12 ways to avoid living in a bad hostel in 2025

I like hostels very much. Even after more than nineteen years, after traveling to the world, I still live in hostels because they are the best way to meet people and the cheapest housing option in most parts of the world.

But what makes Good Hostel?

And how do you survive Bad Hostel?

After living in more than a thousand hostels I started traveling to the world for the first timeI am adept at finding out very quickly if the owners of the hostel know what they are doing or if they just woke up randomly and said, “Let’s open a hostel. it sounds like fun.”

While the hostels are about all people, management can do some work to make their hostels the right structure to improve their experience. Some features make a hostel memorable (normal room, group activities, kitchens), while others can make them forgetable-or worse than this (push-button shower, normal dirt, unknown employees).

All my favorite hostels Share common symptoms that make them some of the best in the world.

Here’s a breakdown that I will see in a hostel to help take the best for my next trip:

1. Is there a common room?

I like to meet new people when I travel. Since I usually travel a single, I need to go out of my way to meet people if I want to be social. Common rooms in hostels make it so easy. They help me travel with people, receive suggestions, with activities or even with activities.

In addition, they are just good for having fun. They usually have pool tables or video games console, TV/movies (perfect for rainy days), phosball, ping pong, and Samprait Couch (Comfite Sofa!). If you want to be social, make sure that you stay somewhere that has a good normal room (or several). This is the best place to easily connect with other passengers.

In warm sites, a normal area outside is also a large plus. Rooftop bar, courtyard, BBQ area, a pool – any social outdoor space should be one.

2. Is it located in the center?

Location, location, location. Whenever I am looking for a new hostel, I am sure it is near the things I want to see. When I become new somewhere, I do not want to spend all my time. For this reason, I always ensure that my hostels are in a central location and they are close to public transport. In this way, I can roam easily and do not need to worry about wasting money on taxis.

It is particularly important in large cities where things are spread and when you are on a short journey and the time essence. Yes, they may spend more money, but you will save money on transport. In addition, more centrally located hostels are usually more popular, making them a better place to meet people.

Do not waste your leave in transit; Book central somewhere!

3. Is this clean?

Sure, budget travelers like cheap things – but this does not mean that we like dirty things. While the hostels have traveled a long way in recent years, there are many who are maintained in a bad way and needed completely scrubbing. Since it is easy to get sick on the road, avoid dirty hostels. Gross bathrooms and rainfalls (as well as increasing risk of bed bugs) are not worth the risk – even if the hostel is cheaper. Invest in yourself. You deserve a clean room!

Since photos hostels post on their website and social media, it can be misleading, so especially be sure to read reviews on sites like Hostelworld For signal on cleanliness. If only one person complains, it is probably not a big deal. But if many reviews mention the lack of cleanliness, take it as a cue.

4. Did you read the review?

Always read the review before booking. Is the hostel cool or noise? Is it a party hostel or has been kept back? Are the mattresses comfortable? Are the bed beds squeekee? You can usually answer all these questions (and many more) by reading reviews.

Like websites Hostelworld And Booking.com Review tones to help you find the hostel which is best for your needs and budget.

While you want to take them with a rash of salt (people like to complain), they are definitely helpful when it comes to choosing the best hostel. Make sure that you also leave the review – good review hostels help grow and poor reviews can warn your fellow passengers so that they do not make the same mistake.

Additionally, make sure that you stay in the hotel with only a lot of reviews. The hostel may have a high rating of a hostel, but if it has only 10 or 20 reviews, I will probably stay away from it (this is easy for fake ratings in that way). However, if a hostel has hundreds of reviews (or thousands) and still If there is a rating of 8 or 9 out of 10, then it is a good sign that it is a solid place to live.

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

5. Do they organize group activities?

If you plan to stay in a social hostel and want to meet people, choose a hostel that provides group activities. These can be Walking tour (My personal favorite activity), pub crawl, trivia nights, cooking classes, or BBQ. This program is a great way to meet other passengers and know about their destination.

My favorite hostel There are always social hostels that organize events. This just makes your stay more fun and vibrant!

6. Is it a late checkout?

Never stay in the hostel with checkout time before 10 am. The best hostels have 11AM checkout time, and really good people let you check in the afternoon. Sleep is valuable on the road because you are rarely enough for it. Hostels understand this over time checkout time and often have more relaxed environment. There is just something wrong about a hostel that is asking you to pack and be out early in the morning.

7. Is there a bar?

Bars Deals are not breakers and there are lots of amazing hostels without them, but they make a great place to community with other hostel guests. Usually if a hostel occurs once, they insist on ensuring that the people living there are having fun, interacting, and celebrating.

If you want to be social and want to meet people, then you want to live somewhere with once.

8. Do they have a locker?

This is surprising, but I have actually been in the hostel that does not provide a locker or will charge you for you. On this day and age, the locker must be standard. You should never pay for safety. This is a deal-breaker for me (especially since I travel with electronics). Always bring a lock with you, so that you can use the locker when provided.

9. Is there a kitchen?

Try to watch hostels with the kitchen because you can then prepare your food, reduce your food budget, and share food with your new friends. Nothing binds people simultaneously compared to a shared food (and some glass wine).

10. Do they have breakfast?

Look at a place with a decent breakfast (ie, more than bread and cheese) or at least one that starts and ends when people actually wake up (snacks that begin at around 8:30 pm, usually walk late). Breakfast is also a great way to load on snacks for the day, cutting the budget of your food.

11. Do they have pod-style beds?

Gon Cracky is the day of gold on the metal bunk. Whenever possible, find a hostel with a pod-style bed. These beds provide much better privacy and reduce the noise of you so that you can sleep better. They also have curtains usually, which are always a big plus in my book.

12. Are there personal lights and outlets?

Before booking, find out if Derm Bunk has its own outlet and light. Not only will it ensure that you can charge your equipment without fighting for space, but it means that your partner can turn your small lamp instead of the main light of the room. (I hate when people turn the lights in the middle of the night. Use your bed lamp or flashlight!)

I do not need a hostel for all these things, but actually a wonderful hostel that understands that passengers are looking for are mostly listed above.

Additionally, as more and more people move to distance work, hostels have begun to accommodate passengers for a long time that work on their laptops. If you are a remote worker, these hostels are great places to live because they have fast Wi-Fi and connect to other digital nomads and connect the network. However, if you are not working online while traveling, avoid these hostels because most people are working on their laptops and if you are not doing so it is a way boring. Instead, stay in a hostel that completes backpackers. It will be very pleasant and you will have easy time to meet people.

Finally, what actually makes a good hostel is people and even the worst hostels will be great if you meet good people. But while removing people from the equation, I look for hostels that have some qualities above. Hostels who know what you want as a passenger are to increase your travel experience, not just take money from you in exchange for bed. I will stay in a place that is looking at that I have a good time to make sure.

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