if it's new and nice. It seems you've had a good experience with them.
Moi je préfère un auberge de jeunesse où je suis absolument sûr qu'il n'y a pas des critiques qui mentionnent des puces de lit! C'est vraiment mon règle numero un. Après ca, ca dépend de mon intention pour mon voyage (si je voudrais racontrer des autres voyageurs, si je voudais feter un peur, etc). Mais j'aime bien l'idée qu' un auberge qui est plus nouveau est probablement plus propre que des autres – c'est simple mais vrai. Merci pour ces idées! Quand est-ce tu viens à Nice?
haha agreed!! LOL at the snorer part… Been there, done that!
So true, especially in expensive NZ!
That would be fun!
I think hostels are much better quality-wise than they were 5 years ago!
I like privacy as well, hence the private room in a hostel, it's so great!
Preach, sista!
LOL! Don't believe the hype!! Hostels are safe in general!
Awww, glad that you were inspired! Where are you going in May?
That's my primary concern as well!
That's why TripAdvisor is your best friend! You can get the lowdown on your hostel…
I like the term flashpacker! Will have to use it soon!
I've never tried couchsurfing! I really need to check it out though!
Love love love Morocco! Which cities are you going to?
Amazing what a little research can do! Another tip of mine is only to book one night… So if the hostel isn't up to your standard you can go to another one!
Apartment rentals are great, especially if you're sharing with friends!
Never say never!
I think that when you have a partner you naturally stay in hotel rooms. That's what me and L do.. But when I'm travelling solo I definitely consider hostels!
LOL! I'm always paranoid about people stealing my stuff as well! I usually sleep with all of my precious belongings beside me in bed.. 🙂
I definitely have! I think the key is to research and stay in newer places!
C est clair, je suis completement d accord! C est vraiment pour ca qu il faut faire un maximum de recherche en ligne pour trouver une auberge qui est a la hauteur de tes attentes/besoins!! Quant a moi, j arrive a Nice en Mai, j'ai trop hate!
I'm going to Montreal in May. Then I'll have a European excursion to Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands in October! Can't wait!
I usually stay in hostels when I travel solo in Europe to make up for the exchange rate for the dollar to the euro and the fact that I'm not cutting cost by having a travel buddy to room with. I prefer private rooms with private bathrooms and usually use http://www.hostelworld.com or http://www.tripadvisor.com to research the hostels and their neighborhoods. I've been exposed to all sorts of accommodations when traveling and will admit that hostels aren't always the most comfortable, but I end up spend up most of my time outside of the hostel exploring, so it's not so bad.
I really like the look of your website. I lately built mine and I was looking for some style concepts and you gave me a couple of. May possibly I ask you whether you developed the site by youself?
I was pretty happy with my recent experience in Berlin but I really decided to start saving to afford single rooms in hostels just to have my sleep. I can meet people in the common room should the need be. Thing is, not so many hostels do have single rooms, e.g. Minsk in Belarus.
Those are 6 great tips on improving your hostel experience, well done!
We would add do so some deeper research about hostels offering tours, and some other extras. This helps you to save again more money plus you can go there with your hostel mates.
All the best,
Anna
I actually prefer hostel bathrooms that aren’t ensuite. I don’t want to hear flushing toilets and running water at all hours of the night. Also, I find that, at least where I’ve stayed, the shared bathrooms are nicer, cleaner, and bigger. Every ensuite one I’ve stayed in has a tiny shower that my 5’3″ frame can barely move in. Not to mention how gross the room can get from all the steam. Give me a shared hall bathroom almost any day.
Though I completely agree on 4-6 beds being the ideal if you’re in a dorm. 2 and 3 are awkward. Unfortunately, some hostel private rooms are not affordable at all, especially the ones that charge a solo traveller as if they were two people. Still cheaper than a lot of hotels, but I wouldn’t always say just a few dollars more either. More like $20-$30 more.
That’s a great point
Why is it I always really feel like you do?
I really enjoy this template you have got going on in your internet site. What is the name of the theme by the way? I was thinking of using this style for the website I am going to build for my class room project.
I was just telling my friend about that.
Awesome issues here. I am very happy to see your post.
Thank you so much and I’m looking ahead to contact you.
Will you kindly drop me a mail?
Pretty portion of content. I just stumbled upon your weblog and in accession capital to say that I acquire actually enjoyed
account your blog posts. Anyway I’ll be subscribing for
your augment or even I achievement you get entry to persistently fast.
Heya excellent website! Does running a blog similar to this take a great deal of work?
I have no expertise in coding however I had been hoping to start my own blog
soon. Anyhow, should you have any ideas or techniques for new blog
owners please share. I understand this is
off topic however I just needed to ask. Appreciate it!
In fact no matter if someone doesn’t understand afterward its
up to other users that they will assist, so here it takes place.
Saved as a favorite, I like your site!
This design is steller! You most certainly know how to keep a reader amused.
Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my
own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Great job. I really
enjoyed what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it.
Too cool!
Hola! I’ve been following your site for some time now and finally got the courage to go
ahead and give you a shout out from Lubbock Texas! Just wanted to mention keep
up the great job!
Have you ever thought about publishing an e-book or guest
authoring on other blogs? I have a blog centered on the same information you discuss
and would love to have you share some stories/information. I know my viewers would appreciate your work.
If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to send me an e-mail.
fantastic issues altogether, you just won a emblem new reader.
