Sleep and Hostel Etiquette

Lately sleep has been on my mind more often than usual.

 

Mainly because I haven't been getting a full nights sleep for awhile now!

 

I've been caught up working two jobs and going back to school to takes some fun classes. Going to take the last Advanced Spanish class the college offers and finally going to take Mandarin Chinese! Been wanting to try to attempt the language for a few years now.

 

Anyway, with all this stress, working a lot, and the (very hot and humid) weather, it's all contributed to my insomnia, which I don't think I've ever had before. And I'm exhausted. I miss falling asleep early! :-)

 

And I got to thinking, with all the hostel stays I've had while traveling, there have been experiences where I had a hard time getting rest and relaxation after an adventurous day exploring a new city.

 

Normally my motto when it comes to sleep and travel is this: Sleep is for home! Life is short and I don't want to spend my traveling days sleeping! And since travel makes me the happiest, my body adjusts quickly and I get the most out of my trips.

Here are some of my thoughts and experiences.

 

A quick rest before New Years festivities in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica (December 2010).
 

Like most backpackers and solo travelers, you want to save money and make sure you are secure but have fun, make friends, and stay safe.

 

An option that most people like is to pick is a dorm with plenty of beds. One of the options I usually look at first when I travel. The dorm with the most beds = the cheapest option when staying at a hostel. You save money and chances are you'll make a new friend or two! But with this option, you do not have your privacy and you either like your roommates or not. I feel there should be rules in how you carry yourself AND realize you are not the only one in the room. And your actions should reflect that. I've been fortunate enough to have become really good friends with the majority of the travelers I've roomed with. Those relationships are the best because no one understands you better than another traveler. :-)
 

Definitely not a room to just put yourself first (minus safety-wise of course). You must think of others before any actions that you take. For one, if you need to leave the hostel at 5 in the morning, please please have everything ready and set the night before so you do not end up waking your roommates while rummaging through your belongings or turning on ALL the lights. -For the most part, I've only experienced this a few times, but those few times were not pleasant!

 

SNORING is a big one! I actually never stayed in a room with loud snorers until my most recent trip to Guatemala this past December/January. Every night there was a new buddy snoring! I understand it's not something you can really control and for the most part, all these guys snoring were actually sick, but IF you are sick, I think it's only fair to pick a room with less beds. I didn't get any sleep that whole trip*. Am I right or wrong? Let me know! Of course it's not in the rules when you book a room but common courtesy, right?

*I'll get into my sleep deprivation experience in my next post.

 

I don't need to get into any details about this - DO NOT STEAL FROM YOUR ROOMMATES. If you plan on staying in a 10-bed dorm, bring locks just in case the hostel does not provide lockers. I haven't come across this and I am so thankful! Let's all be good and honest travelers okay!!

 

I understand all humans have needs but after talking to many people I have met through the years on my adventures, they ALL agree that it is DEFINITELY NOT okay to bring a one-night-stand or multiple stands or multiple partners into a room with other travelers in there. It's wrong, not just because you have roommates but what about your morals and what it says about you! We want to think good of everyone. I'm not saying to not do this at all because that's no ones business but please just keep it in a single dorm!! Keep it private. And please protect yourselves. YOU SHOULD HEAR SOME OF THE STORIES I HAVE WITH EXPERIENCING THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR!

 

Oh and we can't forget about the partiers! You do realize you take the chance with your sleep by staying at a hostel but for the most part I'm fortunate that I've been able to sleep through everything minus the snoring! Just don't come into the room yelling and outta control! :)

 

 Returning to my hostel dorm at 5:30am in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I was EXHAUSTED! And yes I returned as quiet as a mouse. (February 2009) I was never a party girl growing up but I did go out once just for my travel partner at the time, who did like to party. Buenos Aires does have an exceptional night life for those who are into going out all night.
 





 Did I forget something? What have you experienced in a hostel that made you feel uncomfortable or lose sleep over?



PROS Vs. CONS of Hostels

Oh the hostel.

 

The good. The bad. The parties. The solitude. The pleasant and not so pleasant roommates. To share a room or not to share a room. Location. Location. Location.

 

A forever hot topic to us travelers.

