What is life in a hostel like?

I know many people and my past self included, are terrified by the idea of life in a hostel. Images of dirty, unhygienic places are conjured up along with scary dangerous strangers and your stuff being stolen. Of course, there are likely to be dodgy hostels but on the whole, they are a wonderful accommodation choice. Just because they are cheap, does not mean they are unsafe! They are cheap simply because the rooms are shared. I am going to give an honest review of what a hostel is truly like. Also, I’ll mention a bit about my experience from a recent hostel stay to help lessen the fear and encourage you to try them out!

life in a hostel

What is a hostel?

You can define hostels as places where fellow travellers meet each other and exchange stories from the road. There are usually various events on the go and often even a bar with drinks aplenty. Or rather, this is what a hostel was like prior to the pandemic. My first ‘pandemic’ hostel experience was very unusual. With social distancing in place, I had a room to myself so I explored the different lounges in search of other people. There didn’t seem to be anyone about and with around 70 rooms, it was no small place! It felt as if the hostel had lost its soul.

Now that restrictions are being further lifted in the UK, I have decided to give hostel life another go again before starting my housesitting job. The hostel appears to so far be like ‘old times’. Not crazy but a comfortable casual friendly atmosphere with people getting to know one another

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Meeting people in a hostel

Upon arrival, at the hostel, I was pleasantly surprised to see other humans mingling about. Strange that that should be a surprise in a hostel! In no time I was invited along to watch a choir sing at Christ Church. It’s an incredible building and home to one of the many Harry Potter locations in Oxford! The Great Hall was based on the Christ Church Dining hall. I’ve been asked if I want to tag along to a few other things including cafes, going out for dinner and exploring the market. Hostels are wonderful places for those looking to meet new people. Most guests are fellow travellers so that’s what I love most about hostels, being able to meet like-minded people.

If you have no luck with roommates, then you can head to the common areas and mingle with people in there. More often than not you will come across someone with a plan. Before you know it, you are away having a completely spontaneous outing to somewhere random.

At first, it can seem intimidating talking to complete strangers. Just start with a simple ‘hi’ and take it from there. Hostels are designed to be sociable places so don’t feel strange approaching people, it’s expected.

Hostel anecdote #1 – While in Iceland, a huge group of us headed out to a bar and the sight of us looked really quite funny! Because of the cold temperatures, we looked like we were all dressed for a day of skiing! No one knew anyone, we all just seemed to get along well and felt like a sort of adopted family.

So is life in a hostel only for super sociable young travellers?

Absolutely not! In the case of sociableness, I myself, need a lot of time alone or either time around a ‘calm’ presence to be able to spend time with most other people. Otherwise, I feel tired very quickly. There are currently a few other guests sitting reading and watching tv shows on their tablets enjoying their own company. You can absolutely spend as much time alone as you wish. Many hostels now actually have curtains or ‘pod’ like beds so you can hide away for a while to recharge.

The hostel I am currently in has a ‘Netflix’ room, a room with some tables and chairs for working/eating at and a roof covered terrace bar area with seating available. One part of the hostel is usually more sociable than others so being in a hostel does not mean a bombardment of noise and busy surroundings. I spent yesterday morning and am spending this morning in the terrace area where it is most peaceful. After working or relaxing by yourself, then either head out on a solo adventure or see if there is a partner available to roam around with.

Is there an age limit for hostels?

As for age, there are people of all ages in every hostel I’ve stayed at. There is absolutely no such thing as an age limit for hostels! I was talking to a 60 year old woman last night so there is a huge variety of ages.

Hostel anecdote #2 – When I first stayed at this hostel in Oxford, I and 2 others went along to one of the Harry Potter locations. Remember the part when they have to practise dancing for the Yule Ball when Ron is selected by Professor McGonagall as a partner. Well we took some photos at this very spot beside the benches! So not all socialising has to be alcohol-related, you have lovely days out such as this.

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Does life in a hostel mean being able to cook?

All hostels come supplied with different appliances but most at least have a kitchenette. The hostel I’m in has a fully equipped kitchen so last night I was able to make a veggie garlic pasta dish. So life in a hostel can mean being able to make budget meals! Even if fully equipped, I would still plan to make basic dishes though because other people may be wanting to cook and it’s annoying when the kitchen space is crowded. Also, this makes cleaning dishes fast especially difficult as well.

