Hostel Etiquette: Unwritten rules for the road

Hostels can be great places to stay, almost always offering better location, price, and safety than cheap hotels for about same price. In some cases, hostels even out-class hotels twice as expensive but hostels come with a highly social atmosphere that relies on people following some basic unspoken rules. This is my take on hostel etiquette based on my recent trip through Russia and the hostels there.

The basics are simple: Be considerate, clean, and quiet. That means...

1. Be quiet after 11pm. People are trying to sleep.
2. Be quiet and if you need to leave early, pack up the night before.
3. Plastic bags are especially hated because of the loud noise they make. Do not rustle through your bags in the dorms.
4. Also related to sleep: Leave the light alone if you're coming in late or leaving early. If it's dark and the light is off, don't touch! This is where a small flashlight or mobile phone screen should be used: Keep it pointed down and head straight to your bed. Once you are in bed, turn it off or cover up the light with a blanket.
5. Use your alarm sparingly, and double check to prevent false alarms. No one likes being woken up at 5am because you forgot to turn your alarm off. There are times when we have to wake up early, but in these cases keep the sound down to the minimum and keep your alarm close to you so you can turn it off right away. 
6. Shoes off at the door, especially if it's wet.
7. Keep showers short. The hot water is for everyone and often runs out, especially in more remote places. 5-10 minutes, tops. If you need more time, use it in the afternoon.
8. If there is a public computer, the same rules as with showers apply: If you need to do something lengthy, wait until people have left for the day and use it then.
9. Shower every day. No exceptions.
10. Clean your own dishes. No exceptions.
11. If you make a mess, clean it up. No exceptions.
12. Smelly food and food with allergens, like nuts, should not be consumed in the dorm.
13. Wash your clothes when you get the chance, especially on longer trips. Many hostels offer to let you use their washing machine for a couple bucks. This is not something to skimp on.
14. Ask for fresh sheet every couple of days if you're there for awhile.
15. When you leave, pull the sheets of your bed and make it easy for the staff. Ask them what is best or them. It's just being nice.
16. "Get a room", if appropriate (I hope that doesn't need more explanation).
17. Don't take other people's stuff, period. It's not yours.
18. And a special message for Guitar Guy: No. Unless you are phenomenally good (like Denis, the guy who runs Ulan-Ude Hostel), put it away. We all know you're just using it to pick up girls.

Lastly, a hostel is a cross road for many people heading in many different directions, and with different levels of experience. The last and perhaps most important rule of hostel etiquette is don't brag or boast. One of the least attractive aspects of hostels is the atmosphere of rabid one-upsmanship that can evolve between moderately travelled people. Sharing stories is one thing and part of the hostel experience, but any sentence that starts with, "That sounds nice, but have you been to...." is likely boasting. Don't do it.


Another way to boast is to make people feel stupid about their choices. Being extremely negative about a place you've been to is an easy way to do this. You never know if one of your fellow traveler is about to do what you just did. A common form of this is after someone has mentioned they're going to a popular and easily accessible place, someone will interject with, "...it's just a tourist trap. Now, the REAL thing to do is...", followed up by someplace that is completely inaccessible for the original speaker. This is not helpful and detracts from their experience. If you do offer advice, make sure it's about how to make their experience better while still letting them explore the place for themselves. 


So, what to do if you really didn't like it on some visceral level? What it comes down to is that it's okay to say that you personally didn't enjoy it so long as you avoid phrasing it in absolutes. There is a huge difference between, "That place is horrible, no one should go there" and "It didn't really do anything for me, but I hope that you like it."


In the end, this is just about respecting that other people are on their own journeys. Hostels at their best foster a community of people who can share meaningful stories, observations, and tips to enhance those journeys, but some people take it as an opportunity to prove that they are the alpha traveler. Don't be that person.