Rome has over 100 hostels and budget accommodations. With so many options it becomes difficult to select the right place to stay. In fact, many hostels in Rome require a minimum stay of at least 2 nights. The typical backpacker approach of, “I’ll stay one night, if I don’t like it, I can find another hostel,” doesn’t work with Rome.

Rome is an old, ancient city, in which every square foot is priceless. Keep in mind that most hostels and budget accommodations will be in old buildings and space is in short supply. Rome hostels tend to be small.

Selecting your Rome Hostel:

• How far is the hostel from a metro station? What is in walking distance?
• Are the bathrooms unisex? Will I have a hot shower?
• How big is the kitchen? How many individuals share that same kitchen?
• What are the amenities? Is there a place to hang wet clothes to dry?
• What type of security is offered?  24-hour front desk?  Lockers?

These are great questions to ask before committing yourself to a hostel. In fact, our first mistake occurred after booking a hostel in Rome. Justin and I later found out that they did not have security lockers, or lock the rooms. This was a huge concern.

However, after arriving, checking in, seeing our beds, and chatting in Italenglish, we discovered that an individual sits at the 24-hour front desk monitoring who comes and goes. In fact, after staying out past 10pm (which we did), we needed to hit an entry button on the front door. Then they would verify that the two of us were currently checked in, before pressing the automatic release on the door. Our hostel in Rome was so secure, that we couldn’t believe we had so many previous concerns.

We loved the Color’s Hotel & Hostel in Rome; they even had a rooftop terrace. This offered a great place to relax with a cup of coffee in the morning as we enjoyed the beauty of Rome. The terrace also doubled as a place to hang our laundry to dry. Fortunately, the covering provided keeps Roman Pigeon poop from meeting your fresh and clean threads.  It proved to be a great hostel in Rome.

The Color’s Hotel & Hostel was the perfect location and accommodation for us. We selected our hostel and got lucky. This is a big part of finding a hostel in Rome. Some locations are amazing, while others lead to nights you don’t want to remember. Reading online reviews can be helpful. Try hostels, hostelbookers, hostelworld and hostelz. The reviews can be less accurate than we wish they were.  At the same time, these websites provide information on location and nightly rates.  Sometimes it costs extra money to book through one of these sites.  See if the hostel has their own website.  The hostel booking websites are a good place to start.

Other than that, travel is about risk! Know what you want to do in Rome and then decide where you want to stay, and book it! If you are really adventurous, find a hostel when you arrive. However, in the high season (Mid-May to early September) you might want to book ahead so you don’t sleep outside a Gelato shop near Trevi fountain.

There are thousands of youth hostels for you to choose from when you’re traveling, but they all boil down to two main types – the ‘corporate’ hostel chain, a well-known brand with different branches in different cities (the St Christopher’s, YHA and Wombats of the world), and the independent hostel, normally family-run or set up by a bunch of ex-travelers and with a smaller, more intimate vibe.

But which one to choose? Do you go for the big or the little guys? Many backpackers recoil in horror at the idea of a hostel ‘chain’ – surely that’s against the very spirit of their travel ethos?! Others, meanwhile, like the security and reassurance of a familiar name on a non-stop tour.

With the corporate hostel, you know what you’re getting. It’s like going to Starbucks – you know what that latte tastes like and that’s reassuring. But sometimes an independent hostel can offer the thrill of discovering a new spot, and going off the beaten track is the raison d’etre for some travelers…

Whether you’re for or against a particular style, though, it all comes down to one thing – finding (and staying) somewhere that’s right for you.

Corporate Hostels

The Pros

• There are no surprises – the hostel chains are well-established businesses that have been running for years, so they know what they’re doing. The best hostel chains maintain a good reputation because they all conform to a certain standard of quality and facilities.
• Corporate hostels are often more ‘international’ than smaller hostels, with multilingual professional staff and a 24-hour reception, which is great if you don’t speak the language and bowl up in the middle of the night off a late train. It’s also more likely that you’ll be able to pay on card or with a more convenient currency.
• As the chains are larger and have been running for years, they know what travelers need and what works, so there’s often a wide range of extras and better facilities, from hairdryers and free towels to well-stocked kitchens and guided tours.
• Safety is one of the most important things when all you’ve got is a backpack on your shoulders, and the hostel chains usually make good provisions for security, with lockers in every dorm, safety deposit boxes behind the desk and good padlocks and keys for the rooms.
• Hostel chains are usually larger, busier and geared to young people out for a good time. So you can expect mass-organized events, and a large social space, bar or café, which are great for meeting other backpackers.

