Hostels that bad?

Its been 40 years since I stayed there, but the YHI hostel in Rome was great. It consists of the over 300 beds, housed in the Olympic Village (for the 1960 Summer Olympics). The facilities were clean (and based on their web site, still popular) and not too far from the important sights of Rome (and of course served by the local bus system). I stayed in many younth hostels will traveling that year of 1968...Rome was one of my favorites (closely followed by Garmish P in Germany).

christy, my position is to take Hostel reviews "with a grain of salt". Every traveller has their own expectations and perceptions, and what might seem perfectly normal for one person is sometimes perceived very negatively by another person. Your "laid back" attitude is the right attitude for travel; one has to be flexible to some extent. As Rick says in his books "if something isn't to your liking, then change your liking"!

Regarding Hostels, there are many good properties and some not-so-good and a bit "dodgy". Generally speaking, the "chain" Hostels such as H.I. are fairly predictable, and the facilities should be somewhat uniform in any of their properties. Most provide a Sleep Sheet (with built-in pillowcase) in the cost of the room, and many provide breakfast.

Regarding camping, that's not something I would ever use. Often the campsites are located some distance outside the major centres, so transportation to and from has to be allowed for. This also means carrying the extra weight and bulk of sleeping bags, tents, stoves and other assorted kit. Note that sleeping bags will most likely NOT be allowed in Hostels, due to the possibility of "cross contamination" and bed bugs.

If you provide a list of cities that you'll be visiting, perhaps the group here could provide suggestions on good lodgings to use.

Happy travels!

Ken,
We will be staying in dublin, london, amsterdam, st goar, gimmelwald (all booked)locarno(family). i am looking into venice, florence, rome, and the ct. paris is booked.
amping for venice doesnt seem worth it because we have to pay to travel into the city but staying in the city is very expensive so im not sure. I think florence we will stay at camping michealangelo because it is close and the views are supposed to be great. it includes a bed and tent so nothing on our part will be needed (we wont be bringing any camping equipment) rome im looking into still, but i heard staying by the train station can be unsafe and i want to feel safe being out late. CT id like to camp anyway. let me know what you think. o the hostels i booked are Jaccobs inn in dublin, Palmer's Lodge in London, Hotel Anne Marie in AMS, Hostel St. Goar in st goar, and mountain hostel in gimmelwald. i went off of location and security and a lot off of price
thanks

I've camped and stayed in hostels throughout Ireland, UK, Spain, France, and Italy and only had one bad experience in London. However, that was mostly due to sharing a room, which I have not done since. I found it is definitely worth the extra money to have a private room but I never splurge on the private bathroom.

The Michaelangelo Campground in Florence was by far my favorite. The only campsite I've stayed at that was within walking distance of the city. Also, as you mentioned they provide the tents, beds and linens...and because the site is on a hilltop, you get a wonderful view of Florence down below.

I've just come back from 5 months in Europe, and spent a lot of it hostelling, being a student and all...
I used Hostelworld all the time, and generally I found that any hostel with a review of over 75% to be good hostels. I tended to book hostels with a star beside it becuase I was almost guranteed a great place. Don't let individual reviews scare you off, look at the reviews/rating as a whole.

Some udner 75%'s were fine, some were pretty bad, it tends to be a mixed bag.

I am going to be staying at my first hostel next month. I am kind of nervous about it. I have never stayed at a place where I have to go down the hall for the restroom. I did splurge to get a single room but the singles with ensuite w/c were sold out so I have to go down the hall.

It has an overall rating of 87%(Lybeer Travellers Hostel in Bruges) so I am hoping it will be ok. I did see some reviews about the w/c being dirty and gross. I am looking at this as an adventure.

You will get all kinds of comments on hostels. Every traveler is different and reacts differently. I have stayed in 20 hostels from Asia to E Europe.

Never been abused in one. I expect average accommodations and so I am pleased when I find facilities better, but never disappointed when facilities are below expectations.

I have considered every one a bargain and priced according to amenities. Best part of hosteling is meeting people and especially families with young kids, but some people may not not consider those travelers to be best.

I am in the group of travelers who considers travel to be adventure and wants to experience each country; therefore I never stay in a hotel and I always ask locals where they eat and I go there.

