I document my solo trips extensively. I “just” happen to meet the right people, at the right time, in the right situation. This is no coincidence. A major aspect that makes or breaks trips is your social setting, your home away from home, and for a serial backpacker like me, it’s the hostel. After being asked for the hundredth time, how I find great hostels. I thought it might just be worth documenting this information instead.
Context
Picture this: you’ve just landed in a new city, exhausted from hours of travel, only to discover your “cozy accommodation” is a noisy, dirty room with broken facilities and unhelpful staff. Your dream vacation just turned into a nightmare before it even began.
Finding the right accommodation isn’t just about having a place to sleep. It’s about creating a base where you can recharge, connect with fellow travelers, and truly immerse yourself in your destination. The difference between a mediocre hostel and an exceptional one can transform your entire travel experience.
Hi, I am your guide to hostels
Whether you’re backpacking through Southeast Asia, exploring European capitals, or discovering hidden gems in South America, your accommodation choice sets the tone for everything that follows. Get it right, and you’ll have stories to share for years. Get it wrong, and you’ll spend your precious vacation time dealing with problems instead of making memories.
In the eight years of solo traveling, I haven’t had a single night of bad accommodation. Through seemingly infinite Airbnb and Booking.com listings, I am documenting my science of hotel hopping and apartment hunting – seasoned with a dash of weird travel wisdom I have picked up on. Geared more towards backpackers and workcation folks. If you enjoyed this part, I might pen down more recommendation blogs about travel.
Understanding What You Really Want
Before you dive headfirst into travel influencer blog, best hotels in X city searches, and Booking.com, pause and think:
What do I even want out of this stay?
“Are you dreaming of a luxe pillow menu or just a place to crash after a day of exploring? Maybe it’s a private bathroom (hallelujah!) or a communal kitchen where you can whip up last night’s street food leftovers. Knowing your must-haves (and your deal breakers) from the start will save you from panic-booking that shoebox of a hostel at 2 AM.
- Essentials vs. Extras: Are you okay with a roof over your head and four walls or do you need the five-star bells and whistles? Maybe it’s the free Wi-Fi that makes you weak in the knees, or a killer view of the city lights that seals the deal.
- Location, Location, Location: Do you want to step out your door and immediately bump into the Eiffel Tower, or is a 10-minute bus ride acceptable for that save-a-buck strategy? Getting a hostel next to the Colleseum saved me 120 euros. Discussed later.
- Vibe Check: Some places boast “quaint local charm” that might just mean “no elevators and very thin walls”. There is now a trend to append the word “boutique” to any name and charge 1.5 times extra. I am unfaithful towards empty-looking, dingy, low-lit accommodations.
With your criteria set, let’s begin with this first part of the series. Finding the right hostel stay for backpackers.
Start with the Locals: Your Secret Weapon for Insider Knowledge
Local knowledge beats any algorithm. Reach out to friends, colleagues, or social media connections who’ve been to your destination. Join Facebook groups, Reddit communities, or travel forums specific to your target city.
Ask specific questions like “What neighborhood should I stay in for easy access to public transport?” or “Which hostels have the best community vibe?” Don’t underestimate the power of asking hotel staff at airports or tourist information centers either. A sweet lady behind the visitor’s desk in Bologna helped secure two kilograms of authentic Parmesan Reggiano with a baller discount from the best store in the city.
Recommendations have helped me find a family-run Airbnb tucked away in a quiet neighborhood in Valencia, or an eco-friendly hostel having a rave party that very night in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka. Drop the awkwardness, start waffling with people.
A Systematic Approach to Finding Hostels
After gathering local insights, write them down. It’s time to dive into the research that separates amateur travelers planning every little detail and still falling short from the on-the-road planners with no framework, no spreadsheets, and still coming ahead.
Step 1: Cast Your Net Wide with HostelWorld
Start by opening HostelWorld and searching for your destination. Move the map exactly to where you like to be in the city. Find the top 30 hostels. This gives you a comprehensive overview of what’s available during your dates.
Check how far it is from the main attractions, public transport, grocery stores, and restaurants. Use Google Street View to virtually walk around the neighborhood at different times of day.
Step 2: The Elimination Process
This is where you become ruthless.
Remove hostels with ratings below 7.5. If there are fewer reviews, see if the property is new and what the initial customers say. Eliminate suspiciously cheap places – there’s usually a reason for rock-bottom prices, and it’s not worth finding out.
