The Beginners Guide to Hostels
- aishacassiewilliam
- Apr 15, 2023
- 10 min read
I personally LOVE hostels. I love that they're always a cheap place to stay while meeting others and making new travel pals. We've met people we know we'll stay friends with for life in some of the hostels we've stayed at!
But I get it, its daunting.
Sharing a room and bathroom with a load of strangers is a concept that takes some getting used to, and for some (cough, my sister) is a nightmare of epic proportions. And I understand! It really isn't for everyone, but honestly if you're planning on travelling long term it is almost always the most cost effective way to travel long term.
But what makes a good hostel? What am I looking for when booking? How do you share a room with a load of randoms and most importantly am I gonna get murdered, like in those films? (Spoiler - probably not).
If you've never stayed in hostels before, let me be your guide! I've stayed in my fair share of crackers and absolute hell holes and I've got a good idea of what to be looking out for.
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First Things First - Booking
Like most things, you can, of course, book your stay online. Our favourite booking websites are hostelworld.com and Booking.com. I have seen some hostels appearing on Airbnb, but there aren't quite as many! Agoda is another site I've seen used more in southeast Asia, but it's largely the same as booking.com.
Hostelworld is (as the name suggests) more specific for booking hostels. I really like that you can only leave a review if you have stayed (hence fewer false reviews), and the rating categories I find super helpful when deciding where to stay! The app also now has a feature where you can join group chats for your hostel/city before and during your stay once you've made your booking. You can chat and make plans with others who are travelling to the same place at the same time. The downside of Hostelworld is that for the most part, you need to pay on arrival. Upon booking you'll pay a deposit by card and then its up to the hostel how you can pay when you arrive (i.e. a lot will be cash only in southeast Asia). As of yet there is also no loyalty scheme so there are few sales/discounts that I have come across.
With booking.com we found that we would sometimes get better deals by simply having an account (which is free to sign up). The other upside is that you can often pay the full amount by your credit/debit card online. There are however, more options on booking.com for hotels and apartments etc. so it can often be a little more difficult to spot the hostels available.
We find that in order to secure the best deal, if we find a place on Hostelworld, we'll check the prices on booking.com too before booking (and vice versa). You'll be surprised how much you can save!
Tip! As a rule of thumb, you'll almost always get a better deal if you book European hostels direct. Search the hostel on google and more often than not, you'll get the best rates by booking direct! We didn't really find this was too much the case in southeast Asia.
Things to Consider When Booking
You're gonna come across hundreds, even thousands of hostels on various booking sites - It can be difficult to decide where to go! Here's the things we think are important to consider.
Rating - This one is pretty obvious! On the whole, hostels with a rating above 8 stars on Hostelworld are gonna be the best. However, we generally find hostels with ratings above a 7 are alright too! Pay attention to the rating categories on Hostelworld - if you're looking for somewhere social for example, make sure the 'atmosphere' ratings are higher!
The type of hostel - There are a few different 'types' of hostel, and this will massively impact your stay. Party hostels are generally the most social, though not often known for cleanliness (there are exceptions!) - these hostels are great for meeting people and partying, but not great if you're looking for a good night sleep. Hostels that cater for digital nomads tend to be quieter and have spaces dedicated for work - these will generally have a good internet connection but are less social. Budget hostels will be your most basic, normally offering just a bunk bed and a shared bathroom - good for a cheap nights stay. Luxury hostels will generally have extra amenities to make your stay more comfortable, e.g. free breakfast, curtains around the bed, hairdryers in the bathroom and good quality, sturdy bunks.
The price - a no brainer, find one that suits your budget!
Reviews - the more reviews the better! even if a place is 10 stars, but only has 5 reviews, we may well avoid (unless we've heard different!). We will also read the most recent reviews and will use these to decide whether or not to stay!
