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Hostels: They’re not just for drunken backpackers.
Despite my dislike of noise while I sleep, binge drinking, and socializing with teenagers, Evan and I (31 & 28 respectively), still stay in hostels. Even when traveling as a couple. Contrary to popular opinion, they aren’t just for party types or solo travelers. There are lots of reasons to stay in hostels. The first and foremost is that it’s typically the most budget-friendly option. Don’t get me wrong; we love a good family-run guesthouse. But there are certain experiences you can only have within the confines of a hostel.
But most new travelers (older than 25) or even many experienced travelers are hesitant to sleep in dorm-style accommodation or to book a room at a hostel. That’s because they have a warped view of what staying in a hostel is really like. Or they had one poor experience that has put them off community lodging forever. It’s not as bad as you think it is.
Let’s break down the ins and outs of hostels and why YOU should give them a try on your next international trip.
What is a hostel?
Hostel: (n) A low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory, with shared use of a lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or shared bathrooms.
In short, it’s a place to sleep.
Basically, the one thing every hostel we’ve ever stayed in has in common is that they are cheap. Sometimes they offer dorm rooms, other times private rooms. We’ve found that as a couple, private rooms are often cheaper than dorms that require you to pay for two separate beds.
What is the reputation of hostels? This is what scares travelers away. 16-bed crowded dorm rooms with dirty sheets and loud parties. But this is rarely the case.
What’s it really like staying in hostels?
I’ll walk you through my typical hostel experience.
If I choose to stay in a dorm room there is typically a large communal sleeping room that varies from hefty wooden bunks to cheap metal black bunks. Each bed has clean sheets and is shielded from the rest of the room by a fabric partition so you can sleep in privacy. Other hostel guests **typically** follow the code of conduct- quiet hours, lights off after dark, basic common courtesy.
You can expect to enjoy a simple free breakfast of toast, jam, maybe eggs, and cereal. Guests will typically congregate in the common areas in the evening swapping travel tips and stories and just generally getting to know one another before retiring to bed.
The private rooms are often a level up in comfort. The biggest difference between hostels and hotels in this instance is the social aspect.
Benefits of staying in hostels
- You’ll meet people easily. Traveling long-term as a couple can leave you craving new people to talk too.
- It’s cheap.
- Typically these kinds of accommodations have lots of reviews which means you can book your stay with confidence.
Hostel Rules: How to Not be an Asshole
These are the basic rules every traveler should know before staying in a hostel.
- Obey quiet hours & be conscious of when other people are sleeping.
- Don’t turn on the overhead lights after dark.
- If you plan to leave early–try to wake up with a vibration alarm & pack the night before.
- Don’t eat in the dorm room. It can draw bugs in for future guests.
- Talk on the phone in common areas.
- If you have sex…know that everyone can hear you. No matter how quiet you think you are.
Am I too old for hostels?
No.
You’re never too old for hostels. That would be like saying you are too old for hotels. Every hostel has a different environment. As you continue to travel, you’ll learn to distinguish between the party hostels, the digital nomad workspaces, and the genuinely wonderful places to stay. I’ve slept in dorms with 60+-year-old travelers and 18-year-old high school grads. There is no age limit.
You might be too introverted for hostels though. One thing that nearly all hostels have in common is they are social spaces. Even if you stay in private rooms, hostels are set up to encourage guest interaction in the community spaces whether that be a bar, lounge room, or restaurant. If you’re the kind of person that finds social interaction exhausting, I would use hostels sparingly.
Does the hostel’s online persona advertise a pool with people crowded around it? Perhaps a bar crawl? Is “backpacker” in the name? These are all signs that the crowd at these establishments is of the rowdier variety. Steer clear if you’re just looking to sleep.
Where do I book these hostels?
It has the most options for the cheapest prices. Also the more you book with them, the bigger the discounts you get. Currently (as a genius-level 3), I receive 15% off most bookings & free breakfast.
A lot of people encourage you to book on sites like hostelworld.com. But I’ve found you’ll find the same rooms for cheaper on Booking.com. If you’re really interested in the reviews, you can browse on both sites and then book on the cheaper one.
You’ll also find hostels occasionally on Agoda and Hotels.com.
An ode to a handful of my favorite hostels
I’ve stayed in a lot of hostels over the years. These are a few of my favorites. Often it has little to do with the room itself, but everything to do with the experiences staying at that hostel allowed me to have.
OhMyBed (Chaing Mai, Thailand)
This hostel is simple. Black bunk beds in dark wood rooms. & it’s one of the cheapest options in the city. The location is within walking distance of everything you might want to see in historic Chaing Mai. But what really made me love this hostel was the community atmosphere & the two fluffy cats that live downstairs.
This hostel is also an amazing tattoo shop and if you’re looking to get some ink done in Thailand by a phenomenal female artist…look no further.
The hostel owner ended up inviting us to a late-night BBQ for his 27th birthday and offering us a ride to Pai with him the following morning. We drank homemade rice liquor, ate charred buffalo skin, and warm coconut rice as we maneuvered the 80 hairpin turns to Pai.
Locomo Hostel (Mumbai, India)
Not only were the dorms made up of individual beds instead of the hated bunks (no one likes to literally climb into bed) but the rooftop of this hostel is covered in faux grass and perfect for either co-working or early morning yoga.
We celebrated Holi at this lively hostel and attended a bar crawl through the local’s favorite joints in Mumbai. The owners of this hostel are young Mumbai residents who love to make friends with the guests.
Pai Circus Hostel (Pai, Thailand)
Free yoga and a pool with a view make up for the slightly younger clientele. This “hostel” was all private A-frame bungalows.
During the day the pool was packed with people drinking mixed drinks and doing mushrooms but at night it was thankfully quiet. It was at this hostel that I fell in love with “pudding”, a cream-colored cross-eyed cat that snuggled up with me every night in our bungalow.
Full Disclosure: We did get $200 stolen from our room. I’m positive it was another guest at the hostel. Lock those doors people.
Rope Walk Hostel (Penang, Malaysia)
Cheap & comfortable. This hostel was a favorite because it’s rare to find a place so perfectly located and also budget-friendly.
Bed & Bike Hostel (Chaing Rai, Thailand)
This is one of the posh-est hostels we’ve ever stayed at. It was also nearly completely empty for our entire week-long stay. Rooms were nice and cool and blankets were fluffy and soft. It also had a huge fully-functional kitchen you were free to use (super rare in Asia). We cooked an entire chicken dinner for Christmas.
Lil Hpa-An (Hpa An, Myanmar)
Myanmar is currently closed to foreign tourists. They are in the midst of a horrifically violent military coup that is overthrowing their democracy. To learn more about it, click here.
Myanmar is my favorite destination I’ve ever visited and this hostel was the perfect example of Burmese hospitality. The rooms have 4-big plushy beds and a bathroom. Breakfast each morning was a huge traditional Burmese feast. When this country re-opens again I hope to return one day.
Travelers are unjustly judgemental and scared of hostels. I’ve had many of my favorite travel experiences because of the people I’ve met in hostels. I shared Holi celebrations and even met friends that I went on to travel with for months after because of, you guessed it….hostels. Share your favorite hostel experiences in the comments. Or share some of your not-so-great hostel experiences.
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