Cross off any accommodation that doesn’t meet your essential requirements. Need female-only dorms? Strike out mixed-only places. Require lockers? Remove hostels that don’t provide secure storage.
Step 3: Deep Dive Analysis
Now you should have 3-6 solid options. This is where the real detective work begins.
Open each remaining hostel in separate browser tabs. Read every recent review, paying special attention to keywords. I especially look for mentions of “social” “party hostel” “quiet” or “family-friendly”. Reviews can tell you a lot. I rarely prefer hostels being booked by groups or families.
Party hostels are usually one big frat party and I am not young anymore. The social vibe is the rare word I look for and has provided me with the most consistent success.
Check the photos carefully. Do they show actual common areas where people gather, or just staged marketing shots? Look for signs of wear and tear, cleanliness standards, and space between beds. I obsess over bathroom photos which make or break choices for me.
Step 4: Review Triangulation
Never rely on reviews from just one platform. Cross-reference reviews between Google Reviews, Booking.com, TripAdvisor, and HostelWorld. This gives you a more balanced picture of what to expect. Google Hotel Reviews are completely independent and are largely unmoderated so I trust them more.
Any serious concerns with the place if they were reported there? Look for patterns in complaints. If multiple recent reviews mention noise issues, believe them. If several people praise the helpful staff, that’s a good sign. If there are recent reviews, then it’s a positive sign and the hostel is getting business. An active hostel is a successful hostel.
Step 5: Check thy budget – are you broke?
- Compare + Book Direct: Many accommodations offer direct booking discounts that bypass third-party commission fees. If you are already in the country, call ahead. Book directly with the reception, they write down your details and you get free cancellation in tandem – open secret.
- Hidden Fees: Taxes, resort fees, cleaning charges. When comparing options, always look at the total price.
- Long Stays vs. Short Stays: Sometimes week-long stays have discounts or weekly rates.
- Off-Peak Magic: If you have flexibility, shifting your dates by a few days can work wonders. Especially for franchise hostels, where I once paid 4 euros a night at the best hostel in Florence. The reception was horrified by my deal finding dark magic.
The Smart Booking Strategy: Test Before You Commit
Unless you’re traveling during peak season, book only one night initially with your top choice. This is your “test run” approach.
- If the hostel exceeds expectations, extend your stay.
- If it disappoints, you have your backup options ready and you’ve only committed to one night of potential discomfort.
For busy seasons or popular destinations, this strategy might not work. In those cases, read reviews even more carefully and consider paying slightly more for a place with consistently excellent ratings. I at least booked a place for two nights to do a full assessment.
Critical – When Plans Go Wrong: Embracing the Unexpected!
Even with the most meticulous research, accommodation experiences can surprise you. Sometimes your perfectly planned hostel turns out to have hidden issues. Other times, a last-minute booking at a place you barely researched becomes the highlight of your trip.
The key is maintaining flexibility and problem-solving skills. If you arrive and the place doesn’t match expectations, assess whether the issues are dealbreakers or minor inconveniences you can work around. I changed hostels thrice on a two-week stay in Hireketiya, Sri Lanka to find the perfect place. I extended my stay at The Hostel of the Sun, Naples, Italy – four times because it was so much fun.
Remember that accommodation problems, while frustrating, often lead to the best travel stories. That night you had to switch hostels last minute might be how you discovered your favorite neighborhood or met lifelong friends.
Final Pep Talk
At the end of the day, remember: no place is going to be perfect (though some might surprise you pleasantly). Focus on what you care about most. Maybe you’ll end up in a bizarre floating hotel in Bangkok or a friendly hostel in Spain that feels like home. There’s a little adventure in every booking.
And if you completely mess up? Well, consider it travel therapy. The worst story you’ll have is about the time you thought the “city center” was a 3-hour bus ride out. That’s gold for your next passport stamp tale.
As Mark Watney says in The Martian: “You solve one problem, then you solve the next one, and then the next. And if you solve enough problems, you get to come home.” In travel terms, you solve enough accommodation challenges, and you become the kind of traveler who can find amazing places to stay anywhere in the world.
Now go forth (and rest easy). Your ideal bed awaits, somewhere out there, with your name on it (and hopefully with blackout curtains).
If you enjoyed this part, let me know in the comments if you like to see more of my tips and tricks documented..
Till then live in the mix.