Types of Dorm/Number of beds - We've always stayed in mixed dorms, however there are female/male only dorms available in many places that may make you feel a little more comfortable! The number of beds is sometimes a good thing to consider too - fewer beds means fewer room-mates and reduces the risk of sharing with a snorer! Be aware though, smaller, single gender dorms tend to be more expensive.
Amenities - Common spaces and Kitchens are often high on my list for 'must-haves' (especially in European hostels). Although I know lots of people like to have curtains around the beds for an extra bit of privacy! Pools and bars are also a welcome treat, but not essential for me! The more hostels you stay in, the more you realise what you're looking for!
How to Be a Good Hostel Roommate
Most of these things will be common sense (you'd think) but you encounter a LOT of craziness in hostel dorms. Here's the things I do (and hope others do too) to be a good hostel roommate!
Generally be quiet in the room. This is absolutely essential at night, but be wary during the day too. People may be napping etc, just be considerate your roommates!
Stick to your bed. Don't go leaving your things/sitting on other people's beds. Don't invade other people's personal space, that includes making sure your belongings aren't spilling out all over the room!
Don't turn on the lights at night! Respect that other people are sleeping and use your torch/personal bed light if others are sleeping.
If you have an early flight/train/bus the next day, Pack the night before. Don't go rustling around all your things at 4am!
Be aware of your STANK. Seriously, if your trainers are stinking out the room, leave them outside the room! Showering everyday is also good practise x
Practise discrete sex! I have one hell of a story from the Philippines that scarred me for life - but if you're gonna be shagging in the rooms, at least do it QUIETLY or move it to the bathrooms (or just don't? get a private room besties).
Respect other's privacy - If someone is looking like they're having a bit of a break from socialising - leave them be! Just be considerate, if someone is maybe hanging out in bed with headphones on - save the conversation you were gonna strike up until later!
Safety
I know, sharing a room with a load of strangers can feel a little scary at first! Not just from a social aspect, but from a safety aspect too! A lot of hostels wont have lockable doors and sometimes you won't even talk to who you're bunking with - but honestly, in the hundreds of hostels I've stayed in, I've not felt unsafe once! For the most part, you'll be sharing with fellow travellers who are on the same wavelength as you, most people are considerate and aren't out to ruin your trip! That being said, there are some things you can do to make sure your stay is as safe and comfortable as possible!
Use lockers - We make sure our valuables are locked away as soon as we get in. Passports, headphones, kindles, Ipads etc. Some places do advise keeping your passport with you at all times, but I am a clumsy mess and would end up leaving it in a bar. We always take our own combination lock with us just so we know we're always covered! (we don't really advise key locks because the last thing you'll want to do is loose that key!). The best locks have flexible loops as they'll fit in most locks! You can get one on Amazon for super cheap here.
Your comfort is most important - If you feel better staying in a single gender dorm, do that! If someone else is making you feel uncomfortable - tell the staff! (they'll most likely let you change room). If the place gives you bad vibes when you arrive - go somewhere else! Your safety and comfort is most important, if it means you lose a bit of money/you need to spend more then do it - don't worry! It will ensure you have a much better time!
Notes on Bedbugs
These are the guys who you deffo don't wanna be sharing a room with! Unfortunately due to the high volume of people coming in and out of hostels, there is a higher risk of bedbugs moving in! These little things live within mattresses/bedding/bed frames and snack on your blood, leaving tiny red bites. The worst case scenario however is that you can bring them home with you if they get into your backpack! They aren't the easiest things to avoid (I've found them in a couple of places I've stayed) but there are ways to spot them and avoid them. Even if you do realise you've been sharing your bed with them, its not the end of the world and there are things you can do to make sure you're not bringing them on their own lil holiday.
Check reviews! If any recent reviews mention bedbugs I won't even consider staying - it's not worth the risk!
Keep your bag off the bed! By limiting the contact of your bag/luggage with the bed you reduce the risk of picking up bedbugs!
Check your bedding as soon as you check in! If you spot any small black, brown or red spots on the sheets, this may be a sign of bedbugs! Ask to change rooms, beds or even check out. If all seems clear, still make sure you check throughout your stay anyway!