Christy, you made some good points. I won't point my finger at it being an "American " thing, but perhaps it is a North American thing. Frankly, ( and this does not mean YOU) , alot of young folks are really spoiled. Mommy and daddy have always paid for everything , bought their cars, pay for their college( and the kids don't even have to work) education, and take them on deluxe family holidays every year. They are used to their parents paying for the nice room for them at the Hilton, or the their own cruise cabin, NOW.. off on their own( and btw we met two 23 yr olds whose parents were even paying for their entire Europeon vacation) nickel they discover a whole new world. A world where yes, 50 bucks doesn't get you much at all. On family vacations 50 bucks is what dad spent to get the family all an ice cream and a soda at Disneyland,,, LOL , now that is their entire nights accomadation budget,, shockaroo!

I can understand being unhappy with dirt or bugs, or of course being somewhere where you feel unsafe, but, you are correct, a hostel is a hostel. Not a hotel, there are no little soaps and individual shampoos in the washroom, and yes, if it is shared toilet the fellow ahead of you may have peed on the seat( pig,LOL) .. but you have a good attitude so I think you will be fine. Roll with the punches. Some of the stuff you will encounter will make great stories LATER!LOL
I stayed at a hotel in Greece with shared toilets, where you had to place all USED toilet paper in a wastepaper basket , it was not to be flushed at all. The wastepaper basket was directly in front of the toilet. The basket was made from WIRE, which means you had full view of contents.. that was hell,, LOL , funny now, but oh my, this little Canadain girl was going to throw up ....LOL

Do read reveiws, and as pointed out, look for the " gist" of it,, if every review is negative, stay away, if only a few are really damming, then ignore them.. you will survive. All that matters is your safety.

Hey everyone
thanks for the great responses! im glad im not the only one who thinks people can overreact. i also want to apologise for the comment about it being americans who leave all the bad comments...its everyone, i guess ive just been hearing a lot about how europeans think we are rude tourists and when reading i was like "this is partialy why". so im glad im going with an open mind! and yes, i have been pating for and planning this entire trip by myself.. and with gas and the falling dollar ive had to really sacrifice all year so im sure ill appreciate everything im able to do over there!
ps...pat... i guess it slipped my mind that ill be sharing bathrooms with guys..the pee thing made me laugh...but seriously...ew.. ill look out for that!
thanks!

christy, since you're already booked in Dublin, London, Amsterdam, St. Goar and Gimmelwald, I won't address those. The Mountain Hostel is awesome, I think you'll enjoy your stay! It's great that you have family to stay with in Locarno, but I wanted to mention that there's a really nice HI Hostel there if needed on future trips. I realy enjoyed Locarno. If you get the chance, take the trip up to Cardada and have a beer on the restaurant patio that overlooks Locarno. The Franciscan Madonna del Sasso Church is really interesting also.

I can't offer any suggestions for Venice or Florence, as I stayed in budget Hotels in those cities (got the listings from Rick's books). However, in Rome you might consider Alessandro Palace. It's an easy 7 minute walk from Termini, and I didn't find the area dodgy at all. It's actually quite nice, with lots of local restaurants (including some that provide discounts for Hostel guests). There's also a downtown Alessandro location, but I've never stayed there so can't comment. I found the Palace location to be clean and well run. The 4-bed Dorm room I stayed in was very modern, with electronic card access (the card also activated the electrics in the room), and each room had a washroom. Breakfast is provided (a bit spartan) and there's Internet on the main floor beside the reception desk. The Lockers in the rooms weren't "lockable", but there were some steel Lockers near Reception that could be locked.

The "official" Hostel in the C.T. is in Manarola, and from my observation it's clean and well run. However, they do have a strict Lockout during the day, which is a problem for me as I like to sometimes come back to the room for a rest. You could also consider private rooms (Riomaggiore?) as the cost might not be much higher. I used Mar-Mar Rooms and was very pleased with the facilities.

Good luck and happy travels!

Well, its been darn near, but not quite 40 years, but I remember liking the the Hostel in Florence, but it was out of town. You could take a bus, but I remember one day we hitched into town. Maybe not such a good idea today! Maybe not a good idea then either. ; ) In Venice we stayed in a hostel that was not in the main section, but the vaporetto wasn't expensive. I thought Venice was magical and so want to go back.

Pam

Christy, I would highly recommend Archi Rossi hostel in Florence. It was a wonderful, well-run, clean place with no bedbugs nor rude staff. I think it was my favorite part of Florence, actually.

Ron, I'm curious to know if you've ever stayed in a hostel. I reread your posts, and can't find any information about any actul experience you might have had--just your opinions. Maybe I was lucky and stayed at some pretty nice hostels (Madrid, Lucerne, Florence, Dublin, etc.), but my experiences have been wonderful. Great, friendly, clean places (even in big cities!) where I met a lot of fun and interesting people from around the world, and even got a good night's sleep. Yes, I agree a hostel experience is different for everyone, depending on the person, but I also think people jump to conclusions about hostels without ever setting foot in one, and that paints a pretty poor--and sometimes incorrect--picture.

