How to Use Hostelworld
Discover how to use Hostelworld to find the best hotels and accommodation around the world. Hostelworld is THE best resource for evaluating reviews, discovering new places and even meeting other travellers. If you are planning a backpacking trip, you will most likely be using Hostelworld at some stage during your trip. So, discover some of the platform’s best features to help you get started!
Contents
Table of Contents
Using Hostelworld to Find the Best Hostels
STEP 1: Discovery
Hostelworld Blog
Did you know that Hostelworld actually has a blog, and is not just a search engine? The blog is a fantastic starting point for your hostel research. Navigate to the blog page, and search for the ‘Best Hostels‘ tab.
Whilst they don’t have every city in the world listed, they do have major backpacking destinations across Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas. Each article lists around five or six great hostels in the city for different purposes. This is a great starting point, and will save you so much time in sorting through each individual search result.
The best part is that you are able to discover hostels based on the type of traveller you are. If you know you love partying, look for their best party hostel. If you are new to solo travelling, look for their best hostel for solo travellers. Pick the ones that stand out to you, and open them in a separate tab.
Search Function
Of course, another option is to use the main Hostelworld search function. Enter your destination and travel dates to bring up all available accommodation. This method takes more time to filter through results, however you may just find a hidden gem.
To narrow down your search, use the available filters. Filter by star rating to eliminate any hostels with particularly poor reviews. I recommend filtering for hostels rated eight stars or above, if possible. Additionally, if you already have a set budget for each night, add this into the average price per night filter. This will eliminate any hostels that are outside of your price range. Have a look through what options are left, and see if any stand out to you! Open whichever ones stand out to you in a separate tab.
STEP 2: Elimination
Reviews
Look through the reviews for each of the hostels you have picked out. If you have filtered by star rating, you are less likely to find a lot of negative reviews. However, one important consideration is how many reviews the hostel has. It could be a new property, with only a few positive reviews. Who knows, they could have been left by a family member or close friend! So, I recommend only booking properties with a good amount of reviews in order to ensure an unbiased rating.
Eliminate any options which either have few reviews or a lot of negative ones.
Map
Always check the map before booking a hostel. You don’t want to end up staying somewhere that is far from the centre of town, where you have to spend extra time and money commuting to the main attractions. Alternatively, you also do not want to be staying in an unsafe area of a city. Checking if there are other hostels or hotels around can give an idea of whether this area is popular with tourists.
This is an important stage to do some external research. Unfortunately, Hostelworld does not provide information on which areas to stay in different cities. But, there are plenty of travel blogs online that will give you this information. Search for both best neighbourhoods to stay in your chosen destination and also worst neighbourhoods. This will help you evaluate the location of your hostel.
Eliminate any hostels that are not in a suitable location in your destination.
Facilities
Check what facilities, amenities and services are available at the remaining hostels. This will depend on your destination and type of traveller you are. But, some things to look for are:
Basics: Internet, luggage storage and lockers
Social activities organised by the hostel
Kitchen and laundry facilities onsite
Included breakfast or onsite cafe
Included towels and bedding
Onsite facilities such as pool or bar
Know which amenities you will want in each place and eliminate any hostels which do not provide these options. For example, maybe you are travelling somewhere hot and would like a pool onsite. Or, maybe you are going hiking and will be needing to wash some stinky clothes afterwards.
STEP 3: Connect
Download the App
Hostelworld has a great app that allows you to both book on the go and also connect with other travellers. Once you have booked your accommodation, you will be able to join chats for both your chosen hostel, as well as the destination city. The hostel chat is particularly good for seeing what events will be hosted during your stay. This way, you will be able to connect with other travellers ahead of time! Arriving into a new city not knowing anyone can be daunting, and Hostelworld is the only booking platform actively addressing this.
Another fantastic feature of the platform is that you are able to RSVP to meetups. For example, if a group are wanting to go on a day trip, you can respond to the event to go along with them. Trust me, this is one of the best features for shy people like myself!
You can learn more about the app and download from the App Store via the Hostelworld website.
BONUS
Roamies by Hostelworld + G Adventures
One of Hostelworld’s newer features is its partnership with G Adventures. G Adventures is one of the biggest group travel companies in the world. What I love most about this operator compared to other companies is their strong focus on sustainable adventure travel. They focus on building strong relationships with local communities, by providing G for Good experiences around the world. Not only does this provide a more enriching travel experience for you, but also ensures that you are supporting local communities in each of the places you visit.
So, if you want to skip the hostel booking process altogether, then booking an organised tour instead is the perfect option! You can book a Roamies trip in Europe, Asia, South America or Central America. You will be able to stay in social hostels, and travel with a group of like-minded people in your chosen destination. However, all the accommodation, transport and most activities will be organised for you.
This is such a fantastic option if you are either new to solo travel or backpacking, or just hate the process of planning a trip yourself! Even if you are looking to travel solo, I still recommend looking through the itineraries provided to get some inspiration for your trip.
