Beds and Bars
Beds and Bars is a family-owned UK hospitality group operating 21 backpacker hostels and 16 bars/pubs across 8 European countries under St Christopher's Inns, Belushi's Bars, Flying Pig Hostels, and Interpub brands, serving budget backpackers, party-goers, and group travellers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1964
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Beds and Bars does
Beds and Bars Ltd is a privately-held, family-owned UK hospitality group founded in 1964 by Ron Knowles in West London and currently led by the Knowles family (Keith Knowles as Executive Chairman, Luke Knowles as CEO since October 2024). The group operates an integrated accommodation and entertainment model spanning 21 backpacker hostels and 16 bars and pubs across 8 European countries (UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Czech Republic), under four core sub-brands: St Christopher's Inns (flagship hostel brand, 19 properties in 10 cities), Belushi's Bars (late-night party and sports bars co-located with hostels), Flying Pig Hostels (party hostels in Amsterdam), and Interpub (three historic Central London pubs). The company also operates the St Christopher's Network franchise model, sharing its independently developed booking engine technology with partner hostels such as Copenhagen Downtown Hostel and NosDa Cardiff.
Revenue is generated through three primary streams: per-bed/per-night hostel accommodation (usage-based), bar and restaurant sales at Belushi's venues (transactional), and traditional pub sales through Interpub venues (transactional), supplemented by franchise/network fees from the St Christopher's Network. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via proprietary booking engines (st-christophers.co.uk, belushis.com) and TripAdvisor TripConnect live-inventory integration, alongside OTAs (Hostelworld, HostelBookers) and physical venue presence in city centres. The company employs approximately 800 staff of 50+ nationalities speaking 93 languages, and holds Triple Platinum Investors in People accreditation. FY19 reported turnover was £52.5M with EBITDA of £6M.
Beds and Bars firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Beds and Bars
- Legal name
- Beds and Bars Ltd
- Website
- https://bedsandbars.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1964
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Beds and Bars is a family-owned UK hospitality group operating 21 backpacker hostels and 16 bars/pubs across 8 European countries under St Christopher's Inns, Belushi's Bars, Flying Pig Hostels, and Interpub brands, serving budget backpackers, party-goers, and group travellers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Beds and Bars industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hostel & Bar Hospitality
- NAICS
- Other Traveler Accommodation (72119), Traveler Accommodation (7211)
- SIC
- Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Traditional Dormitory Hostels (THAGAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Lounge Bars & Hotel Bars (THAFAEAI), Boutique/Design Hostels (THAMAIAD), Party & Social Hostels (THAMAIAE)
Keywords
Where Beds and Bars is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Beds and Bars business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Hostel Accommodation (Bed Nights): Revenue from renting backpacker hostel beds in private rooms and dormitories across 21 hostels in 10 European cities. Occupancy rates reported as high as 95%. Revenue is per-stay/per-night, consumption-based.
- Bar and Restaurant Sales (Belushi's Bars): Revenue from late-night bar and sports bar food and drink sales, live music events, and private event bookings at Belushi's Bars venues co-located with hostels. Reported first half bar sales grew +16% and food sales increased +17% following new menu launch.
- Traditional Pub Sales (Interpub): Revenue from historic pub operations including The Flying Horse, The Hercules Pillars, and St Christopher's Inn pub in Central London, covering food, drink, and event hire.
- Franchise and Network Fees: Revenue from franchise partnerships through the St Christopher's Network, where partner hostels (e.g., Copenhagen Downtown Hostel, NosDa Cardiff) gain access to the booking engine and network in exchange for partnership terms.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Hostel accommodation - private and dormitory rooms |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Beds and Bars product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Beds and Bars operates a portfolio of 21 backpacker hostels and 16 bars and pubs across 13 cities in 8 European countries. The company sells per-night hostel accommodation in private and dormitory rooms through its flagship St Christopher's Inns brand, Belushi's late-night party and sports bars, Flying Pig Hostels in Amsterdam, and historic London pubs under the Interpub banner. It also licenses its proprietary booking engine and brand to independent hostels through the St Christopher's Network franchise.
Product overview
Beds and Bars is an award-winning operator of backpacker hostels and entertainment venues operating 21 backpacker hostels and 16 bars and pubs across eight countries in Europe. The company operates a portfolio of brands including St Christopher's Inns (the company's flagship hostel brand with 19 hostels), Belushi's Bars (late-night party and sports bars), Flying Pig Hostels in Amsterdam, and Interpub (historic London pubs). The company also offers franchise partnerships through the St Christopher's Network. Complementary offerings include employee training programmes (Rising Stars, Footsteps), sustainability initiatives (Love Your Planet campaign), and employee support schemes (LifeHouse).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- St Christopher's Inns: Award-winning backpacker hostels operating 19 properties with private and dorm rooms in 10 locations across Europe. Known for safe, fun, secure and value-for-money experience.
- Belushi's Bars
- Flying Pig Hostels
- Interpub
Products and services
- St Christopher's Inns
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% occupancy rates at some properties
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Beds and Bars
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Beds and Bars technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature3 records
Beds and Bars partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SafeUPcorePartnership with safety social network SafeUP to create a more secure environment for women in venues across Europe. Belushi's Bars and St Christopher's Inns hostels become 'Safe Places' on the SafeUP app. Staff receive specialized training to prevent sexual harassment and become active bystanders. Posters with QR codes across venues link to the safety app. Supports Beds and Bars core values of safety and security.
