Sleeping in hostels is one of the things I love when travelling solo around the world.
I tend to select some special accommodation at least once per trip, such as specific dude ranches in America, pretty ryokans in Japan, or castles and monasteries in Europe and Asia, but I mostly stay in hostels because they’re really cool.
I mean, it is usually much cooler than hotels, and I run one, and I’m sure I’m doing a pretty good job with it, but still, hostels are different, and I prefer the experience they offer.
Of course, not all hostels are cool and well run, but I learned how to select them and what to expect, and this post is all about these details and tips.
What’s a hostel
Hostels are no-frills, low-cost accommodations, and beds (usually bunk beds) in more or less big shared dorms. They typically are super friendly, funny, and guest-oriented places.
As with hotels, there’s a wide range of hostels, and quality, prices, and services may go from heaven to hell…
You can get upscale hostels with amazing services and smaller dorms, usually providing mixed male and female options, with en-suite bathrooms and even private rooms that can be more expensive than those of an average hotel. Or you can get very cheap hostels with huge 30-bed mix dorms with shared bathrooms and showers at the end of the corridor, basic old furnishing, and pretty sad decoration.
So, you need to do your research and carefully filter according to your own needs.
What to expect from a hostel
First of all, you are usually welcomed by young, friendly staff. They give you information regarding the hostel life and the services and ask you to settle the bill right away.
Unless you book a private room, you’ll get a bed in a shared dorm. You can opt for a cheaper option for sleeping in mixed dorms or a more expensive one for a female-only one. You can also decide whether you prefer a lower or an upper bed. I prefer the upper option, which provides a bit more privacy.
The new trend is to include sheets and towels in the rate, so you’ll find everything on your bed. I love it when the bed is ready upon arrival, and check-out only consists of collecting the sheets and placing them in a laundry basket in the corridor or, more often, at the front desk. Still, sometimes you have to make the bed yourself; in that case, the lower one is obviously a more practical choice. Do ask when booking!
In older or less-well-run hostels, you might have to pay a rental fee for bed linen and towels. In those cases, I usually use my silk sleeping bag and microfiber towel, which I always pack just in case.
All beds are equipped with reading lights and plugs (lately USB only at Generator), and you usually even get a tiny bedside table. Almost all hostels also provide safes and big suitcase drawers with a lock or a standard vertical locker. Well, locks most of the time imply an extra fee, and I, therefore, recommend you pack at least one.
Cool hostels offer dorms with en-suite bathrooms and showers, but you must still share them with at least three others. Sometimes, those in the corridor are bigger, and you don’t have to line up as long. Soap and other fancy accessories aren’t always provided, but you can quickly check before your trip and pack what you need.
As said earlier, most hostels also have private rooms, which are more expensive but perfect for couples travelling on a budget or even families.
I booked one once in Takayama. I wasn’t feeling well and desperately looking for a quiet night’s sleep. The room was the bed’s size plus 10cm on one side and maybe 30cm at the bottom… smaller than a capsule hostel!
Like a hotel, almost every hostel locks the doors at night and has keys, cards, or codes required to access the hostel and your room.
Most hostels include continental self-service breakfast, but the very cool ones have great common spaces with 24-hour bars/pubs and even restaurants—the best places to meet people and share happy moments. At hostel bars, I made perfect, long-lasting friendships!
How to find and book a good hostel
Just like other tourist accommodation, hostels have specific review and booking websites, such as Hostelworld and Hostelz, to help you find a place to stay. Still, they’re also listed on main OTAs, such as Booking, Expedia, and even Airbnb.
I recommend you check the amenities description furnished by the management, recent reviews, and guest pictures. That gives you an idea of what you’ll find onsite, even in terms of the atmosphere.
Take note of what people complain about; if they mention bed bugs, stay away!
Details I recommend you check, besides the rate:
- The location, as it better fits your plans
- Included is a pack that is as light and smart as possible (linen, towel, locks, shampoo, shower gel, etc.).
- Provided services ( I need free high-speed wifi, bar, 24h front desk and prefer horizontal luggage lockers)
- If the rating is below 7.5/8, it might get nightmarish…
- The size of bunkbeds and dorms
- The type of bathroom, and its location in the corridor
- , the social area amenities, and the best hostel for you as you might want to meet people and have fun or stay in a quiet place…
Once the hostel is selected, I recommend you check its official website for more insight and book directly for better deals and service. For more details, I wrote this post about when and how to book accommodation.
What to pack
I already wrote a particular and detailed post with packing tips, but staying in a hostel implies something extra:
- Two locks, one for the luggage locker and one in case you get a separate safe box behind your pillow (it happened to me in many hostels in Japan and the US)
- As mentioned before, a silk sleeping bag and a microfiber towel (you might want to use them even when the provided ones don’t look that clean and inspiring…)
- A set of earplugs and, if you’re a light sleeper, even an eye mask
- Shower shoes and even a shower tote, especially if the shared bathroom is far from your dorm and you don’t want to be in the jungle with a bunch of stuff, you’ll need to drag around.
How to behave
Down to the basics: Say hello, smile, and introduce yourself, as most people staying in hostels are travelling by themselves. You might make new, long-lasting friends. I sure have.
Avoid talking on the phone or FaceTime or listening to music without headphones in the dorm. I know this sounds pretty logical, but trust me, lots of people seem to forget.
Don’t pack plastic and paper bags for shoes and laundry, as moving/touching them is noisy and might increase your roommate’s stress. It’s no problem when you do that during the day, of course, but you might have to check in/out when others are sleeping.
Even if you are at home, don’t be messy. You might bother other people and inspire thefts.
Avoid eating smelly food in the dorm. It smells!
My favourite hostels
I stayed in many hostels in the last ten years, some stunning and some awful places, but those are some of my favourites around the world:
- The Lemon Rock Bar & Hostel in Granada. It’s worth a flight there!
- The Freehand Downtown LA, for the coolest experience
- Les Piaules in Paris. J’adore…
- The YuYu guesthouse in Sapporo. I already wrote about it, and they inspired a life dream: running a pod hostel!
- Casa Garcia downtown Barcelona. So cool!
- The WE Hostel Design in Sao Paulo is perfect for female solo travellers
- The Quisby in New Orleans. Impossible not to make friends!
- The Hostel Ebi downtown Kyoto
- The Benita in Buenos Aires
- Capsule Ostelzzz downtown Milan. The deluxe capsule is super comfy
- Generator Hostels are always cool
Have you already stayed in a hostel? Did you enjoy the experience? Let me know!
