The experience of staying in a hostel is quite different from staying in a hotel. There are certain rules to follow, many of them related to the sense of community that is so strong in standard hostels. While in a hotel you have your own room, most things (if not everything) are shared in hostels, so it’s important to remember your fellow guests.
There are certain things you should never do while staying as a guest in a hostel. Most of them come down to common sense and respect for others. Check them out in the article below!
10 Expect Others To Look After Your Belongings
Hostels typically lack many of the luxuries that you’d get at a hotel or at home. If your mom still tidies your room, you better figure out how to keep your own belongings in order before you go to a hostel.
It’s imperative that you look after your own luggage while staying at a hostel. If you don’t, you risk losing them. Good hostels will have locker space that guests can make use of, but if you just leave your stuff sprawled on the dorm floor, anything can happen to it.
9 Forget That People Can Hear You Do Everything
Usually, hostels are not overly spacious. The rooms are quite small so people tend to invade each other's spaces. That means you should always assume that people can hear you. This is especially true if you’re sleeping in the same dorm.
You might think that you can get away with a little late-night activity, whatever that might be, but just know that nobody is being fooled. Even if they’re too polite to mention it in the morning, they definitely know what you’re getting up to.
8 Have A Wild Party Inside The Hostel
You will probably have an amazingly good time while you’re a guest at a hostel. There will be endless opportunities to party during your travels. Sometimes, the hostel itself will put on a socializing event or organize a pub crawl. It’s okay to have fun but it’s not okay to throw a wild party inside the hostel.
Remember that it’s a communal space that other people are using for sleep. Even if you’re staying with a fun-loving bunch of people, they probably won’t appreciate it if you hold a huge bonanza and invite a bunch of strangers into their space.
7 Disrupt People Who Are Sleeping
The number one thing that you don’t want to do while a guest in a hostel is disrupting people who are sleeping. There’s nothing more annoying than having your sleep disturbed, especially when you are exhausted from traveling.
If you’re staying in a dorm, try to make as little noise as possible after around 11 p.m. This means avoiding packing all your things loudly and having conversations. Also, avoid turning on the lights at this time. You probably won’t be well-liked if you disrupt everybody’s sleep!
6 Use All The Food In The Kitchen
One of the great things about staying at a good hostel is the kitchen facilities. Rather than having to eat out every night (which can be expensive), you can enjoy some home-cooked meals. While there are some communal ingredients provided in the kitchen, it’s rude to use all of it up.
If you’re the one to use the last of the salt or sugar, most experts advise replacing it. It’s also a good idea to avoid hogging all the communal ingredients like that. Remember that the kitchen facilities are there for everyone to enjoy.
5 Leave Your Dishes Around
Speaking of hostel kitchen etiquette, another mistake you shouldn’t make is leaving your dishes around. Even if you plan to clean them later, something will come up and the dishes will be left taking up space. Furthermore, other guests will be surrounded by dirty dishes.
Leaving dirty dishes for long amounts of time is a good way to attract rodents and vermin. It also makes the kitchen smell and stops other people from using those same dishes that are meant to be for everyone.
4 Leave Your Belongings Lying Around
If you want to be a good guest in a hostel, it’s important to not only keep track of your own belongings but to also make sure that you don’t leave them lying in other people’s space. Having your bags and spilling belongings on the ground could create a hazard, especially for people walking in the dark.
While it can be hard to fit all your luggage neatly under your bed or in your locker, leaving them lying around just means other people have less space, both to move and to store their own belongings.
3 Spend Ages In The Bathroom
The bathroom situation in a standard hostel, whether it's in Tokyo or Amsterdam, is often very different from a hotel. There’s a decent chance the bathroom will be shared, so it’s a good idea to brush up on some bathroom etiquette. That means that, if possible, try to avoid spending an overly long time in the bathroom.
Obviously, sometimes long stints in the bathroom can’t be helped. But don’t just waste time in there when other people need to make use of the room. Also, if the bathroom floods, please tell someone.
2 Be Rude Or Hostile Toward Others
Travelers often choose to stay in hostels over hotels, not just because they’re cheaper options, but because there’s a much greater sense of community. Hostels are great for making friends and meeting new people. Generally, most people you meet in hostels will be friendly and willing to get to know someone new. It is definitely not the place to be rude or hostile.
You don’t have to attend any of the organized social events if you don’t want to, but in general, you’ll have a better time if you’re polite and friendly towards others.
1 Eat Potent-Smelling Food In The Dorm
There are a number of things you shouldn’t do in a hostel dorm. You shouldn’t loudly pack your belongings while people are sleeping. You shouldn’t treat it like a private bedroom. Furthermore, you definitely shouldn’t treat it like a kitchen by bringing odorous food inside.
Other guests definitely won’t appreciate you eating hot currywurst or pickled herring only paces away from their beds. Especially those with sensitive noses! Leave the food in the kitchen and treat the dorm as a sleeping space.