Privacy is Possible, But You May Need to Get Creative I've stayed in both female-only and mixed-gender dorms, and either way, sometimes privacy can feel hard to come by. Thankfully, more and more hostels are implementing privacy curtains on their bunks.

Privacy in a hostel is a "spectrum," but in 2026, hostels have evolved to offer significantly more personal space than the open-room stereotypes of the past. If you book a standard dorm, your privacy is limited to your bunk, but most modern hostels now feature privacy curtains, individual reading lights, and power outlets for each bed. This creates a "pod-like" feel that allows you to shut out the rest of the room. For more seclusion, many hostels offer female-only dorms or "capsule" style beds that are fully enclosed. If you need absolute privacy, you should book a private room, which offers the amenities of a hotel (en-suite bathroom, lockable door) while keeping the social atmosphere and lower price of a hostel. A grounded "safety tip": always use the provided lockers for your valuables, and treat your privacy curtain as your "front door"—it’s a universal signal in hostel culture that you are currently "off-limits" for social interaction.