Hostels: some hate them and those who love them. And who can bear them only because the budget requires it! Life in a hostel can truly become an experience to remember and redo if everyone, absolutely everyone, follows the civil rules of conduct. I have always had a soft spot for cooking in the company, parties with people from all over the world, and common spaces where to socialize. I experienced these spaces both as a customer and from behind the reception counter when I had my first volunteer experiences in South America and I can tell you which are the most appreciated behaviors on both sides:
THINGS TO DO FOR A HARMONIOUS AND SERENE HOSTEL LIFE
• Respect first of all: towards guests, towards volunteers, towards owners;
• Always greet everyone with a beautiful smile;
• Leave clean what you found clean, be it the bathroom like a pot;
• The arrangement of the beds varies from hostel to hostel: you may be assigned a particular bed as it is possible that it is up to you to choose it. In any case, if you have special needs, do not hesitate to mention them. Dorms are almost always made up of bunk beds: my favorite choice is the bottom bed as it allows me to place all my items on the ground and always have them at hand - usually, the electrical sockets are also at the bottom.
• Leave shoes outside the room, especially if they release a pestilential smell;
• Remember that if there is no private bathroom, it must be shared with the other guests of the dormitory or hostel, so remember to pack some slippers for the shower and obviously all the hygiene products and towels in your backpack you need.
• Do not leave any kind of valuables in the room, hostels take no responsibility for this type of theft, but there are usually safety deposit boxes where you can leave your belongings safe.
• Having said that, know that not everyone will observe these rules ... the world is full of unique characters who do not know how to behave towards others. In case you happen to have an annoying roommate, as far as possible, arm yourself with calm and patience and bear, fortunately, think that forced coexistence will be quite short.
• In some hostels there are no mixed dormitories, so, especially if you are traveling as a couple, I advise you to check carefully.
• If you are a light sleeper, bring earplugs and sleep masks in your backpack: with many roommates, the comings and goings are inevitable, in this way you will avoid going crazy for the lights on, the noise of the door opening and closes, the companion who snores (me for example ...), the girl who puts everything away in annoying and very noisy plastic bags ... Some hostels sell these useful gadgets directly at the reception or in special distributors, but if in doubt it is better to take everything to home;
• Turn off the cell phone ringer during the night when you are in the dormitory and do not speak loudly on the phone, rather go out;
• Try not to turn on the light in the dormitory in the middle of the night;
• Always inquire first about the services offered by the hostel, in fact, some hostels do not provide bed linen or offer this service for a fee; also, for reasons of hygiene, the use of a sleeping bag is not always permitted;
• Don't struggle with plastic bags in the middle of the night… once I even found it written on the door!
• One of the basic rules in the hostel: don't use other people's things. Avoid using 'secretly' what does not belong to you.
• There is free food in the kitchen… Well, maybe don't overdo it! It's not nice to overuse what the hostel offers you for free ... be thrifty!
• Do not steal the food of others! In the kitchens and pantries, food is divided into bags and boxes with the name of the owner and the date of check out indicated: respect first of all. Everyone has a hunger attack sometimes, but if you really can't resist the pangs of hunger, ask permission for a borrowed snack!
• Avoid the noises at night, loud music, exaggerated disorder ... in short, just follow the basic rules of collective coexistence!
• As for flirting in the hostel, I strongly advise against doing it when the dormitory is occupied by other guests, it is not very respectful! However, if you are in the hostel in the afternoon and you are overwhelmed by an irrepressible desire, get an extra sheet and hang it around the bunk bed, to create a sort of intimacy: if someone suddenly enters it will not ruin your moment and maybe he'll close the door again to come back in a little later.