Unmissable Hostelworld Discounts Are Back: Black Friday 2025

Black Friday is one of the few times hostels drop prices significantly, and backpackers in every corner of the world rejoice. If you’re planning trips for winter or spring 2026, this is when to book cheaper!

We’ll update this article in mid-October with the live deals, but here’s what you need to know right now.

Hostelworld Black Friday Quick Facts

Here’s what you can expect from Hostelworld’s Black Friday 2025 deals based on previous years:

• Dates of the sale: Discounts usually start around mid-November and finish in the first week of December (last year it was November 15 – December 9). Expect similar timing this year.
• How big the discounts are: Between 5% and 55% off.
• When you can stay: The lower prices normally apply for stays until the end of April the following year. For 2025, that means you can book cheap hostel stays into spring 2026.
• Availability: Not every hostel joins the sale, and the best ones, especially private rooms or famous party hostels, sell out quickly.
• How to check the real cheapest price: Before booking, search on Hostelz.com. We compare the same dorm on Booking.com and Hostelworld side by side, saving you up to 23% on your final booking. This way, you don’t risk paying more for the exact same dorm or room.
• Updates and notifications: We will update this article with the confirmed 2025 deals by mid-October, and the discounts will be directly visible here. Want to be the first to know? Sign up at Hostelz.com, and we’ll notify you as soon as the sales go live.

What We Already Know In 2025

Looking at past years, we already have a good idea of how Hostelworld runs its Black Friday campaign:

• How the sale usually works: Discounts can apply to both dorm beds and private rooms, but the properties and room types change every year.
• When the sale takes place: In 2023, the Black Friday sale ran from November 20 to December 4. In 2024, it started on November 15 and ended on December 9. Based on this, the 2025 sale will almost certainly fall in the same mid-November to early December window.
• What we don’t know yet: The exact 2025 sale dates and the full list of participating hostels have not been published yet. These details normally appear in October.
• What will happen next: We will update this article by mid-October 2025 with the confirmed dates and the live deals.

What Last Year Looked Like

Discount range by region:

• Western Europe: Discounts were smaller, often between 10% and 20%. For example, Kabul Party Hostel in Barcelona was reduced by about 15%, and the Flying Pig Beach Hostel in the Netherlands offered around 20% off.
• Eastern Europe: Bigger cuts were common, with Wombat’s City Hostel in Budapest offering about 30% off, and Czech Inn in Prague showing a 20% discount.
• Asia: Discounts were among the largest, with iHome Hoi An (Vietnam) reduced by a huge 63%, and Lub d Bangkok Siam (Thailand) around 25% off.
• Latin America: Deals often sat between 30% and 40%. For example, Monteverde Monkey Hostel in Costa Rica offered a 35% discount.
• North America: Discounts were smaller but still notable, with Gaslamp Hostel in San Diego (California, USA) offering about 25% off.
• Bali (Indonesia): Even premium coworking-style hostels joined, with Tribal Hostel offering a modest 5% discount, proving that even small cuts mattered at fully booked properties.

Types of hostels:

• Party hostels in cities like Barcelona and Budapest offered smaller discounts (10%–20%) but still sold out quickly.
• Coworking and digital nomad hostels in Southeast Asia gave deeper discounts (25%–40%), which appealed to long-stay travelers.
• Big city classics (London, Prague, Amsterdam) were included, but the discounts were usually in the 15%–30% range.

+Limitations: Many of the cheapest rates were non-refundable, and availability was limited to certain room types (for example, mixed dorms but not always female-only dorms).

