Transparency is key. We don't want to shroud our scores in secrecy. Hostel Spotter is the first-ever website to produce a data-driven score for hostels based on fun and social atmosphere.
Our primary focus is generating our proprietary "Fun Score", which is derived from 12 factors and over 200,000 data points collected monthly across all the cities and hostels we evaluate. We analyze data from over 2,000 hostels worldwide and, through an intensive filtering and evaluation process, present the top 10 hostels per city.
In addition to our Fun Score, we calculate and present other metrics to help you choose the right hostel. One such metric is the 'Hedonism Score', displayed in the "Chill vs. Party" meter, which is derived from analyzing the ratio of key party words to key positive words in reviews across multiple listing sites.
Furthermore, we provide short summaries on different aspects of the hostel based on the data we collect. Lastly, we offer supplemental data such as recorded and public mentions of bedbugs and listing ratings.
Below is a step-by-step breakdown of the lifecycle of the data. We also stay current with trends by updating scores every 2 to 4 weeks with fresh data.
We begin by collecting public data from leading hostel booking websites. This initial step is crucial as it sets the foundation for our analysis.
Once the data is collected, we clean and process it to prepare it for analysis. This step ensures that our data is consistent, accurate, and ready for advanced analytics. Here is a peak into a few of the factors we look at:
The final step involves aggregating the processed data to calculate overall scores and rankings for each hostel. We then visualize this data on our website, providing users with an interactive and engaging way to find the best hostels.
When looking for a hostel, the Fun Score can give you a good idea of the social vibe and overall experience you can expect. Here’s a quick guide to help you understand what different Fun Score ranges mean, based on our data and guest feedback.
The Numbers at a Glance: The average Fun Score among our hostels is 312, with scores typically ranging from 95 to 670. However most hostels have Fun Scores between 189 and 424. These numbers can help you gauge what to expect in terms of atmosphere and activities.
The best Fun Score for you depends on what kind of experience you’re after. Whether you want a peaceful retreat or a non-stop party, there’s a hostel out there with the perfect vibe. Choose wisely, and happy travels! If you have any specific preferences or need more details, feel free to ask!
No, non, não, nein, 不, нет, Nee, όχι. We never have and never will take bribes to boost rankings of hostels. This website was built by backpackers, for backpackers!
Our data is updated on a bi-weekly basis to ensure accuracy and relevance.
Yes, you can contact us with your suggestions, and we will consider them in our next update, or we can produce a custom report for you. Click here to reach out to us.
No! Everyone in our team is an avid backpacker. We used our experiences to develop a unique algorithm that has allowed us to pick the best hostels. In turn we decided to scale this algorithm so that the whole world can find the best hostels. We do use ChatGPT to help generate some factors, but we use many other Natural Language Processing techniques to help generate our scores and ranks.