 

And the "Why are you staying in hostels?" topic for the non-travelers.

 

And I am here to say enough with the bad rap of hostels!

 

Sure there are some I would never stay in and have had to stay in, but some really aren't that bad and are actually just perfect for us budget travelers. The locations of most hostels, in my opinion, are better than hotels themselves. You are near tons of action and probably closer to more 'off the beaten path' activities and neighborhoods that you may not see by staying at a hotel.

 

A hostel is good for all ages. I've seen the late teens staying there through adults in their 40's, even early 50's.

 

Not every hostel is a 'party' hostel. And some may even label them as such but are not loud enough so that you can actually get a good nights sleep for those who travel for the culture and not the nightlife.

I've made a PROs and CONS list to show what is always on my mind when I look for a place to stay when I travel. Having a CONS list does not make me want to 'not stay in hostels' but it actually makes me well aware of where I am staying and to make good decisions. Some hostels are just better than others. That's a given. I keep this list in mind when I look at places to stay because 1) I'm a solo female traveler and 2) Safety is #1 to me so I am always prepared for the worst.

PROS

Affordable
Location
Make new friends
Get advice from other travelers
Cheaper tours
Able to book buses/transportation/taxis
Lockers
Some hostels have fun activities planned
Helpful, fun, and trustworthy staff
Storage rooms
Free Wifi
Restaurant/Kitchen
Safe ?
                                                                           

 

CONS

 

Cleanliness

Sharing a room up to 10 beds

Shared bathroom with multiple rooms

*Roommates and their 'guests'

Uncomfortable beds

No lockers

May not be a great location

**Expensive during celebrations

Does not offer most amenities

Loud roommates at night and early morning

Lights turned on at night

***Untrustworthy staff

Not Safe ?

 

*The one thing I am definitely not a fan of are having roommates who bring significant others or people they have just met 'for the night' into a shared room. I have experienced this quite a few times and it ALWAYS makes the whole room uncomfortable. It's obvious. What you do is your choice but please, please if you plan on doing this (which I'm against people not respecting themselves), get a private room.

 

**For example, I was in Brazil during Carnival one year and the hostel jumped from $13 to $75 a night just for that week alone. So you're basically paying hotel prices for a hostel room with less amenities. You eat the costs but hopefully you have a great time despite!

 

***Always be wary of the staff until you get comfortable. I had to pay for something and gave money to one of the guys working that day. I discovered I needed to pay a little bit more so I turned my back to get the remainder cash, handed it to him, and he basically hid the money I gave him and said I didn't give him anything. I HAVE NEVER LIED ABOUT HIDING ANYTHING AND HAVE NEVER STOLEN FROM ANYONE IN MY LIFE so this was a complete shock to me. I was getting a little emotional and he told me 'I didn't have to worry about paying the remainder balance.' So not only did he lie and try to steal money from me, he made it sound like he was forgiving me for not paying him. So just be careful. This happened in Antigua, Guatemala at the hostel: El Hostel. It may have a 92% positive rating on hostelworld.com but I would AVOID staying here if possible.

 

?Safe or Not Safe, that is the question. Some hostels have guards. And some don't. Some keep their gates locked at all times and some don't even have gates. Always research the area you are staying in and the safety of the hostel itself. What they do to make sure nothing bad happens.

 

My 10 bed Mixed Dorm at Luna's Castle Hostel in Panama City, Panama. Funny that it was a 'mixed' dorm because I ended up rooming with 9 guys! Of course I was extrememly cautious but they ended up being like brothers to me and made sure I was safe and sound.

Now if you look at the list, they are pretty equal. That doesn't mean my argument is lost. What I mainly wanted to get across is that not all hostels are created equal. Some you are glad you stayed in and others you wished you never laid eyes on. But if you notice, I didn't post anything that should alarm you to think twice about staying in hostels. Everything, I think, is considered normal.

 

This list should be looked at the same way for hotels. Not all hotels were created equal. Sometimes you end up spending quadruple or more for a night in a hotel room but whose to say that the room is clean? Safe? Trustworthy?

 

 

Did I miss something on the list? What experiences (good and bad) have you had? Hostel or Hotel?