How Hostels Black Friday Deals Work

Hostelworld’s Black Friday discounts look simple at first glance, but there are a few details travelers should understand before booking:

• Different rate types: The same dorm bed may appear with multiple prices. A standard rate is usually a bit higher, but it lets you cancel. A non-refundable rate is cheaper but locks you in.
• Limited allotments: Not every bed in a hostel is discounted. Hostelworld usually sets aside a limited number of beds or rooms at the Black Friday price. Once those are sold, the regular higher price returns.
• Blackout dates: Some hostels exclude popular weekends, holidays, or special events from the discounts. You might see the deal available for weekdays, but not during New Year’s Eve or festival dates.
• Why “% off” can be misleading: Taxes, service fees, or extra charges (like linens or towels) are not always included in the displayed discount. A “30% off” dorm bed can feel smaller once those extras are added.
• Why comparing is important: The same hostel bed can cost less on another booking site. Hostelz checks Hostelworld and Booking.com side by side so you see the true cheapest price, including all fees, before you book! We also take into consideration Black Friday deals, of course, so you’ll definitely get the smartest prices (I mean, you’re welcome, I guess).

Where the Best Value Usually Hides

• Shoulder-season destinations: Cities that are popular in summer (like Lisbon, Split, or Dubrovnik) often appear with strong discounts for winter and early spring dates, when beds would otherwise sit empty.
• New or rebranded hostels: Properties that recently opened or changed management often join Black Friday with bigger discounts to get reviews and visibility quickly.
• Mixed dorms over female-only: Deals usually apply to mixed dorm categories first. Female-only dorms and small boutique dorms are less likely to be discounted, or they sell out immediately.
• High-priced cities: Even if the discount percentage is smaller, expensive cities like London or New York can still deliver the biggest dollar savings. A 15% cut in London can be worth more cash than a 40% cut in Vietnam.
• Add-on value: Some hostels sweeten the deal with extras: free breakfast, beer happy hours, or airport shuttles, making a mid-size discount worth more than it looks on paper.

Red Flag and Fine Print

Before you get carried away by a big “% off” banner, here are the common pitfalls to watch out for:

• Non-refundable bookings: Many of the cheapest Black Friday rates can’t be changed or canceled. If your plans aren’t 100% fixed, paying a few dollars more for a flexible rate can save you later.
• Partial discounts: Some hostels only apply the discount to the first night or certain dates. Always check the price breakdown for your full stay instead of assuming every night is cheaper.
• Hidden extras: A dorm might look cheap at first glance, but then you’re charged separately for basics like bed linens (Europe, we’re looking at you), towels, or even locker use. Add those up before comparing hostels.
• Location traps: A hostel far from the city center might show a lower price, but extra spending on transport can quickly erase the savings. Balance the nightly rate with how much time and money you’ll spend getting around.
• Limited room types: Discounts often apply only to larger mixed dorms. Smaller dorms or female-only dorms may be excluded, so double-check before you book.

Hostelworld Black Friday 2025 Live Tracker (Updated in October)

Once Hostelworld releases the official Black Friday deals in mid-October, we’ll update this section with live offers.

FAQ

• When does Hostelworld Black Friday start? Based on past years, the sale begins in mid-November and runs until the first week of December. The exact 2025 dates will be confirmed in October.

• How big are the discounts? Hostelworld usually offers between 5% and 55% off. Smaller discounts are common in Western Europe and North America, while deeper cuts show up in Asia and Latin America.

• Are private rooms discounted too? Yes, but not as often as dorm beds. When private rooms do get a discount, they usually sell out first because the savings in real money can be much higher than on dorm beds.

• Can I change my booking dates? It depends on the rate. Many Black Friday deals are non-refundable, which means no date changes. Always check the cancellation policy before you confirm.

• Do female-only dorms get discounted? Sometimes, but they are usually the first to sell out. Most discounts apply to mixed dorms, so if you prefer female-only, you’ll need to book fast.

• What if Booking.com is cheaper? It happens more often than you’d think. That’s why Hostelz compares Hostelworld and Booking.com side by side, so you can see which site actually gives you the lowest total price for the same bed or room.

About the author: Undercover Phoenician

Hostelz.com is your #1 hostel guide to find the best prices for every single hostel worldwide. We show you all prices and hostels at a glance - save money by using the right booking platform.