Yes Ron, I 'd love it if you could tell me more about the typhoid epidemics in the hostels in Europe,, LOL

Ron,
Wow...i have never heard of anyone going to paris or london and coming back with TB, or cancer?...I hope you are joking because that is just rediculous...have you stayed in European hostels?

Ron....Not only are your comments about European hostels incorrect, they are ignorant and insulting. To suggest that western U-S hostels are somehow "cleaner" than those in Europe, to suggest that European hostels are wallowing in germs shows a complete lack of knowledge of the hostelling scene today. And I won't even comment on your statements that, in European hostels, "there is more of a variety of kinds of people...therefore there is a risk of more of a variety of problems," yet visitors to hostels on the U-S west coast "all are very nice and healthy people." Your errroneous and unwarranted scare tactics do nothing to contribute to the purpose of this board.

Christy, to add to the discussion about "cleanliness", I've stayed in number of Hostels over the years (predominantly H.I. properties) and for the most part they were very clean, as was Alessandro Palace in Rome (which is not part of the H.I. network).

To provide some examples, Alessandro and the H.I. Hostels in York and Locarno had professional cleaning staff go through the rooms in the mid-morning and afternoon, when the guests were out sightseeing (although they don't have a "lockout", they tend to prefer the guests not to get in their way when they're working).

So far I haven't been afflicted with bedbugs, lice or any nasty diseases. However, I suppose there's always the possibility of contracting something when travelling, as one is often in contact with people from all over the world. Keep in mind also that according to recent news reports, many Hotels here in North America have been dealing with an increase in bed bug infestation (have a look at hotels.about.com/od/hotelsecrets/a/bed_bugs.htm. for one report). It can happen anywhere!

Cheers!!!

I'm with Abraham here. I wouldn't go, or I'd be on the street before a hostel. I've traveled without reservations for years and have never been shut out. Two people can always find a room for the same, or near the cost of a hostel. Any town, any time. It isn't an issue of being closed minded about a lack of hot water or sheets. Any traveler who's looked knows you don't have to have a lack of anything at a given price. Hostels are not cheap anymore, but the same dirty, drunk and loud oafs are likely your bunk-mates. By the way, crappy things aren't supposed to happen. And if that is the experience you are going for, I'll treat you worse for less here in my hometown and save you the hassle.

I'm the opposite, I rather stay in a hostel than a cheap hotel, as they usually have good deals and information, and I find it more fun and easier to meet people. I've stayed in my own private hotel room but I found it lonely sometimes at night (this from an only child who can deal with isolation)...those who have stayed at dirty hostels have booked the wrong ones.

I probably wouldn't be too happy staying in a room with 20 people, but that hasn't been my experience so far. For example, at the Hostel in Rome, I was in a four-bed Dorm, so only had to contend with three people. In Locarno it was a six-bed Dorm, so only five other people. Everyone got along and was courteous with the group.

I haven't yet found any two star Hotels that offer a room for about €30 per night. Also, as mentioned in the other post, it's a great place to meet people, especially for those travelling solo.

I think the "bottom line" is that everyone has their own preferences. In my case, I'll continue to stay in Hostels from time-to-time (in combination with budget Hotels from Rick's books).

Cheers!

Abraham, some of the Hostels I've stayed in cost €30 per night in a 4/6 Bed Dorm. The Locarno Hostel was about CHF$35 as I recall. I been travelling solo lately, so these prices are less than what I would have paid for a Hotel room.

As you're travelling with other people, a budget Hotel room is probably just as cost effective as everyone can share the cost of the room, and you also have someone to keep you company. With solo travel I find it's nice to have the opportunity to visit with the group at a Hostel.

I suppose everyone has to use the method that best fits their situation.

Cheers!

Abraham,
All of the hostels that i booked so far are less that 20 euros per person, centrally located, with good ratings even in the big cities. There are pricier hostels but i have had no problem finding rooms for less than 20...and i agree with ken that hostels offer a lot more than just a bed and bathroom... they often include breakfast, have internet, a kitched, common room, and tourist info...and you meet a lot of people. Id rather spend my money on cites and experiences than a room that i dont even plan to be in very much...bottom line, hostels and hotels are completely different and it is a matter of preference...not that one way is a better way of traveling...If it werent for their availability i would not be able to travel as long as i will

I recently found a listing for a Hostel which is a good example that not all Hostels are dodgy and bug-infested. This Hostel is one I would definitely consider staying at, and the prices look quite reasonable, espeially with the Wi-Fi and other facilities that are provided.

