About Hostelz: The World’s Largest Hostel Guide

Why did we create this site?

As long-term travelers ourselves, we started Hostelz.com in 2002 because we were tired of booking sites that only showed you what they wanted to sell you. We built something better.

Over the past +20 years, we've grown into the world's largest and most complete hostel database. We search every major booking site to find you the best prices and availability. Save money, time, and sanity.

We combine data from all major booking systems with our own database of hostel information and exclusive reviews. Everything you need to find the best hostels is right here on one website.

We are still independent, still traveling, and still obsessed with helping backpackers save money and find the right hostel vibe—whether that’s party, quiet, or somewhere in between.

Transparent pricing

All prices come directly from Booking.com, Hostelworld, and more. We do not change any prices. What you see is what you pay — no hidden fees, no markups, no surprises.

How we pay for our coconuts and servers

Transparency matters. When you book through our links at Hostelz, we may earn a small affiliate commission from Hostelworld, Booking.com, and other partners we show. It costs you nothing extra, and it helps us keep the site running—independent, free, and built for backpackers.

What makes Hostelz.com different?

We’re not another booking site trying to sell you the priciest bed. Hostelz is the only full hostel guide in the world—we list every hostel out there, not just the ones paying commissions.

We show you real photos from real travelers (yes, including the squeaky bunk beds and weird hostel kitchens), not just polished promo shots. And our reviews? 100% uncensored and genuine. No fake praise, no deleted rants—just the truth you actually need.

To make it easier, our Hostelz Combined Rating pulls scores from all major sites and smashes them into one super-rating. So you can finally trust the stars before you book that dorm bed.

Why Hostels?

Hostels make travel possible: affordable, social, and human. For solo travelers, they’re a built-in community: your first friends in a new city, the people who remind you you’re never really alone.

Travel is about people. It’s not just landmarks and checklists. It’s the conversations in the kitchen, the laughter in the dorm, the story you carry long after you’ve left. Hostels are where those connections happen.

In a world of screens and algorithms, hostels bring it back to basics: sharing a table, swapping stories, finding common ground with strangers. You can’t hug a screen. You can in a hostel.

And yes, hostels can be messy, noisy, and far from perfect. Maybe that’s the point. Travel is not meant to be Instagram-perfect and polished. Travel is meant to be lived.

That's why hostels.

For Journalists, Press & Media Inquiries

Hostelz has been featured in some of the world’s biggest newspapers and travel publications. We’ve been interviewed as experts on hostels, budget travel, and the solo travel movement.

With the world’s largest hostel database and price comparison engine, we can supply unique insights and up-to-date data on hostel prices, solo travel trends, and backpacker culture across 195 countries. We list more hostels than any other site. Find all details in the big comparrison of hostel booking sites: Hostelz vs Hostelworld vs Booking.com

Need a quote, expert opinion, or hostel data for your article? Reach out to us—we’re happy to share statistics, insights, or commentary on the backpacking world.