Crap Hostels - Your worst travel stories...

Originally submitted by Rosalynd

Sydney, Australia. Got in late, didn't make a reservation anywhere. Humped my way to three different hostels and finally found one that had a bed. One bed left, in a dorm, oh, and it's a male dorm, but...? I'm tired, my backpack is killing me, i don't care. So i get up there and the room is empty as they are all out partying. I make my way to the empty bed - the top of a bunk, thankfully, i feel i am somewhat 'hidden' - and notice there is porn mags and toilet paper rolls at every bed! Am i in for a night of circle jerk or what? i am positive i'll be molested once the drunken sex maniacs come back. They do stumble in about four and insist on waking up and talking to the newbie, introductions, where ya been, etc. There was no group molestation, thankfully, just drunken hooligans. Next day i moved to a mixed room and felt better. Until some one told me the room had just been sprayed for bed bugs....

Originally submitted by Chris

Had difficulty getting funds sent out to S.Africa, so Hostel owner,rather nasty biggot was quite happy to put me to work for 200 rands per week until the money came so I could pay my bill.(200rands=19GBP). Place is in Jo'Burg. Tosser of an owner.

One morning at a hostel in New York I woke up to cockaroaches crawling all over my bed. I immediately took off my clothes and jumped in the shower. When I came out, my shirt was still where I had left it but my panties were gone. I guess the cockaroaches took 'em...Go figure.

One time in Amsterdam several years ago, I made the mistake of checking into the cheapest budget hostel I could find. All I need to have is a bed to crash on...or so I thought. After spending the day walking around the city and visiting a couple of coffee shops (c: I eventually ended up at one pretty close to my hostel. I don't remember if I had space cakes, space shakes, or both, but in any case I suddenly found myself feeling extremely tired. "Time to go to ged," I thought as I looked at my watch. To my great surprise, it was only 6:45 pm! I tried to stay up but my eyelids just kept getting heavier until opening them as much as possible only amounted to showing people that my eyeballs were rolled up into my head. Shit man, time to head back to the hostel.

I entered the hostel and, like a true paranoid, I kept my eyes down and tried not to make eye contact with anyone...Bad move. Walking up the stairs, all I saw around me was filth: empty food bags, candy wrappers, dirt, hair. You name it, it was there. And not only was there trash everywhere, it smelled like shit. Not shit as in it smelled bad, shit as in it smelled like someone took a dump in the hallway. Fortunately I didn't see any shit, and I even checked the bottom of my shoes just to make sure. At this point I just wanted to go to sleep, wake up, and find a new place to stay. After getting into bed, I realize that there are not sheets or covers there, but I was way too spent to do anything about it. I just kept my clothes on and passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.