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I often recommend hostels as a form of lodging for any type of traveler. Sure they can be super cheap, but some of my favorite hostels in the world have been chosen simply because they looked cool. And to be honest, I don’t think that all hostels are affordable. At least the frugal side of me doesn’t think that.

The first hostel I ever stayed at was in San Francisco. I was gearing up for solo international travel and wanted to practice this money saving form of lodging. I’m also an introvert and because I’d be traveling alone, I didn’t want to book a hotel or airbnb, which would allow me to isolate myself. Hostels are one of the easiest ways to meet other likeminded people.

Although my last stint in a hostel had me questioning whether or not I’m still about that life, I still wanted to share some of my favorite hostels in the world (so far) and why I picked them. HostelWorld is where I book ALL of my hostels.

Copenhagen Downtown Hostel – Copenhagen, Denmark

I hopped off of the train from the airport and walked just a couple blocks to this hostel. That was enough for me to fall in love. I’d have to say that this was the first hostel where I felt like the rooms were spacious, and the beds were comfy. Coming from a memory foam mattress to hostel beds can be a shock for my body but I swear I melted into this bed every night. The fact that I walked everywhere from this location, even to the Carlsberg brewing factory, was a bonus. And if you’re not up for a factory tour for your brew, there’s a bar right in the lobby.

Nitan Hostel Khaosan – Bangkok, Thailand

When I tell people that I tend to book hostels based on the photos and how cool they look, this is the first hostel that comes to mind. I literally booked the Nitan hostel because of the gorgeous blue tiles on certain walls and the overall decor of the lobby.

This hostel is super small, consisting of just a few rooms, but it’s also right in the middle of the action on Khaosan Road in Bangkok. That can be a good or bad thing depending on your travel preferences. Another possible con is that you essentially go through what would be a dining room to get to the bathroom and the sink to brush your teeth is across from the table. So there’s that.

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Here Hostel – Bangkok, Thailand

After galavanting around Thailand for a couple weeks I needed to return to fly out of Bangkok. So I booked the Here hostel for just a night, simply because I no longer needed to be right on Khaosan Road and well, they have a slide in the lobby. That’s right. An actual slide that goes from the second floor to the main floor. That is all.

The Hat Madrid – Madrid, Spain

I think I originally booked The Hat because it was convenient. Convenient, chic, and minimal decor. Just like I like it. The kicker was the bar right in the lobby and the fact that a DJ would set up shop right there as well. How cool is that? I sat in the lobby for hours on end just having endless tea and finishing up a super good book.

Another plus was the rooftop bar with views of the city. I know many prefer Barcelona over Madrid, but I say Madrid is a definite gem, and if you only have a few days in the city, then I can wholeheartedly recommend staying here. It’s extremely conveniently located and central to pretty much everything you’ll need. As usual, I walked everywhere.

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St. Christopher’s Inn Gare Du Nord – Paris, France

I didn’t realize until getting my confirmation email that I’d stayed in a St. Christophers Inn before when in Amsterdam. The Amsterdam location was nothing to write home about but I enjoyed the bar and restaurant downstairs as well as their discounts for guests and would definitely stay there again. Now the Paris location? Probably the first hostel I’ve rated 10/10 when asked for a review. I couldn’t find a thing to complain about.

St. Christophers Inn Gare Du Nord also has a bar/restaurant in the lobby, Belushi’s, which leads me to believe this is a theme. It gave me easy access to actual good food, drinks, and a place to hangout or work when need be. After living in Malta the month prior it was here that I’d finally get a decent nights rest. My favorite part of this location is the fact that it is directly across from the Gare Du Nord train station. Now I walked everywhere, but having this train station be so close was perfect and uber convenient more than a few times.

You can book any of these hostels here.

Do you stay in hostels? If so, what’s your favorite location?

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