Hostels

Alright, I've been through a lot of hostels by now, so I feel experienced enough to talk about them. Now, European hostels are not like American hostels. American hostels are usually interesting places with unique character that gives travelers a cheap place to stay in return for doing chores. European hostels, on the other hand, are more like hotels, but instead of renting you a room they just rent you a bed. They are under no obligation to provide you with anything else besides a bed and toilet facilities somewhere in the building, and sometimes that's all you get. Functioning lights are not necessarily a given. But at least you don't have to do chores.

In general, all hostels share a few characteristics. The receptionists speak passable English. The dorm rooms have at the minimum four beds, but usually more, depending on the size of the room. There are rarely bathrooms in the room, and instead there are common facilities in the hallways. The hostels always have maps to give to travelers, however the quality of these maps vary by a lot. That's really about everything that all hostels have in commons with each other.

Then what are some characteristics that most hostels have that go beyond these spartan basics? Most hostels have some kind of internet terminal, and, thank goodness, wireless internet. They usually charge for terminal use, but I've found wi-fi to be free in all cases but one. Most hostels have some kind of common room that people can hang out in, also usually with electricity sockets for people to recharge their electronics and use their computers. Some sort of breakfast should also be available, but usually these cost extra. Free breakfasts are usually just toast and jam. I consider these attributes essential to an adequate hostel. Most hostels in large cities generally don't have a curfew or lock out period either, allowing you to come and go as you please.

Okay so then what makes a good, or even great hostel? Well, a few extra amenities can make a so-so hostel good, and a lot can make a hostel great. Probably the most important thing is the staff. If the staff are standoffish or not talkative, then you can bet that hostel won't be very fun. If the staff can be found mingling with guests in their free time, then you know it's going to be a great place to stay. I find that the best staff are the ones who have backpacked around and just decided to stay in one place. It's actually quite frequent, and they usually have the best idea of what it is you need to know. A free, good breakfast is a huge step in the right direction. A good breakfast consists of the following: cereal, juice, bread, meat (always salami), and cheese. Some kind of program or activity, like a short tour or a night tour also does much to increase interactions between guests. Kitchens are pretty important, especially for those of us who have been traveling longer and realize just how much cheaper it is to buy food from the supermarket. Providing clean sheets and a pillowcase is also a plus. I have no idea how some places can get by without issuing these things because I feel disgusting staying in the places that don't. Providing lockers for the guests is a good way of showing that they care about security. And finally, serving cheap drinks at night to keep people from going out and getting messed up somewhere shows that they care about safety as well.

I have yet to find the perfect hostel that has all of these features, but I have been to some great hostels that have a lot of them. Unfortunately, you never really know how a hostel will turn out, even if you scour the web for reviews.