An ode to staying in hostels

“But aren´t they dirty?” “How can you ever sleep in a room full of strangers and people snoring?” “Are they safe?”

It still surprises me how prevalent these ideas are, the belief that hostels are some kind of dark and deprived hole as if from a horror movie. Even close friends who have heard countless of my stories from my own stays in hostels still balk at any suggestion that they stay in one themselves. I firmly believe that a vast majority of these people would change their minds if they just gave staying in hostels an opportunity.

Over the past three years I have stayed in countless hostels [EDIT: not quite countless, in fact my HostelWorld app informs me I have stayed in 67 hostels across 21 countries with them alone at time of writing]. In doing so I have met incredible people, stayed in remarkable locations and - very importantly - saved a lot of money compared to if I had stayed in an AirBnB or hotel.

Perhaps it is the low cost that arouses peoples suspicion of the quality of these places. How could a place for a quarter (or less) of the cost of a hotel possibly maintain similarly high standards of cleanliness or security. And yet they do so to a truly impressive level; I have stayed in many hostels that could easily be compared to a hotel in these regards and more. Aside from the fact you share a bedroom with others, the facilities often match those of a hotel. In fact, often they can exceed them - how many hotels do you see with fully-equipped kitchens available for their guests?

Further, the locations of these hostels are often special. So many times I have found myself on the doorstep of some of the most famous attractions of a country for less than ten or fifteen pounds. In the last month alone I stayed at Island Hostel on Margaret Island in Budapest and St Christophers in central Amsterdam, 50 metres from the red-light district and countless other attractions - I can recommend them both. To stay in a hotel in these areas one would pay extortionate fees, meanwhile hostels allow visitors the opportunity to stay in the heart of a city for an affordable price.

However, above all else, the biggest opportunity of staying in hostels comes from the social side. Between the staff, the volunteers and the other guests, a like-minded community of travellers is formed - albeit one that is constantly changing and evolving as people move on. Within this is a treasure-trove of information, from local tips for the place you are visiting to recommendations all over the world. Books and blogs can be useful but nothing can top getting advice from people who are travelling at the same time as you and possibly even saw these places in the last couple of days.

Of course, these people are more than just walking information sources and friendships can develop quickly and closely in hostels.  Particularly when solo-travelling, after a long-day of exploring, sharing stories over a drink and maybe a game of cards in the hostel bar or common area offers a relaxing and enjoyable pit-stop before doing it all over again the next day.

You may expect to never see most of these people again but it can be surprising how often you cross paths again as itineraries overlap in the future. And of course there are the individuals who you build a permanent friendship with and stay in contact with long after that one night shared in the hostel common room. I have indeed made many friends from all over the world whilst staying in hostels, from a Dutch guy befriended in Portugal, a US traveller in Germany or of course my Argentinian girlfriend in a hostel in Barcelona!

That's not to say that knowing people for such a short time is a negative thing and in fact has its social advantages. A phenomenon I have experienced many times in fact is how the atmosphere of hostels allows people to relax and be far more open, sharing things they perhaps wouldn’t with a friend or colleague even. Safe in the knowledge that the friendly individual you are sharing the evening with will move on in the next day or two, one can talk more freely without the anxiety that something said could unwantedly come back up in the future.

Hostels may not be for everyone, of course some people prefer the privacy and luxury offered by a hotel. But for those concerned merely by a misguided representation, then I highly advise them to give them a chance, what’s the worst that can happen?

Posted: 25/10/2021
Written by: Tom Taylor (@tomtayloor)

I have stayed in all of the hostels above and can recommend them. The links are all affiliated which mean I receive a small commission, with no added cost to the user. Check out the HostelWorld site here.