The Cons

• Sometimes not every ‘branch’ of hostel is the same in a chain, so you may turn up expecting excellent facilities and huge dorms – and end up with a poky little bed and one hob between sixty people. Basically, just don’t make assumptions that all hostels are equal.
• Big, busy hostels are not for everyone – some backpackers find them too faceless and intimidating, where you feel like one of thousands to the staff. It can also be noisy and hectic if you aren’t up for staying out ‘till 1am every night.
• You might get a better choice of room type at a chain, but very large dorms can lack atmosphere.
• Because hostel chains are well-known, they often have a high turnover at peak times, with guests constantly coming and going like a revolving door.
• Hostel chains can also hike up the rates if they are an established name, especially in high season, so may be more expensive than independent hostels
• If you want to stay somewhere slightly edgy or unique, or away from the city centers of the biggest destinations, standard issue dorms may not fit the bill.

Independent Hostels

The Pros

• Independent hostels are generally smaller, more intimate and have bags of character. Whether they are decorated in quirky style or housed in weird buildings, they make a fun place to stay!
• Smaller hostels, especially if they are family-run, have a more homely atmosphere, which is great for making friends, and when you’re in need of some home comforts on the road.
• Social activities can be on a smaller scale, but are typically more original than the mass pub crawls with corporate hostels specialize in – much easier to make a few firm friends, than a hundred drunken mates you’ll never remember.
• Independent hostels are normally run by a small group of people who experience backpacking and are passionate about travel, so they really care about making your stay memorable. You can get to know the hostel staff well as they tend to get involved, look after you and offer invaluable travel advice.
• Generally speaking, independent hostels are cheaper and it can be easier to get the kind of room you want.
• If the hostel is away from the main tourist district, then you’ll also have the opportunity to get to know a unique part of a destination you wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. Pair this with insider knowledge and tips from the friendly staff and you’ll get to sample the ‘real’ flavor of a place…

The Cons

• When it comes to quality, it’s more of a gamble with an independent hostel. You might not know what you’re getting – especially if you’re somewhere where ‘hot water’ doesn’t come as standard!
• If a hostel is small and family run, it might have less money to spend on maintenance, so may not be up-to-date when it comes to technology and facilities.
• The staff may be a little less professional or knowledgeable, making checking in problematic if you don’t have the right money, or know the same language.
• Independent hostels may not have the same standards or guidelines for security, so there may not be anywhere to store your belongings safely.
• They’re also more likely to retain the traditional lock-out and curfew roles and be less youth-oriented.
• The ‘family’ atmosphere can feel a bit claustrophobic if you’re just after a quick nap.
• If the hostel is in the middle of nowhere and there are no activities going on, you can feel a bit isolated.

The main thing to remember, though, is that every hostel is different… The best thing to do is check out ratings and reviews from other travelers before you go to get a real flavor of the place!

Lauren Smith

When she’s not road-tripping around the USA, Lauren Smith contributes to new blog Hostelbloggers.com, the insiders’ guide to hostels and budget travel. Here she gives us the lowdown on corporate and independent hostels – what are the pros and cons of each

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After examining your bunk, the hostel worker will likely attempt to steer you back towards the front desk. Don’t let them. Although it may be awkward, ask to look at the facilities and amenities. If your lucky, the front desk proctor will be rushed to get back to the desk and will send you off on a solo mission to examine the rest of the hostel at your leisure. Then again, the proctor may want to give you the guided tour. Either way, your next stop should be the closest bathroom to your room. If the proctor is performing a guided tour, ask the following questions.

