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How use Hostelworld – Simplified

Last Updated February 22, 2018 William Tang

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While travelling on the cheap you’re eventually going to be looking at hostels and there’s no better site than Hostelworld.  On the platform you’ll find one of the largest collection of hostels from around the world.

As the de-facto place to book hostels, let’s jump into making a super easy guide on how to use Hostelworld.

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  • Flights – Have you ever heard of the “Everywhere” feature?
  • Insurance – Make sure you’re covered for all of your adventure activities with the best travel insurance.

Here's what we're covering:

  • How to use Hostelworld
    • Step 1:  Go to the site
    • Step 2:  Enter your search parameters
  • Step 3:  Filter your search
    • Step 4:  Sort your search results by rating
    • Step 5:  The manual curation step
    • Step 6:  Book your room
  • Insider tips for Hostelworld

How to use Hostelworld

Below is a breakdown of how seasoned backpackers use Hostelworld. With this information you’ll be able to book your dream vacation.

If you’re headed to Tulum in Mexico, make sure to check out our recent piece on the best hostels in Tulum.

hostel 64 osaka bedroom found using hostelworld

Step 1:  Go to the site

Go to your browser and enter in hostelworld.com.

Step 2:  Enter your search parameters

Put in your destination of choice and the dates.  When done, hit “Let’s go”.

Hostelworld homepage search

Step 3:  Filter your search

Once the search results are displayed, use the filters to narrow down your search by choosing price range, mandatory facilities, room style etc.

Use filters on Hostelworld

Step 4:  Sort your search results by rating

Sort your search on Hostelworld

From my experience, hostels are top rated for a reason.  The community is really good about leaving reviews and over time (since Hostelworld has been around for a LONG time), the good properties surface to the top.  My strategy is to look at the top rated properties which is why sorting by rating makes sense.

Another number that I pay special attention to is the number of reviews.  You can tell old properties from newer properties in this way.  Older ones will have LOTS of reviews while newer properties will have less than 100.  Now that’s not a bad thing but if a new property as really high reviews, it could be biased so you have to be careful.

Step 5:  The manual curation step

It’s at this point where you’ll need to make a personal decision on what factors matter most to you.  Is it price, location, the type of room or something else that will help you decide?  It’s at this point where you should do your comparison shopping.  Click into each property to dig deeper.

For price, availability and type of room, all you have to do is scroll down once you’re viewing the property and you’ll see what they have and at what price point.  For type of room, do you want to go really cheap and find a large dorm room with a ton of bunk beds or an apartment/private suite.  Also does an en-suite bathroom matter?

Types of rooms available and prices on Hostelworld

For location, always look at the Google Map in the “Map” tab to see whether the sights and activity you’re doing are in the same area or at least convenient with public transportation.

Hostelworld map view

Make sure to read the reviews as well as they will probably have the most recent information about what the property’s current condition is like.

Read the reviews no Hostelworld to make a decision

Note that all results that you see are available for the dates you’ve selected but if you start getting picky about the exact types of rooms you’re looking for, it’ll depend on availability

Step 6:  Book your room

Booking step on Hostelworld

When you’re ready to pay, hit the “Book Now” button at the bottom.  This’ll take you to the checkout page where you’ll have to enter your details.  If you’re logged into Hostelworld, most of this should be filled out.

You’ll have to pay a deposit.  What you’ll notice is that Hostelworld has gone away with their “booking fee”.  Instead, it’s built into the price I believe.  Also, you used to be able to enter in discount codes at checkout.  This is gone as well.  If you have an ISIC card, you’ll have to sign up for an account through ISIC and through there you’ll get a $5 USD credit that you can use within 30 days.  Otherwise, I haven’t found any other ways to get a discount per say.

Note that the only payment currencies are USD, GBP and EUR.  You can switch the method of payment on the right hand side.

Insider tips for Hostelworld

hanging out with friends at five elements hotel in frankfurt

Over the years I’ve learned a number of small things that have made my experience with Hostelworld that much better.

  • If you’re booking with a Hostelling International hostel there are typically additional fees if you don’t have a their special membership card.  One trick I tried to use for my last trip was to sign up for a group card with Hostelling International.  It’s free and should negate any non-member charges.  Outside if that you’ll just have to pay for it.
  • Bring your own Dudley lock in case if they don’t provide a built in lock system for their cabinets/lockers
  • Additional fees to think about are internet, bedding, and breakfast.  Sometimes you might find a property that’s super cheap but if there are extra costs, you might be better off with somewhere else.
  • Sometimes on Hostelworld you can find real hotels.  This is what happened when I was in Venice.  It was listed under hostels but when we showed up it turned out to be more or less a hotel room.  There are some really great properties on the platform.
  • When deciding whether you want to stay at a hostel, hotel, or homestay/B&B, the main question you’ll need to ask is how many people are you travelling with and after you divide the cost, which is the cheapest and which will be the most comfortable/convenient.

Looking for other travel deals and travel hacks?

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Find the cheapest flights with Skyscanner’s “Everywhere” feature

How to travel Europe for cheap

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Category 1 Hilton properties that will surprise you

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About William Tang

William is the Chief of Awesome at Going Awesome Places which is focused on off-the-beaten-path, outdoor adventure, and experiential travel. His true passion lies in telling stories, inspiring others to travel, writing detailed trip itineraries to help others plan their own trips, and providing helpful tips and tricks to guide readers to travel better. He is based in Toronto, Canada but you'll find him on the road more often than not. Make sure to learn more about William to find out his story and how Going Awesome Places started.

author will tang going awesome places profile photoHey, my name is Will and I'm here to help you travel to some awesome places around the world and my home country of Canada by providing insanely detailed itineraries, travel guides, and packing lists.

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