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[snosie]

I have decided that in the quest to help others, I will offer my list of the best hostels I have visited this year. My critera are clean, relatively new. I do not gauge social factor as much, seeing you can BYO or make friends wherever, if you make the effort!

Warsaw: Nathan's Villa and Oky Doky - great staff, and whilst not super new, clean and well kept, cheap due to good exchange rate, free net and Nathan's will do your washing for free!

Krakow: New Deco Hostel - redone apartements, crisp white sheets and donnas/quilts, tiny kitchen and free net!

London: Ace Hotel - is a hostel. No air con is super heat, but otherwise, pristine, new, funky colour scheme - lots of lime, a great back yard with hot tub, a bar, flat screen telly... What else? NO free net : ( In room bathrooms sometimes (6 bedder once, not in a twin nor another 6 bedder?)

Prague: Miss Sophies - a designer place at a backpacker price, or good enough. Huge pillows, crisp white sheet and donna, great attic rooms that have a living room, down stairs kitchenette, no bar, outside smoking courtyard and lovely and chic

Brussels: 2GO4 - central location, and pretty! Bunk rooms in a converted old building, all funky coloured. Had flat screen tvs, a dowstair eating area, tiny kitchen, net, free wireless at least, in room bathrooms.

What I don't have is one for PARIS which is the place i spend the most time in! Anyone got equally uncompromising standards at less than 25E a night? Let me know...

[rbisset]

Lets add some more:

Jolly Frog - Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Great little guesthouse right on the river Kwai with a very inviting outdoor area (with desk chairs and hamocks) and a pontoon onto the river. Good food, can organise tours for you and was unbelievably cheap! 70 Baht for a room in Thailand was almost unheard of. If you're looking for a hostel with onsite tattoo parlour then this is your place!

Original Backpackers - Sydney, Australia

Sure this place isn't the nicest hostel in the world but gets a mention here on atmosphere alone. There was always a party on somewhere everynight and the hostel used to ply us with jug-after-jug of free beer. I wasn't going to complain. Only downside is it's pretty expensive so stay in a hostel next door that's $10 a night cheaper and sneak in before they head off on the nightly pub crawls!

Toddy's - Alice Springs, Australia

Stayed here for a couple of days and found it quite reasonable. Nice pool area, tv lounge and great little outdoor bar. Bargain all-you-can-eat dinners every night were well worth the money and it's only a short walk (bout 5 mins) to town and Melankas bar.

The Cavenagh - Darwin, Australia

Stayed here for bloody ages! Dorms aren't particularly appealing but they are arranged around the best pool I saw in an Aussie hostel. Met an unbelievable amount of people here and if you are in need of a break from travelling then you could do worse than lounging around the pool on the numerous sun loungers. Great weather in the dry so if it gets too cold for you down south get on a flight up north!

Hostal Catedral - Mexico City (DF), Mexico

One of the most professionally run hostels I encountered during my trip. Everything you could require from a hostel was here and the location can't be bettered. Right on the Zocalo, very good Internet room, cafe/restaurant overlooking the street for some early evening beers and a brilliant rooftop bar for drinking into the early morning!

Big Foot - Leon, Nicaragua

Found this place by chance and it was a really good hostel. Outdoor area for lounging around during the blistering heat of the day, a large kitchen (if you fancy cooking in the cheapest country in C.America?) and good Mojitos. If you stay here go volcano boarding with the Aussie owner, it was great fun!

Hacienda Merida - Merida, Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua

OK I never got to stay here over night as my mate got some stupid fever but the 2 hours I saw of the place put it right near the top of my list! Looks like a hippy commune but is more like a backpackers resort! They offer climbing trips to Volcan Maderas to see the crater lake, kayak rental, horse riding, bike rental, trips to waterfalls, Spanish lessons ($8 3 hours), volunteer projects at the local schools and all you can eat buffets! Only $4 a night in the dorms!

And finally although not a hostel in the slightest, Circus Circus Casino, Las Vegas! Cheapest casino on the strip but at only $5/night more than the horrible hostel (which is in the middle of nowhere in a seedy area) it is a bargain! Huge beds, good location and best buffets in Vegas. Just try not to blow too much money gambling!