12 Ways to Avoid Staying in a Bad Hotel in 2025

I like hotels. Even after more than nineteen years of traveling around the world, I still stay in hotels because they are the best way to meet people and the cheapest accommodation options for most parts of the world.

But what makes OK hostel?

And how to avoid it Bad hostel?

Since staying in more than a thousand hotels I’ve started traveling the world for the first timeI’m very good at quickly figuring out whether the hotel owners know what they’re doing, or they just wake up randomly one day and say, “Let’s open a hotel. Sounds fun.”

While hotels are all about people, there are a few things management can do to make their hotels the ideal framework for making your experience better. Some features make dormitories memorable (community rooms, group events, kitchens), while others can make them forget – or worse (button showers, general filthy, uninformed staff).

All my favorite hotels Share common traits and make them the best in the world.

Here is a breakdown of what I’m looking for in the hotel to help you choose the best trip for your next trip:

1. Is there a common room?

I love meeting new people while traveling. Since I usually travel alone, if I want to be social, I need to do my best to meet people. The common room in the hotel is made easy. They helped me find people who could chat, get tips from it, do activities with it and even travel.

Plus, they are great for having fun. They usually have pool tables or video game consoles, TV/movies (very suitable for rainy days), table football, table tennis and comfortable sofas (comfortable sofas are a must!). If you want to be social, make sure you stay in a place with a decent communal lounge (or a few). This is the best place to connect easily with other travelers.

In a warm destination, a public area outside is also a great advantage. Rooftop bar, terrace, barbecue area, swimming pool – any social outdoor space is a must.

2. Is it centrally located?

Position, position, position. Whenever I look for a new hotel, I make sure it is close to what I want to see. When I get to the new place, I don’t want to spend all my time commuting to and from get off work. So I always make sure my hotels are centrally located and that they are close to public transport. This way, I can easily walk around without worrying about having to waste my taxi.

This is especially important in big cities where things are scattered, which is crucial when you are on shorter trips and times. Yes, they may spend more money, but you can save money on transportation. Plus, more central hotels are often more popular hotels, making them a better place for people to meet.

Don’t waste your vacation on the transit; book somewhere in the center!

3. Clean?

Of course, budget travelers love cheap stuff – but that doesn’t mean we like dirty stuff. Although hotels have come a long way in recent years, there are still many people who are poorly maintained and require thorough scrubbing. Avoid dirty hotels as it is easy to get sick on the road. The total bathroom and shower (and the increased risk of bed bugs) is not worth the risk – even if the hotel is cheap. Invest in yourself. You deserve a clean room!

Since posts on their websites and posts on social media can be misleading, make sure to read reviews about such sites specifically. Hotel World Tips for cleanliness. If only one person complains, it might be no big deal. But if many comments mention the lack of cleanliness, please give a tip.

4. Have you read the comments?

Be sure to read the reviews before booking. Is the hotel quiet or noisy? Is it a party dormitory or a leisurely hotel? Is the mattress comfortable? Are the bunk beds squeaking? Often, you can answer all these questions (and more) by reading the comments.

Website like Hotel World and booking.com Make a lot of reviews to help you find the hotel that best suits your needs and budget.

While you need to bring them with a grain of salt (people like to complain), they definitely help when picking the best hotels. Make sure you leave comments too – good comments can help hotels grow, bad comments can warn your travelers so they don’t make the same mistake.

Also, make sure you only stay in a hotel with lots of reviews. The hotel may have a high rating for HostelWorld, but if it only has 10 or 20 reviews, then I might be away from it (a fake rating like this is easy). But if the hotel has hundreds (or thousands) of reviews, and still In the 8 or 9 level of 10, it is a good sign, and it is a reliable place to stay.

Usually, I try to book only 8 or higher dormitories in the hotel world.

5. Do they organize group activities?

If you plan to stay in a social hotel and want to meet people, please choose a hotel that offers group activities. These may be Hiking (My personal favorite activity), bar crawling, trivia night, cooking class or barbecue. These activities are a great way to meet other travelers and learn about your destination.

My favorite hotel Always a social hotel that organizes events. This just makes your stay more fun and lively!

6. Is it late to checkout?

Never stay in the hotel before 10 a.m. to checkout time. The best hotels have 11 o’clock checkout time, and the real good hotels allow you to checkout at noon. Sleep is valuable on the road because you rarely get enough time. Hotels with late checkout time understand this and are usually a more relaxing environment. A hotel requires you to pack early in the morning and have problems going out.

7. Is there a bar?

Bars are not vandals, there are many hotels without them, but they are a great place to socialize with other hotel guests. Usually, if the hotel has a bar, they take it very seriously to make sure the people who stay there will be happy, interactive and festive.

If you want to be social and meet people, you would want to stay somewhere with the bar.

8. Do they have lockers?

Surprisingly, but actually I have been not providing lockers or hotels that would charge them. In this era, storage lockers should be standard. You should never pay for the guarantee. For me, this is a deal breaker (especially since I travelled with electronics). Be sure to carry locks with you so you can use them when providing lockers.

9. Is there a kitchen?

Try looking for hotels with kitchens as you can prepare your own food, lower your food budget, and share a meal with new friends. There is nothing closer to someone than sharing a meal (and a few glasses of wine).

10. Do they serve breakfast?

Find a place to have a good breakfast (i.e., bread and cheese) or at least one that starts and ends when people are really awake (breakfast is usually late when it starts around 8:30 am). Breakfast is also a great way to eat snacks on the day, reducing your food budget.

11. Do they have pod-like beds?

Gone are the days of sleeping in a squeaking metal bed. Whenever possible, look for hotels with pod beds. These beds provide better privacy and weaken the noise around you so you can fall asleep better. They usually have curtains, which are always big in my books.

12. Are there separate lights and sockets?

Before booking, find out if the dormitory has its own exit and light. Not only does this ensure that you can charge your device without having to fight for space, but it also means that your voyager can turn on your own small lights instead of the main lights in the room. (I hate it when people turn on the lights late at night. Use the bed’s light or flashlight!)

***

I don’t need a hotel to have all these things, but a truly wonderful hotel to know what travelers are looking for with most of the things listed above.

Additionally, as more people turn to remote work, hotels have begun to accommodate long-term travelers working on laptops. If you are a remote worker, these hotels are a great place for them to have fast Wi-Fi and make easy connections and connections with other digital nomads. However, avoid these hotels if you don’t work online while traveling, as most people work on laptops, and if you don’t do that, it’s boring. Instead, stay in a hotel that caters to backpackers. This will become more pleasant and you will meet people more easily.

Finally, the people who really make a good hotel are the people, and even if you meet a good person, the worst hotel will be great. However, removing people from the equation, the hotel I’m looking for has the above qualities. Know what the traveler you want to want to enhance your travel experience, not just grab money from you in exchange for a bed. I would rather stay in a place where I hope to make sure I have a good time.