Hostel reviews

It might surprise some people that I’m a hostel enthusiast considering I write about ‘fabulous travel’. Whether it’s been years since you’ve stayed at a hostel or you’ve always avoided them, you’re probably envisioning dirty, crowded, noisy places that make you feel all icky. Super-budget hostels like this still exist, but on the whole, hostels have changed radically in the past decade. They’ve upped their game, with chic interiors, plush bedding, cute cafés and stylish bars that you’d actually want to hang in. I even stayed at The Yellow Hostel in Rome which has its own hair salon. The good ones are usually way more fabulous than your alternatives if you’re travelling on your own: a very budget hotel or Airbnb.

I was a late convert to hostels. When I decided to start solo travelling in 2014, I knew I couldn’t afford a hotel room by myself and the thought of returning to a room on my own every night made me a little sad. I decided to give hostels a try, figuring that if I looked hard enough I should be able to find ones that were ok. I also hoped that even though I was in my 30s, my colourful hair would help me pass for someone in my 20s. What I discovered was an abundance of awesome hostels in so many destinations – and a lot of solo travellers my age and even older.

Hostels have really become a passion point for me and I am so keen to convert people who think they can’t afford to go travelling that they are a really fabulous solution if you’re on a budget. I love hostels so much, I have even worked on the Social and Content teams at both Generator and Hostelworld in the past. So trust me when I say, you should give the hostels reviewed below a try.