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Hostelworld has released it’s top ten list of the best hostels for 2007. The Flamingo Hostel in Krakow, Poland has bested the competitors with the most votes from Hostelworld.com customers. The most interesting award went to Jetpack City Hostel, last year’s top hostel, was voted the cleanest hostel this year. I have yet to stay in any of the hostels listed and I find it funny that no US hostels are in the top ten.  If you have stayed in any of the hostels listed, please leave a comment or send me an email.

I enjoy staying in hostels because it is the least expensive option and you can meet plenty of people. I have stayed in some wonderful facilities, but the Jazz Hostels are among the worst. I stayed at the Jazz on the City and the Jazz on Lenox. The common spaces were suitable at both locations, although Lenox had a common kitchen. Jazz on the City’s rooms can hold up to 12 people but some rooms have enclosed bathrooms. With disintegrating carpet, lockers blocking the room’s entrance and windows that bring in the cold winds, I thought the Lenox location would not be as bad. I was wrong. The decrepit stairs and large, cumbersome doors squeaked all the time. The first night, we had heat in the room, the second night, no heat. The “bathrooms” were closets in a previous life, if you could call them bathrooms. Not walk-in closets, but New York City-sized closets, which are very small. I had two options, a tiny room with a toilet and a sink, or a tiny room with just a shower stall. I found one “bathroom” that had a chair to put your clothes and things on. There was one electrical outlet in the room. Both hostels offered free wi-fi, were less than 3 blocks away from the subway, and were close to neighborhood hot spots. Even though the staff was friendly and helpful, the price was unbelievable, and the proximity of public transportation, I would not recommend staying at any of the Jazz Hostels.

Everyone has pre-conceived notions about hostels. Yes, you do sleep on a twin bed, for a total of 8 - 12 people per room on bunk beds. There is usually one bathroom for every 4 people in the suite. Sometimes they are dorm-style rooms where bathrooms are down the hall. The establishments in the US are not on the same level of quality and comfort as the ones in Europe. On my second vacation in London, I stayed at a wonderful hostel. The Meininger Baden Powell is conveniently located in the posh neighborhood of Kensington. There were several bus stops in front of the building and two tube stops within walking distance. Also, the hostel was in walking distance to the Museum of Natural History, Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace. The rooms were clean and large, with single, double, and shared rooms available. I chose a shared room and paid just $23 per night. Meininger has hostels in Germany, and just opened a place in Vienna, so check them out.