I've been lucky enough to stay in a lot of really good hostels. They had all the usual perks: lockers, book exchanges, plenty of restrooms, convenient locations, cleanliness, and (knock on wood!) a delightful lack of bed bugs. But there are a few that stand out in my mind as truly great hostels, and those have taught me what to look for when I consider new ones. What do they have that the others don't? Lake Atitlan, Guatemala 1. Awesome common space. The best hostels I've found don't just have a common area -- they have a really great common area. It's beautiful, comfortable, and just the right size. But it's also strategically planned so that it's easy to make friends. The common area is located right near the main entrance, so it feels natural to connect with people who are just arriving. The seating in the common area is positioned for group interaction. Everything about it feels open and inclusive. In my not-so-favorite hostels, the co