How To Get The Most Out Of A Hostel Stay

Over the past two years I have stayed in a hostel or two (or a hundred). I will be the first to admit that I haven’t always taken advantage of all that they have to offer. But, when I started traveling solo, hostels were my saving grace. I made so many friends while exploring SE Asia and that was mainly because of the places I chose to stay at.

A good hostel has a great common area, sets up activities for it’s guests, and has a wonderful staff.

Get The Most Out Of Your Hostel

1. Read Reviews

Whether or not I’m booking ahead, I will always hop onto Hostel World and read the reviews. I think that you can always find trusted reviews on the site. People are often brutally honest which has saved me from staying in a dump or in a place where the people who work there aren’t great.

The reviews have also helped me find some gems all over SE Asia.

2. Make Sure You’re Comfortable.

When I’m traveling alone, I will usually stay in an all female dorm because it makes me feel safer. When I have at least one other person with me, I always choose to stay in a mixed dorm (I find them to be a little bit more social, and they are often cheaper in price). You want to make sure that you feel as comfortable as possible while staying at a hostel so you can get a goodnight’s sleep and have a good time.

I also try to stay in smaller dorms (my rule is to try and never go over 12 beds). Some hostels have dorms that fit 18-32 people and I have a harder time falling asleep in a room where people are constantly coming in and out, in and out. So just keep these things in mind when booking your stay.

3. Say Hi To Your Roommates

It can awkward walking into a room full of people that you don’t know. I’m not saying you immediately have to become best friends with whoever is sharing your room with you, but you should at least say hi and introduce yourself. That will make things less awkward in the future. This can often lead to a conversation, dinner plans, or plans to explore for the next day. I have made a lot of friends just by saying hello to them when I go into my room for the first time. Remember: don’t feel obligated to hang out with the people staying in your room. There are usually so many more people checked in that you’ll run into in the common areas. So, if you don’t gel with your roommates, don’t worry.

4. Participate in Activities Offered By The Hostel

The great thing about hostels is that they often offer a ton of really cool, free activities for guests. It can be anything from a walking tour, to a BBQ, to a bonfire (if you’re in Hanoi in Vietnam it’ll probably be an hour of free beer everyday). Whatever it is, this is a great way to start making friends from all over the world. It’s amazing how many people travel by themselves or with one other person and really want to create relationships with others. Let’s face it, meeting people and experiencing them is the best part about traveling (at least for me) and a big part of that comes from staying in hostels.

I ended up becoming great friends with someone who worked at a hostel in Vietnam because of the free beer hour everyday. I met a whole crew of people in Gili T in Bali because of the bonfire that the hostel planned, and in Prague I met a group of people to go out with at night during a walking tour earlier in the day. And in Cambodia I met an entire group of people that I ended up traveling with on and off for two and a half weeks.

5. Don’t Sit In Your Room. Use Common Areas.

It can be really easy to get comfortable in your bed after a long day of exploring. But, sitting in your room can really ruin a great experience. Trust me, I get it, when you’re tired sometimes you just don’t want to be around people, and that is totally fine. Just don’t make it a habit because you’ll end up missing out on meeting some great people and participating in some really fun activities.

6. Talk With The Staff.

The people who work at hostels are some of the most invaluable people you will meet while traveling. I especially love to stay in places where they employ locals because they really know everything there is to know about the area that you’re staying in. I ended up staying at this one hostel in Bangkok for a week and I became close with the staff. They even let me come out with them on Koh San Road, which was amazing because they knew all of the best bars to go to. Oh, and they made fun of me for how hungover I was the next morning. And, they all gave me hugs goodbye when it was finally time for me to go.

International staff can be great too because odds are most of them have traveled the route that you’re currently traveling. So, it makes sense to pick their brains about the best places they’ve stayed and the coolest places they’ve explored. Plus, most of them are always down for a party.

Interested in more? Check Out Some Of My Favorite Hostels in Thailand. Stay tuned for a list of hostels I love around the world! And if you have any questions in the mean time, about places to stay, ask in the comments!

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