These are my feet getting "Fish Foot Reflexology Therapy" in Singapore, and no, it has nothing to do with hostels! 11 Aug 2009.

Have you ever stayed in a low-end hotel or hostel that made you vow to never again “go cheap”? I’m talking about cockroaches on the bed, sharing a room with smelly snoring strangers, bathrooms with foul odors and misplaced bodily fluids in the open, rude staff, old building, and bad location. I’ve been there, and I’ve vowed that. This week I broke that vow, and am glad i did.

When I lived in and traveled around Europe, I sometimes stayed at hostels. Most of my experiences were not great, and I’m still more likely to avoid hostels if I can find a good, low-cost hotel. Occasionally, however, I stay at a place that makes me rethink my perspective on hostels. This week I stayed at one of those places: free wireless internet service, discounted tickets, travel library, free breakfast, laundry service, knowledgeable staff, clean, and friendly travelers, all for $14/night.

In a tribute to good hostels around the world, I present my Top-10 Reasons Why Hostels Are Great!

10. Travel library. Many hostels maintain a library of travel guides for nearby countries. These are amazing resources for a person traveling the world who refuses to buy a $20 book for every country.

9. Discount tickets. Besides loads of free advice and information from hostel staff, discounted tickets and transportation can often be had.

8. Free food. Some hostels include free breakfast and other meals as part of the daily rate. Sometimes hostel staff or other travelers will bring in extra food, cook food, or leave food in a public fridge.

7. Wireless internet. Nearly any decent hostel these days has internet access, usually for free. Hotels where I’ve stayed usually price gouge, charging $10/day (which I always refuse).

6. Great location. Nearly every major city in the world has a hostel zone, and most of those are located in prime locations. Staying in such great places decreases transportation costs, increases transportation opportunities, and allows for great walking tours of all the nearby attractions.

5. Great social scene. Closely correlated with location, hostels are usually near top bars and dance clubs. Several hostels have their own fun bars.

4. Lots of free, friendly advice. Many of the people working at hostels are young, well-traveled, and experts in their own cities. They understand travel problems, have solutions, and can nearly always provide excellent information on the best sites to see, foods to try, and transportation to take.

3. Cheap. In Singapore, I stayed at a budget hotel in downtown my first night, paying $70. My room had a twin bed and air conditioning in small room. The bathroom was ensuite, shared with another room. I wasn’t impressed, so I turned to a hostel.

2. Make friends. Hostels are amazing places to meet others from around the world. Every day here, I’ve met at least a few friends that will be happy to show me around their own cities should I ever visit. Many of them have been places I’m going can provide good advice, as well.

1.Free dating service. Better than any internet site or bar scene, hostels offer a comfortable environment primed for social interaction. Groups can meet other groups, couples go on day trips with other couples, and of course single travelers are easy to spot. Hostel-goers already have known commonalities (travel), and obvious conversation starters (last location, next location, home location). If that’s not enough to get a deeper, broader conversation going, I don’t know what is.

What would you add to the list? Have you ever had a hostel or low-end hotel experience that made you swear you’d never do that again? Do you think other options such as B&Bs or 5-star hotels offer better value?