You can see them! They really aren't as tiny as you'd think, and they're super easy to spot! Check out the photo below - they cant fly and you'll be able to see them strolling around on the bedding.
Check for bites! If they do get you, they tend to leave small, circular red bumps - the thing that is most characteristic of bedbug bites is that they will appear as a cluster or line of bites on the skin.
If you do meet any, immediately do your laundry! Wash any clothing or items that have been in contact with the bed on a hot wash before putting anything back into your main bag. Also, if you're staying somewhere sunny - empty your bag out and leave it in the sun!
Let the hostel know! Ordinarily if you do come across bed bugs, hostels will offer to wash your things for you! Just be nice about it, remember for the most part it's other travellers unknowingly bringing them in and not the hostel's fault. Inform the hostel as nicely as you can (realistically they should close the room and deep clean, but this may not happen - gross!)
Our Fave Hostels
Thee are my personal top 10 hostels (in no particular order) I have ever stayed in. I've checked online and all are still up and running - check them out if you end up in any of these cities!
Greg and Tom's Beer house - Krakow, Poland. Free breakfast, free dinner and free beer? sign me up! It's super social without being too party and incredible value for money! The staff are wonderful, even if I am a little biased (me and Brad spent a month working here lol)
Mad Monkey - Koh Rong Sanloem, Cambodia. A hostel on a secluded island with a private beach and pier bar? and only £7 a night!?! It is pretty party and there is no electricity in the dorms, so it's not for everyone - but for me it's one of my absolute faves!
Balkan Han - Sarajevo, Bosnia. The definition of a cosy balkan hostel. It's got a lovely garden area and just felt so homely.
Tagbalayon Lodging house - Siquijour, The Philippines. The warmest welcome from the friendliest staff! All the staff make the effort to learn your name and they even make your bed every day?! bonus points for the restaurant serving really tasty cheap food!
Good bye Lenin - Zakopane, Poland. A super cosy hostel in the Tatra mountains. It has the most cwtchy common area and even a pet goat in the garden!
Cats Hostel - Madrid Sol, Spain. Really beautiful hostel with modern amenities, really clean bathrooms and a great little bar!
Mad Monkey - Siem Reap, Cambodia. This hostel was great when I went back in 2017, but I've heard it's gotten even better! Again, its super party but also has great pool areas and is super social!
Arcadia - Kampot, Cambodia. Be warned, the rooms here aren't great - but you know what is great? A super cheap bar and the jankiest waterpark you've ever seen. Too much fun, and if you don't fancy staying, you can play at the waterpark just for the day instead!
Secret Garden, Cat Ba, Vietnam - This hostel was such a find! Live music most evenings, a gorgeous big garden area with beanbags and fairy lights, lush pool area and comfy beds! Stunning and only a fiver a night!!
Onederz - Phnom Penh, Cambodia. This hostel is super cheap, but feels like a luxury hotel! The beds are super comfy and it has an incredible rooftop pool with a super cheap bar/restaurant boasting some beautiful views over the city!
TLDR - What are Your Top Tips?
Compare Hostelworld, Booking.com and booking direct with the hostel to get the make sure you get best prices.
Check the reviews! More reviews and recent reviews are the most trustworthy!
Larger, mixed dorms are your cheapest option
Check the amenities! Kitchens are a must in western European hostels.
Be considerate of your roommates at all hours! Pack the night before, don't take over the whole room and don't turn on the big light at night!
Keep your valuables locked away as soon as you check in! Don't, for example, leave all your expensive rings on a windowsill? (a hard lesson to learn x)
Take a padlock with you! Combination locks with a flexible loop are the best!
Don't put your bag/belongings on the beds to avoid picking up bed bugs!
Bedbug bites appear as clusters or lines - if you get them, immediately wash your clothes on a hot wash!
Always have a pair of flip-flops in your bag! You're sharing showers with hundreds of other people.
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