Staying in a Hostel for the First Time - Sevilla Weekend

I’m not sure where my image of hostels came from. I imagined a space that was dirty, crowded, and unsafe. I’m not sure why it has taken me so long to branch out, especially as an avid solo traveler on a budget. I finally decided to ask around about experiences in hostels; it turns out many of my traveler friends have stayed in hostels and loved the experience. 

Last weekend I went to Sevilla and stayed in my first hostel. I booked a 6-bed female-only dorm. During my six hours of travel, all I could think about was the nervousness around the experience. When I arrived in Sevilla the sun was shining but the street was wet from the recent rain. I decided to walk from the train station to my hostel. I took my time, taking pictures of the streets lined with orange trees in bloom, the scent of blossoms, and fresh rain following me along my journey. I arrived around an hour later. It was only noon and I couldn’t check in until 2:30 PM. 

I decided to window shop for a while until I got hungry. I found a brunch spot called Dodici. It had smoothie bowls and fresh juices. I got an acai bowl and a coffee. While eating, the sun was suddenly eaten up by clouds and rain began to pour. People rushed from the street to stand under awnings or came inside to get a cookie and wait out the rain. By 1:30 PM it didn’t look like it would stop, so I decided to see if I could hang around the hostel. 

The first thing I noticed was that the lobby was big and clean. It had a little cafe area and some people were working on their computers. The front desk worker welcomed me in. When I asked if I could hang around, she told me she could call and see if my room was clean and I could check in early. It was! The room was clean as well with two private bathrooms. There was space under the beds to put things in as well as a separate locker. I was relieved to find the bedding was spotless, there was a curtain I could pull for some extra privacy, and there was a shelf inside with a reading light and outlets. 

Because I had been traveling since 3:00 AM, I decided to take a nap. I woke up to the sound of someone putting their stuff in the bunk above mine. It was another traveler. After a short intro, I learned she was my age, and was also solo traveling and staying in a hostel for the first time. I felt relieved. 

Later when the sun came back out, I went to the hostel rooftop to soak in the sun. There I met another female solo traveler from Norway. We had a lot in common and talked for a few hours before heading our separate ways. I was enjoying all the socializing, especially in my first language since I mostly speak Spanish outside of my English classes at school. I booked my hostel through Hostel World and they have chats for people traveling in the area, so I messaged if anyone wanted to get dinner. I had dinner with a solo traveler from Australia. 

Through Hostel Worlds chats and activities, I was able to go on a bar crawl to a paella night. I think it’s fair to say I like hostels and think they are definitely well worth the very reasonable price. I have found and booked hostels for my future travel. I decided curtains and all-female dorms are essential for me and are pretty easy to find with these options.