So you and your buddy have decided to hit London. Choosing the right Hostel can either make or break your Summer Break. Choose wisely, and your Hostel will take up about 5% of your spending, and give you 50% of your fun. Choose poorly, and your stay will be fraught with avoiding the bigger than average size London rat, dealing with a Nazi proprietor, hoping your stuff doesnt get stolen, sleeping in an un-airconditioned sardine can and dragging your ass around town trying to find a decent Wi-Fi connection.
Over the past 15 years, I have stayed in all manner of Hostels, all over the world. I have stayed everywhere from the most opulent in the Scottish Highlands, to the scariest in the ghettos of Washington DC and Berlin. Over the coming weeks, I will give you the reader a few tips and pointers about what to seek out and embrace, and what to avoid like the plague.
Today, I am going to concentrate solely on the social, fun side of things. Ever heard a lot of conflicting reports from friends who have done the Hostel trip? Some people come back raving about how kick-ass their Hostel was, some people come back saying it was like living in a morgue for a week.
Rule one. When booking your Hostel online, use a good reputable site to do so. I don't use online sites anymore, because I basically know every joint on the freakin continent. YOU however, might want to search online first. Try Hostelworld.com or something similar.
Rule two. Think about what sort of people you are travelling with. Are you all from Utah? Do you feel that alcohol, music and pre marital fornication are the devils associates? If so, look for a place that claims to be alcohol free, or has a curfew on the front door. They may say "We are extremely uncool!" Or, they may simply say; "We have a no alcohol policy." Either way, if a place doesn't say anything about Boozing and partying, it probably doesn't discourage them.
Rule three. Obey your instincts as soon as you walk in the door. Ive stayed at some places, where evrybody tends to mope around like they are inmates in a Russian Gulag. Places where most of the people sit silently clutching their laptops for both security and as their sole means of entertainment. If you walk into one of these places, turn around and run away like the track star you could have once been. If you are unwilling to forfeit the 10% deposit you paid online, or you are just too tired to go elsewhere, then stay for that night, and spend your time looking for an alternative. Seriously, these places tend to suck in those travellers who are content to tolerate second best. Its how they make their money.
Rule four. Look for places that seem to have a lot of chilled folks sitting around with cheap beer cans brought from the local supermarket. If you walk in and hear or see two geeks from Akron, Ohio giving some niiiice chat to some fine Scandinavian cats, you know you have found a place where even YOU may get laid.
Rule four. The owners/managers. Do they give you a loooong spiel about all the rules and regulations, when all you want to do is sit down for one second and relax? If yes, then that place sucks and will only get worse. Do they sit back in their chair behind the desk playing music and generally doing as little 'work' as you would do in that situation? If yes, then things are looking bright. Do they shuffle around in shapeless tracksuit pants with a tired, grumpy and resigned expression on their face? If they do, its because they hate their role, they hate their life, and by extension, they really really hate you.
This is just a really basic guide for now. In a few days, I'll elaborate and recount a few stories from hostel life in London and maybe elsewhere.
Until then...
JtG