Hostel anecdote #3 – in Iceland (the country not the shop) I bought a pizza with a fellow traveller but there was no oven so the best we could do was to put it in the microwave! Was not good :S So remember to check the kitchen appliances beforehand or either buy food that involves minimal cooking and preparation. Also, the less ingredients yo buy, the less space you take up in the fridges. They can get pretty full!

Also, do not be alarmed at the idea of cooking in hostel kitchens! Every hostel kitchen I have been in has had clean kitchen equipment. I have always felt comfortable using the kitchens and I am someone who can be very fussy about how clean and tidy things are.

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Showers and toilets in a hostel

Some hostels do have private rooms with ensuites but most have only shared bathrooms. Many hostels have a plentiful supply of toilets, showers and sinks but some do not so plan ahead for showers if this is the case. That being said, I have not yet had a problem with having to wait for a shower or queue for the toilets.

This hostel has only about 4 showers I think which is not nearly enough but fortunately, with Covid, the hostel isn’t overly busy. Another benefit of Covid is that everything is cleaned often. For example, in this hostel as you come out of the shower room you have to switch the sign to say ‘not ready’ so that a member of staff will clean it before its next use. (This meant there are even fewer showers available though). However, even before Covid, I have never had an issue with the cleanliness of showers/toilets. Life in a hostel does not mean broken, dirty showers! They are absolutely fine.

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Does life in a hostel involve activities?

There are often many activities available in a hostel. There is usually a board up in the main common area with details of daily events. These typically include free walking tours, bar crawls, food/drink tastings, movie nights and other random things.

Hostel anecdote #4 – When I stayed in this hostel a few years ago, they had a Harry Potter weekend with popcorn on the terrace. I loved it! Every hostel is different though, I recommend reading the reviews beforehand to check what hostel activities they usually have on.

Just now, there are no events on which I was quite surprised at as restrictions have lessened. Perhaps with Covid though, they don’t want the responsibility of having to deal with possible positive Covid tests as a result of activities planned by them. Usually, though, there are many things to get involved in or not if you feel like taking a back seat. You can always plan your own event though, in this hostel you could ask around about putting a movie on Netflix at a certain time and maybe supply popcorn. Or head out on your own bar crawl with fellow hostlers. Sometimes you may happen to be staying while there is a less sociable atmosphere. In this case, head out and you may make friends in bars.

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Hostel Rooms

Sharing a room with complete strangers will also feel a bit weird at first but honestly, it’s usually fine. The only issue I’ve had so far is people that are generally a bit annoying, you know you’re not going to like them but they insist on constantly talking to you. That can get irritating for anyone and the unfortunate thing with this is that if you just want to relax on your bed for a while, you have the issue that they can walk in at any moment. This is where pods and curtains come in handy! But apart from that, I have rarely had any issues except for below.

Hostel anecdote #5 – when I was in London visiting a friend, a homeless guy took my bed even after being told I was using it. I wasn’t a fan of the hostel anyway so I headed off to stay at my friend’s place instead. Don’t worry though, this was a bit of a random occurrence! And the staff are more often than not very helpful with any issues.

Is life in a hostel dorm clean?

More often than not, my room has been clean but one time, there was one that was full of dust so that was quite off-putting. However, all others have been clean to a good standard.

Is life in a hostel dorm safe?

Every hostel room I’ve stayed in has always had a key card that you use to get in and out of the room. As for your belongings, I have always had access to a safe. So far, there has always been one for each bed. However, you sometimes have to purchase padlocks so recommend bringing your own.

I have never felt unsafe while staying in hostels before. You are either in your own room or with others in a room that is usually automatically locked. Anything bad is highly unlikely to happen. If you feel uncomfortable in your room for whatever reason then you can always let a member of staff know and they will help you out.

As for your stuff, there is usually always as far as I am aware, a safe for your belongings. Make sure to bring your own lock as you often have to pay for one. I have never heard of or personally had any problems with things going missing. But be aware and use your locker for important things.

Will you be experiencing life in a hostel anytime soon? I definitely recommend it! If your first experience isn’t great, don’t be put off because they will not all be the same. Like most accommodation, some hostel stays are spectacular while others are nothing to write home about. Also, I’d like to point out that the hostels I’ve stayed in have only been in Europe and the UK. Hostels all around the world can differ greatly but many offer great experiences. Let me how your life in a hostel goes!