Handy Hints - Choosing a Hostel

I was at the hairdresser the other day, and we were chatting about my upcoming trip. She was probably in her mid 40s, a mother of three, but a young at heart character. She told stories about her 'younger years' where she went travelling along the east coast of North America, and this was before travelling was quite as approachable as it is now. Globalisation, the internet, new technology, competition leading to lower prices - all has made the modern world of travelling a breeze in contrast to what Jacqui the hairdresser had to contend with. She asked about my plans of where I was going to stay, and when I responded with 'youth hostels' this was a conversation starter. 'So how do they work?' she intoned. 'Like... you share a room? With how many people? How does this work?' I started to explain hostels, the layout, the amenities; and then I mentioned that in most major cities there are a dozen or so options of different hostels to stay at - to which, she asked me the golden question, 'How do you know which one to stay at?'

My simple answer was, 'You don't always.' She didn't accept this.

For me, choosing a hostel has become almost intuitive. Sure, sometimes I make the wrong decision. But after staying at about five hostels, I began to get the feel for where I would enjoy, and what facilities were important to me. You could line up five backpackers and each would have a different list of priorities when it comes to travelling. For me, there are five things which, generally, I use as my guide when I'm trawling through hostel sites to make my decision.

1. Location: For most backpackers, location is about proximity to the sites. For me, I generally am happier to stay further away, as long as it is located next to a metro service. I hate arriving in foreign cities and having to get onto a bus or tram and have to navigate my way to the hostel. In general I find it frustrating getting on and off with luggage, and often, it's difficult to know where you actually need to exit. However if the city has a metro/subway/tube type service, you know which stop is yours. If staying in a larger city, like New York City, London, Berlin - you're most likely going to be using the metro anyway, so if I can save a decent chunk of money and have an extra ten minutes on the subway, then I'm happy to do this.

2. Internet: Judge me all you like, but I need to be able to access the internet. I spent the first half of my trip in 2008 spending my money at internet terminals; and then I finally switched on and made this a necessary criteria. In 2008 I was travelling without a laptop or device, and after making that decision to make this a prerequisite for me to book at a hostel, with the exception of one location, I was able to book hostels where there were complimentary shared computers and internet. In 2010, I travelled with a netbook and the difference in two years was phenomenal - I'd say more than 50% of backpackers around me had a laptop or netbook. I don't recall a single location where I did not have complimentary internet access at my accommodation.

3. Kitchen: Even if I'm only in town for a couple of days, I find myself wanting to have the option to buy a handful of items. I'm not the type to cook up a storm, but I'd like to be able to buy some tubs of yoghurt and have somewhere to store them. If I purchase food out and bring home leftovers, I want somewhere to store them. It is more or less essential for me that a hostel has a kitchen facility, or at a minimum, a kitchenette and a fridge.

4. Reviews: At first, I didn't care so much about reviews on hostel booking websites. Then I made the mistake when booking into a hostel in Rome of saying 'oh, how bad can it be?' when I read a 55% rating. Worst. Hostel. Ever. I don't go by the ratings, but I will scan over reviews - there is a difference between a hostel being rated down because of bed bugs, and because it didn't allow alcohol on premises.

5. 'Vibe': I am not particularly a fan of 'party hostels.' Once in a while it's a refreshing change, but it isn't my scene. I'm not 18 - I'm 26. I don't need to be woken up on a Tuesday night by shrill teenagers running down the corridor shrieking. I'm not unreasonable when it comes to noise in hostels, but since I know that this isn't an atmosphere I enjoy, I make the decision to avoid booking at party hostels unless I can see they have a nice lounge area which is separate to the bar - an example of this would be at SameSun in Vancouver, where I had some lovely conversations with likeminded travellers in the lounge at 10pm on a Saturday night as we sat with our netbooks and journals and books. A look at how a hostel describes themself - and whether they have a bar on premises - will often give you an idea of what the general atmosphere is. This isn't always a firm rule - for example, Palmers Lodge at Swiss Cottage in London has been one of my favourite hostel experiences and they had a bar. However they didn't 'market' themselves as being a destination for people wanting to 'have fun'.

Location, Internet, Kitchen, Reviews, Vibe. Those five things, in a nutshell, form my bible when making my hostel decision. However my top handy hint would be to develop your own list - understand what your priorities are when travelling. Budget, lockers, activities, breakfast - there are so many variables, and with these variables come choice. Choose wisely, but keep in mind - you're out there exploring the world. At the end of the day, it's a bed to sleep in, and if you don't love the accommodations, you won't be there forever. So don't fret, make the most of it and enjoy!