Questions

1. Is the community bathroom mix gender or segregated by sex?
2. How often are the bathrooms cleaned? What time?
3. How many bathrooms are available on your floor?

You could find these answers on your own, but if the proctor is playing the tour guide, tap into their extensive knowledge of the facilities and make them earn their paycheck.

When you arrive at the bathroom, look into the following.

Number of Showers: If 3 showers are available for you and the other 40 guys on the floor, it may be difficult to find a time to shower. Those showers also become really nasty really fast.

Soap?: Is soap provided at the sinks or will you need to bring your own? A hostel concerned about disease and infections will often provide soap in the hopes that 1 in 5 people will actually wash their hands in the bathroom. Lack of soap in the bathroom means that a lot of people are walking around the hostel with dirty hands. You have been warned.

Hand Towels: Some hostels put hand towels in the bathroom and others do not. If hand towels are changed regularly (at least once a day) this is a nice perk and will keep you from drying your hands on your pants. However, if it is possible to wring water from the hand towels than they are not actually clean and should be avoided at all costs.

Number of Stalls/Urinals: When you need to use the bathroom, standing in a line of 15 girls outside the one stall on your floor is going to be irritating.

Does It All Work?: Confirm that both hot and cold water flow into the sink. Make sure hot and cold water come out of the shower and test the water pressure. Look at the color of the water. Does it look like clean water or is it brown or rust colored? Does the water smell like sulfur or hard minerals? You are going to be soaking your hands and (hopefully) body in this water. Make sure you can stomach it.

Sink Size: How big are the sinks? Will the sinks make washing your laundry a torturous affair that involves spilling soapy water all over the floor, or are the sinks large enough to accommodate washing your pants. Some bathrooms even have a laundry sink (the big stainless steal tub capable of washing a St. Bernard) that makes this process very easy.

Toilet Paper: Is toilet paper provided or will you need to bring your own? Is the toilet paper dispensed in an easy to steal fashion or is it secure? In some places, non secured toilet paper will be quickly stolen. If it is not locked up, you may need to bring your own just to be safe.

Squeaky Clean or Biohazard: Look at the overall bathroom. Can you see hair all over the counters and floors? Are harden globs of toothpaste located around the rim of the sink? Can you see a brown residue in the shower head? Look carefully.

Most community bathrooms are livable and I have never left a hostel because the bathroom triggered my gag reflex. However, know what you can live with and what you cannot. If the bathroom is simply beyond you, move on to the next hostel. The condition of the bathroom may not help to negotiate a reduced nightly price but at least you know what your money is buying for the night.

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While examining your room, ask if guests are allowed to bring in their own bedding (blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, etc.) If guests are allowed to bring in their own bedding be very careful. Most hostels prevent guests from bringing in their own sheets and blankets because they are trying to prevent bedbugs. Hostels that do not practice good biosecurity can easily pass their problems on to you. Bedbugs can get into your skin (seriously), your clothes, and your pack. If you pick them up, getting rid of bedbugs can be more difficult than delicing a kindergarten class after an aggressive attack that started with the smelly kid who sits in the back corner of the class.

Room Inspection

Inspecting a room is all about your personal tolerances. No hostel is perfect and almost every establishment will be irritating from time to time; however,no matter what your standards, be sure to do a thorough room  inspection. If you find parts of your room dissatisfying but livable, it may provide some room to negotiate the price.