- Royal NavycorePartnership with the Royal Navy for leadership training as part of the Rising Stars programme. Rising Stars participants train at Royal Navy facilities in Dartmouth, experiencing intense leadership courses that challenge them mentally, physically, and emotionally. First partnered in 2018 for this unique development initiative.
- NosDa Hostel CardiffcoreWales' largest backpacker hostel (150 beds) became the first UK hostel to join the St Christopher's Network in April 2016. Gains access to booking engine technology, professional hostel sector expertise, and network services while maintaining independence and character.
- Copenhagen Downtown HostelcoreFirst franchise member of the St Christopher's Network since November 2015. Copenhagen Downtown Hostel (360 beds, in business since 2010, 88% average customer ratings, 'Best Hostel in Denmark' 2012/2014/2015) gains access to St Christopher's booking engine technology, network benefits, and industry know-how. Beds are shared across both systems.
- PubAidcoreCo-founded by Keith Knowles (CEO) and Tim Sykes (formerly of Beds and Bars) along with Des O'Flanagan in 2009. PubAid promotes pubs as a force for good in their communities. Beds and Bars has provided invaluable financial and in-kind support, including creating the PubAid website. The World Biggest Pub Quiz has raised £750,000 for charities since 2016. Keith co-founded the initiative to shine light on the charitable work of the pub industry.
- Team Margot FoundationcoreBeds and Bars' charity of choice since 2015, dedicated to encouraging stem cell donor registration and supporting bone marrow transplant research. Chosen unanimously by employees at the 2014 AGM. Fundraising through key card deposit donations, Live Your Life events, and in-venue activities. Keith Knowles' late wife Franca inspired the partnership. The company helped add over 35,000 people to the stem cell register and raised over £275,000 for related causes.
- Europe's Famous HostelsminorNetwork partnership extending Beds and Bars' charitable awareness campaigns (specifically Team Margot) into additional countries through Europe's Famous Hostels network of partner properties.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Beds and Bars competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Clink Hostels: UK-based hostel operator running properties in London; direct budget-hostel competitor to St Christopher's Inns in the home UK market.
- YHA (England & Wales): UK charity operating traditional hostel network with dormitory accommodation; competes for the same youth and group travel demand in British cities.
- Generator Hostels: Pan-European design-led hostel chain with integrated bars and social spaces; directly comparable concept to St Christopher's Inns and Belushi's across multiple European cities.
- MEININGER Hotels: European hybrid hostel/hotel brand targeting budget travellers with mixed dorm and private rooms; comparable to Beds and Bars' capsule and private room offerings.
- Safestay: UK-listed budget hostel/accommodation operator with properties across Europe; comparable bed-night product targeting similar backpacker and group segments.
- a]o Hostels: Largest European budget hostel operator with ~50 properties; competes head-to-head with St Christopher's Inns in cities like Berlin, Amsterdam, and Prague.
- Wombat's Hostels: Austrian-rooted hostel chain with on-site bars and social spaces; competes with St Christopher's Inns and Flying Pig in central European cities.
Others
- Hostelworld Group: Global OTA marketplace that distributes Beds and Bars' hostel inventory; an important channel partner and indirect competitor for direct bookings.
Broad incumbents
- Premier Inn (Whitbread): UK's largest budget hotel chain; broad incumbent competing for budget traveller wallet share, particularly around group and family travellers in UK cities.
- Young's Pubs: UK pub operator with central London managed estates; comparable to the Interpub historic pubs (Flying Horse, Hercules Pillars, St Christopher's Inn pub) as a UK pub incumbent.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Beds and Bars social profiles
Digital presenceBeds and Bars compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance15 records
Beds and Bars financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Beds and Bars leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Beds and Bars subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Beds and Bars funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Beds and Bars M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Beds and Bars
What does Beds and Bars do?
Beds and Bars operates a portfolio of 21 backpacker hostels and 16 bars and pubs across 13 cities in 8 European countries. The company sells per-night hostel accommodation in private and dormitory rooms through its flagship St Christopher's Inns brand, Belushi's late-night party and sports bars, Flying Pig Hostels in Amsterdam, and historic London pubs under the Interpub banner. It also licenses its proprietary booking engine and brand to independent hostels through the St Christopher's Network franchise.
Is Beds and Bars a public or private company?
Beds and Bars is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Beds and Bars founded?
Beds and Bars was founded in 1964. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Beds and Bars based?
Beds and Bars is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Beds and Bars make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Hostel Accommodation (Bed Nights) is the primary driver. The others are bar and Restaurant Sales (Belushi's Bars), traditional Pub Sales (Interpub) and franchise and Network Fees.
Who are Beds and Bars's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Clink Hostels, YHA (England & Wales), Generator Hostels, MEININGER Hotels, Safestay, a]o Hostels and Wombat's Hostels. Hostelworld Group is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Premier Inn (Whitbread) and Young's Pubs.
Does Beds and Bars have an API?
No public API is recorded for Beds and Bars.
What industry is Beds and Bars in?
Beds and Bars's product category is Hostel & Bar Hospitality. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAGAGAA, Traditional Dormitory Hostels, with a secondary code of THAFAEAI, Lounge Bars & Hotel Bars. Its NAICS code is 72119 and its SIC code is 7000.