What annoys a hostel volunteer?
From surveying 60+ hostel volunteers intimately aware of #hostellife, we bring you an annotated list of the top pet peeves of working in a hostel!
Guests! What’s their deal, anyway?!
As hostel hosts, we want our guests to feel welcomed, included, and safe.
Everything we do is for THEM!
And in return…guests can sometimes be downright annoying & thoughtless.
#1 Dishes
Is it worse to put the dirty dish straight in the sink for someone else to clean, or to place it in the dish drainer meant for only clean dishes?
Dish drainers can be one of those newer kitchen staples that may confuse international travelers. Maybe that’s it?!
Clearly, the signs like “Your Mom Doesn’t Live Here”, aren’t getting the message across. LOL
The hostel staff are so busy as hosts, a sinkful of crusty egg dishes is an arduous task to stomach during an already full shift.
#2 Breaking the Rules
The rulebreakers know the rules, they just don’t care. They smoke inside, sneak in non-guests, and just act like fools.
Running a safe and fun hostel requires both order and accountability.
We just wish guests didn’t require so much babysitting.
#3 Switching beds
Ensuring a clean, fresh base for all guests to lay their heads is a hostel’s #1 priority.
Hostel hosts work hard to ensure properly assigned beds (based on requests, length of stays, or comfort). Housekeeping works even harder and under quick turnaround times to get it all done.
Keeping the beds clean and organized is all the more important for larger hostels, with stories and even multiple buildings to manage. No host wants to send a guest to a dirty bed.
It’s simple, we just want guests to ask before they switch beds.
#4 S*x in the dorms
The disrespect is foul. Guests should be ashamed of themselves. Not to mention the plain lack of imagination!
Shared spaces in a hostel are for sleeping and storage, not for intimate moments. Don’t make us call your parent.
#5 Guests consuming other guests’ food
A good hostel provides a self-catering kitchen to help keep guests’ costs down. Most of those kitchens also include a Free Shelf to prevent food waste from quick travelers.
Still, rude guests consume other people’s food and really mess with other guests’ experience. With severe food allergies and dietary restrictions, some people’s food is imperative to their survival and shouldn’t be an option for guests' late-night snacking. It’s just rude.
Having to endure a hungry guest whose food was taken, and now they are demanding a reimbursement is a crap way to start a morning shift.
Still, we persist. Hostel staff continues to offer excellent service while picking up dirty dishes or handling tantrums. And every day we keep building awesome moments to remember forever. Our work here is never done.