1. The Mattress: Lay down on the bed. I know this may feel awkward, but you want to know if the mattress is going to hold your weight. Nothing sucks more than smacking your hips on the hard plywood plank that supports the mattress every time you roll over.
2. Sheets and Blankets: First, take a close look (get your eyes millimeters above the sheets) and see if the sheets are clean. Some hostels are dirty and you should be able to tell if they wash their bedding. Next, examine the quantity of bed coverings. Is there a sheet fitted to the mattress? Is their an additional sheet you can cover up with? Is there a blanket? How long is the blanket, will it cover your body or will your feet be sticking out all night? Remember that most hostels do not regularly wash the blankets. The blanket you will be using tonight was used last night by the guy who only showers once a week. Having something between you and the blanket is just good hygiene. If you want to know what a hostel washes, take a look at the clothes line or what the cleaning person is taking in and out of rooms.
3. The Pillow: Don’t take off the pillow case. You really do not want to see if the pillow is clean or not. This will not help you sleep better. Check to see if the pillowcase is clean. In all likelihood, the pillow will be very very flat. Get used to it.  And don’t steal the pillow from a nearby bunk.  Your neighbor will notice you have two pillows and they have zero.
4. The Floor: Does it look like the floor is allergic to a vacuum? Give the floor a once over and check to see if it is regularly cleaned.
5. Location: Is your room located near a bathroom? Does the bathroom door slam loudly every time someone enters? Is your room situated above a loud club or bar? (I know this sounds extreme but it happens more often than you would think.) Is your room next to the laundry facilities? Do the laundry facilities close at a specified time?
6. Other: Does the room come with a sink? Confirm that both the cold and the hot water work. Does your bunk come with a locker? Be sure the locker can be closed and locked. Does the room have power outlets? Do they work?

Face it. If you want a clean room that is private and quiet, you could cough up enough coin to stay at a hotel. A hostel is not a hotel and will never claim to be anything other than a budget accommodation. If you could afford, or wanted to afford, something else, you would not be staying at a hostel. Nevertheless, you are paying for basic budget accommodations. Do a room inspection and stand up for what you want.

Complaining after you pay for your bunk will always put you at a disadvantage.

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The Kitchen Environment

A hostel kitchen can be a very busy place. At peak meal time (12-2 for lunch 5-7 for dinner) a typical kitchen may contain half of the night’s guest with anywhere from 5-10 meals being prepped and prepared simultaneously. Although not usually dangerous, this can be a frustrating experience. Instead of fighting over that last stove top burner, learn to thrive instead.

1. Early or Late: If most people try to eat dinner between 5 and 7, consider skipping the rush altogether. If you use the kitchen at off peak hours, you will have more access to the limited supply of cookware and you won’t be dancing around your bunk mate to stir your pasta sauce.
2. Read the Signs: Most kitchens are plastered with signs encouraging guest to wash their dishes, label their food, and clean up after themselves. Some hostels have signs that indicate where the FREE food is located or how to operate a tricky stove. Reading the signs will keep you informed and save you from looking like an illiterate bumbler later.
3. Be Polite (Ask Questions): If you don’t know where something is, ask the other people in the kitchen. If you want to use a pot someone has previously used but not wash, ask for it and wash it yourself. If you want to use the last burner on a stove top, ask the Italian girl who is frantically stirring pots on the other three burners and cursing softly to herself. Politeness and civility, with a touch of boldness (consider talking with your hands to the Italian girl) will take care of most issues.
4. Don’t Steal Food: Whether on purpose or on accident, stealing someone’s food, even a little milk, is just not okay. If you need some butter for your corn on the cob, ask someone. In many cases, most people will be more than happy to give you a small amount of almost anything (read: not beer).
5. Clean Up: People will watch how you clean. Seriously. If you wash your fork halfway and put it back with crusty food on it, the other people in the kitchen will notice. They are trying to use the fork you just put back and crusty food stuck to dishes that should be clean is really gross. Clean dishes, counters and stovetops well, and not only will you make more friends, people will be more willing to share food with you.
6. Be Aware: Most of the time, a kitchen has enough cookware that you can cook, eat your meal, and then do all your dishes. However, in some kitchens, there may only be one frying pan. Or one stirring spoon. Or one pot. Don’t be selfish. If you are in a cheap hostel, look around the kitchen, figure out that the only sauce pot in the kitchen is covered with the remains of your lentil soup surprise (surprise…why does it taste like that?) and wash the pot before you eat. Nothing is quite so embarrassing as when a 19 year old Dutch girl looks at your lentil surprise pot and asks, in a small quiet voice, “Are you still using this”? Typically, she will forcefully demand, still in a quiet voice, that she be allowed to wash the remains of your lentil surprise (scrubbing the pot for all she is worth with a fist full of steel wool) because she inconvenienced you by asking for the pot. Trust me. This will make you feel like a schmuck.
7. Before you buy it, try it: When you arrive at a new hostel, take a look at the available cookware. This is important later in regards to meal planning. If you buy 10 pounds of potatoes at the grocery store, thinking you will make enough mash potatoes to last for 5 days so you can skip out on this cooking nonsense, you will be a bit sad when you get back to the hostel and discover the lack of a potato masher. Mashing potatoes with a wooden spoon is possible but not pleasant. Check the kitchen and shop accordingly.

