{"id":189,"date":"2024-04-23T00:08:39","date_gmt":"2024-04-23T04:08:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/juliettevale.com\/nmc\/web\/project-three\/content\/?p=189"},"modified":"2024-04-23T03:08:39","modified_gmt":"2024-04-23T07:08:39","slug":"6-ways-to-avoid-staying-in-a-bad-hostel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/juliettevale.com\/nmc\/web\/project-three\/content\/6-ways-to-avoid-staying-in-a-bad-hostel\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways to Avoid Staying in a Bad Hostel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(info from nomadicmatt.com)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Is There a Common Room?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Common rooms in hostels make meeting people easy. They help you find people to chat with, get tips from, do activities with, or even travel with. It’s the ideal space for people who want to be social.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, they\u2019re good for just having fun. They usually have pool tables, TVs\/movies (perfect for rainy days), foosball, ping pong, and comfy couches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In warmer destinations, a common area outside is also a big plus. Rooftop bars, patios, BBQ areas \u2014 anything social outdoor space is a must.
 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Is It Centrally Located?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Location, location, location. Whenever you’re looking for a new hostel make sure that it\u2019s near the things you want to see. You don\u2019t want to spend all your time commuting when you get somewhere new. For that reason, always make sure your hostels are in a central location and that they\u2019re close to public transportation. That way, you can get around easily and don\u2019t need to worry about having to waste money on taxis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is especially important in large cities where things are spread out and when you\u2019re on a shorter trip and time is of the essence. Don\u2019t waste your vacation in transit; book somewhere central!
 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Is It Clean?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sure, budget travelers like things cheap \u2014 but that doesn\u2019t mean they 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\u2019s easy to get sick on the road, avoid dirty hostels. Gross bathrooms and showers (as well as the increased risk of bed bugs) aren\u2019t worth the risk \u2014 even if the hostel is cheap. Invest in yourself. You deserve a clean room!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the photos hostels post on their website and social media can be misleading, make sure to specifically read reviews on sites like Hostelworld<\/a> for hints on cleanliness. If just one person complains, maybe it\u2019s not a big deal. But if numerous reviews mention the lack of cleanliness, take that as a cue.
 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Did You Read Reviews?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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 bunkbeds squeaky? You can usually answer all of these questions (and many more) by reading reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Websites like Hostelworld<\/a> and Booking.com<\/a> have tons of reviews to help you find the hostel that best suits your needs and budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you\u2019ll want to take them with a grain of salt, they are definitely helpful when it comes to picking the best hostel. (Make sure you leave reviews too \u2014 good reviews help hostels grow and bad reviews can warn your fellow travelers so they don\u2019t make the same mistake).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 you should probably stay away from it (it\u2019s easy to fake ratings like that). However, if a hostel has hundreds (or thousands) of reviews and still<\/em> has a rating of 8 or 9 out of 10 then that\u2019s a good sign it\u2019s a solid place to stay.
 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Do they Organize Group Activities?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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, pub crawls, trivia nights, cooking classes, or BBQs. These events are a great way to meet other travelers and learn about your destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, here are some smaller things to look out for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Free breakfast<\/strong> \u2013 Look for a place with a decent breakfast (i.e., more than bread and cheese) or at least one that begins and ends when people are actually awake (breakfasts that start around 8:30 usually go late). Breakfast is also a great way to load up on snacks for the day, cutting down your food budget.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Late check-out time<\/strong> \u2013 Unless you\u2019re a morning person, never stay at a hostel with a check-out time before 10am. The best ones have won\u2019t make you check out until 11am or later. Sleep is valuable on the road because you\u2019ll rarely get enough of it. Hostels with late checkout times understand this.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Lockers<\/strong> \u2013 It\u2019s surprising, but there are hostels that don\u2019t provide lockers or will charge you for them. In this day and age, lockers should be standard, and you should never pay for security.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Kitchen<\/strong> \u2013 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.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Clear rules<\/strong> \u2013 Not every traveler is familiar with basic hostel etiquette so it\u2019s 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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    (info from nomadicmatt.com) 1. Is There a Common Room? Common rooms in hostels make meeting people easy. They help you find people to chat with, get tips from, do activities with, or even travel with. It’s the ideal space for people who want to be social. Plus, they\u2019re good for just having fun. They usually […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-where-to-stay"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/juliettevale.com\/nmc\/web\/project-three\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/juliettevale.com\/nmc\/web\/project-three\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/juliettevale.com\/nmc\/web\/project-three\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juliettevale.com\/nmc\/web\/project-three\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juliettevale.com\/nmc\/web\/project-three\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/juliettevale.com\/nmc\/web\/project-three\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":229,"href":"https:\/\/juliettevale.com\/nmc\/web\/project-three\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189\/revisions\/229"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/juliettevale.com\/nmc\/web\/project-three\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juliettevale.com\/nmc\/web\/project-three\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juliettevale.com\/nmc\/web\/project-three\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}