Cheers!

Abraham, I take it you are NOT talking from experience here...

I 'd sure like to know about the 3* hotel room ( a triple no less) you found in Paris for 135 dollars,,that is only 86 euros,, BALONEY,, there is no such place.

Please post back, heck we all want that deal.

Abraham, I like to stay inside Paris, the Hotel Emeraude is not only not central, it is not even technically IN Paris, its zipcode is 92100. So as for finding cheap hotels, sure its possible, but you will not find luxury or central for cheap in high season.

Also the reviews I read on it hardly make it sound like anything more then a basic travellodge at best, and a bit seedy at worst. The star system in France does NOT denote level or quality of amenities, but rather affords that certain listed amenities merely be present.

Personally I loved staying in hostels while travelling in Europe. It was a great opportunity to meet fellow travellers and get recommendations for places to go and things to do. I found that a lot of the bad reviews on my hostel booking website were for little things that didnt bother me. After all I was there to see the places not hang around in my room.

I have heard some hostel horror stories from friends so maybe I got lucky. I tried to pick places with the highest approval rating possible and smaller sized dorm rooms so that I wouldnt have too many noisy room mates to contend with.

I would suggest packing some ear plugs in case you share with a snorer (or in one bizarre case I had a sleep shouter).

In general the only thing about hostel living I didnt like was the queue for the bathrooms.

Expectations certainly play a part how tolerant you will be about anything, including lodging. By definition a hostel (youth or elder) will mean shared facilities and the potential for more noise late at night- although we have paid a lot, in hotels, both here and abroad and had loud noise, too!
I chime in because I left a negative review several years ago after a stay in a hostel on Sicily (Taormina). The website was appealing and the hand-drawn map of how to reach it, from the train station, very cute. With three of us, I booked a room ahead for four.

The directions proved inaccurate in terms of distance, to say the least- rather than an easy 10 minutes it was more like a loooong 20, and not easy to find at all. The reservation had been "lost", the person in charge was very cranky, we ended up in a room for 8, the toilet was elevated like a literal throne which is what kept it from sitting in the leaked deposits on the floor. No hot water. The shower was covered in mold, with lots of nagging instructions for how to keep the shower curtain in place so water wouldn't get out. Old boxes of crackers and some tea packets were set out in the morning.

I think my negative review was helpful in this case, because others had been glowingly positive about the friendly staff and cleanliness. Maybe we just had bad luck that week. But I did think the inaccuracies on their website were valid to mention, or at least warn people about.

Christy - the St. Goar hostel is old but great - what a view from there. After mid-July it should be quiet - no more school kids with their classmates on school outings - but take earplugs in case.

The Archi Rossi in Florence is maybe the best hostel I've ever stayed at. Private rooms there are very good, don't know about the larger ones. Excellent location near the station and the sights. Suggest you consider it over the camping experience which likely involves a lot of travel.

Thank You everyone for your advice! I understand that some hostels are crappy... but with all the reviews it seems like some arent that bad but then one really bad review makes me wonder...so im just gonna do some more research before picking the last couple. We booked the campsite in florence and it is supposedly withing walking distance to the city. I think the idea of hostels is great in comparison to hotels and we will be staying in a couple private rooms here and there for a break. I have dormed in college and stayed many nights at my boyfriend's dorm so trust me, i can deal with dirty bathrooms and noise. ill let you all know what i think when i get back!

I have booked my family into 3 different hostels in Holland (2 nights in each) not necessarily because its cheaper, but for the experience. We have 5 weeks in Europe and I want my girls (12+14) to experience a bit of everything. They know that we're not staying at the Hilton (I wish, LOL) and that this trip is all about adventure. I mean really, how else can you sleep in a 13th Century Castle (with indoor plumbing) on a paupers budget? (Castle Assumburg, in Heemskerk, Holland). We leave in just over a week, so I can't give you a review of the experience yet, but I am sure it will be an adventure.

Hostel reviews are like movie reviews, not everyone sees everything the same way. You can, however, glean information from the reviews that will help you decide where to stay. By reading a number of reviews you know what to expect and get an idea whether a place will be right for you.

For example,if the complaint is they only got five minutes of hot water for their shower, you know to expect that and can decide how important a long hot shower is to you.

Hostels run the gamut from party havens to strictly enforced curfews and quiet hours. Because I like clean and quiet, I avoid places where the favorable reviews use words like "party", "dude", or "awesome". Others really want their trip to be a party, so those are the perfect hostels for them.

Since I only want a place to sleep, I would probably be happier where the negative reviews said it was "boring".