Cooking effectively in a hostel kitchen requires you to gracefully learn the steps of a delicate dance and then to execute the dance with the boldness and cunning of a privateer. If you travel long enough you may just get knighted.

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Hostels, by their very nature, create a temporary community. When you’re sharing a bedroom, cooking next to your bunk mates and jostling in line for the showers, you tend to meet people. (As the hostel market continues to evolve, this may be more true when staying at a small independent hostel than when staying in a large high rise corporate hostel.) At a good hostel, whether or not a functional temporary community evolves or not is often the result of chance.

• - What type of personalities are present?
• - What are the language barriers?
• - Are most guests staying for 1 night, or are many guest staying for 3 or more nights?
• - Does the hostel have a lounge space present that lacks a television?

This revolving set of factors can combine to influence whether or not guest go out drinking together, spend time playing a board game, and/or participate in authentic cultural exchange. A good hostel provides a clean, functional space and allows the community to fend for itself. For many travelers, a good hostel takes care of their immediate needs and, for $25 a night, that is enough.

Many individuals move around the globe as solo travelers. Often, these independent explorers have left a life filled with friends and community interaction to chase their dreams around the globe. For many, staying at a hostel that facilitates community instead of leaving it up to chance makes all the difference.

How to Spot a Great Hostel

A great hostel facilitates the creation of a temporary community amongst the ever changing cast of budget travelers who walk through the door.  Here is how they do it.

1. Institutional Memory: The manager of a great hostel understands their job and their clientele because they have worked at the hostel for at least 6 months. Many hostels hire broke backpackers to clean bathrooms and make up beds. This is not a problem if the manager is actively involved with running the hostel. Problematically, many hostels also hire wandering travelers (age: 28-45) to manage the hostel. These long time wanders stay for 3 months and move on. Their 3 month tenure is consumed by learning how to do their job and they tend to see, out of necessity, each traveler as a widget instead of a person. They do not have time to facilitate community.
2. Community Oriented Rules: A great hostel separates the TV from the lounge. Some great hostels eliminate the TV all together, while others offer a separate TV room. A great hostel will also discourage laptop users from congregating in the lounge area. A bunch of backpackers working on their Facebook profiles does not present a very inviting environment for arriving guests.
3. Events: A great hostel plans activities (or provides activities) that facilitate community. This can be as simple as having free access to a pool table or as complex as planning a BBQ night. What matters is that the hostel demonstrates that community is a priority.
4. Active Staff: A staff that actively interacts with the guests between check-in and check-out plays a significant role in facilitating community. A staff that learns the names of their guests, is available to answer questions, and is a presence in the public areas (kitchen, lounge etc.) facilitate a sense of belonging. They can take on the role of the “host” introducing guests to each other, and sharing their knowledge of the local area. An active staff cannot be overrated.

Spotting a great hostel in a guide book or online is difficult as most hostel advertisements or recommendations read more like a new car buying guide (here is the list of features sir) than accommodation information. Also, a community oriented hostel experience is not always desired. After a long day of planes, buses, and trains, I sometimes want to check into a corporate hostel where I don’t need to talk to anybody. I don’t want to hear about the Friday night BBQ and I don’t even want to look at the board games. Cranky travel sickness and introverted techie syndrome aside, great hostels do exists and are worth finding.

Learn to look for the right things and you will purchase not just a bunk for the night, but a community experience.

**I was finally inspired to put these thought on paper by my very positive experiences at the Ivory Towers Lodge (Fox Glacier New Zealand) and The Bug (Nelson, New Zealand).

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