Probably a dumb question but...

[nickvk]

whats up with the showers in some hostels? I have never been to one but from pictures it looks like they have the sink bathroom and shower all together. do you lock people out while you are in there for a shower?

Basically I just want to know what level of privacy you have in a shower for dorm rooms.

[Eagle]

nickvk, in my experience, the washroom facilities vary somewhat between the different Hostel properties. Some Hostels these days seem to have a somewhat "standard" bathroom in each dorm room, containing a sink, toilet and shower with a lockable door (probably what you were describing?). The occupants of that room have to "take turns" using the bathroom. This seems to work well most of the time, but depends to some extent on the individual habits of the guests at the time. Some people seem to take an extraordinary amount of time getting cleaned up in the mornings, with the result that everyone else has to wait.

One Hostel that I stayed in had one bathroom for all the rooms on that particular floor, containing two sinks, one toilet (in a cubicle with a lockable door) and 4-6 shower stalls (can't recall the exact number). The shower stalls had a "double door", which provided the guest with a place to undress and store their clothes that was separate from the actual shower cubicle (the outer door was lockable). The outer cubicle and the shower cubicle were each only about as large as a phone booth, so it wasn't exactly "roomy" but it was quite functional. The dorm rooms were segregated (M/F), but the bathroom was co-ed.

With washroom facilities being shared, most people I've encountered have been reasonably considerate and leave the room clean after use. However, there's always the possibility of encountering inconsiderate travellers. That's part of the Hostel experience, so one just has to adjust to the circumstances.

Generally speaking, most Hostels seem to have well maintained bathroom facilities and have cleaning staff come through on a daily basis.

Hope this has answered your questions. Happy travels!!!

[nickvk]

Yes thankyou. Just with my date getting closer I started getting different fears and one was what if a hostel had like a locker room style shower. That would just be weird

[WillTravel]

Now I always read the reviews carefully so I know exactly what the arrangements are. At the HI hostel in San Francisco, near the Marina district, they do have locker room showers. One funny incident was when I stepped out of the shower nude and a New Zealand girl started chatting with me as if this was a perfectly ordinary time and place to start a conversation! (I know I've posted about this before, so long-timers please forgive me ).