What would you recommend in regards to your post that you made some days ago?
Any certain?
Hi! This is kind of off topic but I need some guidance from
an established blog. Is it difficult to set up your own blog?
I’m not very techincal but I can figure things
out pretty quick. I’m thinking about setting up my own but I’m not
sure where to begin. Do you have any ideas or suggestions?
With thanks
Thanks for another informative blog. Where else could I get that type of info
written in such a perfect way? I’ve a venture that I am simply now working on, and I’ve been on the
glance out for such info.
I have been browsing online more than 2 hours today,
yet I never found any interesting article like
yours. It’s pretty worth enough for me. Personally, if all
web owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the internet will be a lot more useful than ever before.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on health supplement.
Regards
My partner and I stumbled over here coming from a different
web page and thought I might check things out.
I like what I see so now i’m following you. Look forward to exploring your web page for
a second time.
I always used to study article in news papers but now as
I am a user of web so from now I am using net for articles or reviews, thanks to web.
This text is worth everyone’s attention. When can I find out
more?
Hurrah! Finally I got a web site from where I can actually get
valuable data concerning my study and knowledge.
Wonderful views on that!
An impressive share! I’ve just forwarded
this onto a colleague who has been doing a little research on this.
And he in fact bought me lunch simply because I found it
for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for
the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending the time to talk about this matter here on your web
site.
Saved as a favorite, I like your blog!
Hello, I check your blogs like every week. Your
story-telling style is awesome, keep doing what you’re doing!
Having read this I believed it was rather informative. I appreciate you spending some
time and energy to put this informative article together.
I once again find myself spending a significant amount
of time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still
worthwhile!
Thanks for sharing such a pleasant thinking, piece of writing is pleasant, thats
why i have read it completely
Hi there mates, its great article about cultureand
completely explained, keep it up all the time.
I’ve learn a few excellent stuff here. Certainly value bookmarking
for revisiting. I surprise how much attempt you set to make
this sort of excellent informative web site.
With havin so much content do you ever run into any issues of plagorism or copyright violation? My blog has a lot of completely unique content I’ve either written myself
or outsourced but it seems a lot of it is popping it up all over the internet without my
agreement. Do you know any solutions to help protect against content from
being stolen? I’d genuinely appreciate it.
Does your website have a contact page? I’m having
problems locating it but, I’d like to send you an email.
I’ve got some ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing.
Either way, great website and I look forward to seeing it improve over time.
I don’t know if it’s just me or if everybody else encountering problems with your blog.
It appears as if some of the written text within your
posts are running off the screen. Can somebody else please provide feedback and let me know if this is happening to them too?
This might be a problem with my internet browser because I’ve had this happen previously.
Appreciate it
Hi there! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that
would be ok. I’m undoubtedly enjoying your blog and look forward to new posts.
Thanks on your marvelous posting! I genuinely enjoyed reading it, you
can be a great author. I will ensure that I bookmark your
blog and may come back someday. I want to encourage yourself
to continue your great posts, have a nice afternoon!
Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it.
Look advanced to far added agreeable from you!
By the way, how could we communicate?
Its like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot about this,
like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that
you can do with a few pics to drive the message home
a bit, but other than that, this is wonderful blog. A fantastic read.
I will definitely be back.
It’s awesome to pay a visit this web site and reading the views of
all friends on the topic of this post, while I am also keen of getting familiarity.
Hello there, You’ve done an excellent job. I will certainly digg it and personally recommend to my friends.
I’m confident they’ll be benefited from this site.
Hello there, You’ve done a great job. I’ll certainly digg
it and personally recommend to my friends. I’m sure they’ll be
benefited from this web site.
I am in fact grateful to the owner of this web site who has shared
this great post at at this time.
Magnificent items from you, man. I have consider your
stuff prior to and you’re just too fantastic.
I actually like what you have got here, certainly like what you are saying and the way by which you are saying it.
You are making it entertaining and you still take care of to stay it
sensible. I can not wait to read much more from
you. This is really a great web site.
Hello there, I found your blog by the use of Google at
the same time as looking for a comparable topic, your web site
came up, it appears good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
Hi there, just become alert to your weblog through Google, and located that it’s truly informative.
I’m gonna watch out for brussels. I’ll appreciate for those who continue this in future.
Lots of folks might be benefited out of your writing.
Cheers!
My brother recommended I may like this web site.
He used to be totally right. This submit truly made my day.
You can not imagine simply how so much time I had spent for this information! Thank you!
Its like you read my thoughts! You appear to grasp so much about this, like you wrote the e-book in it or something.
I feel that you just can do with some % to drive the message house a little bit, however instead of that, this is
great blog. An excellent read. I’ll certainly be back.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I truly appreciate
your efforts and I will be waiting for your further write ups thank you once again.
Keep on writing, great job!
Simply wish to say your article is as astonishing.
The clearness to your put up is simply excellent and i
could assume you are a professional on this subject. Fine along with your
permission let me to grab your RSS feed to stay up to date with coming near near post.
Thanks one million and please continue the rewarding work.
Why is it I always really feel like you do?
I like the method that you write. Great website. Lovely understanding over listed here. Wonderful! Great Web page. I will certainly share this specific with all my friends! Thanks for your great blogs! I won’t be able to wait to confirm some those out! I love to write that type articles as if you.
Comments are closed.