What Hostels.com does

Hostelworld (operating the Hostels.com platform) is a global online marketplace for hostel and budget accommodation bookings, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. The platform lists over 17,400 properties across 179 countries, supported by more than 13 million verified traveler reviews, and is accessible via a web platform and native iOS and Android applications that together account for approximately 9.6 million combined installs. The platform supports 19+ languages and multi-currency transactions, with regional operating subsidiaries in the UK, Portugal, Shanghai, and Australia.

The core product is a marketplace booking engine that connects budget travelers with hostel property operators, augmented by social features (Hostel Chat, City Chat, Direct Messages, Linkups), event-discovery integration (Events & Stays), and tours/experiences booking via the Roamies platform and Viator integration. Technology stack includes third-party payments (Stripe, Worldpay), Google Cloud infrastructure, Talon One for promotional vouchers, Zendesk for customer service, Snowflake for data warehousing, and analytics tools (Hotjar, Brandwatch). The platform operates a wholly-owned property management subsidiary (Counter App Limited) serving hostel operators.

The business model is primarily a marketplace commission structure on completed bookings, supplemented by non-refundable booking fees, a voucher/cancellation-protection system, affiliate referral commissions, and tour/experience commissions. Customer segments split between consumer travelers (budget backpackers, solo travelers, group travelers, event-focused travelers) and business users (17,400+ hostel property operators). The company is publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange under ticker HSW.

Name

Hostels.com

Legal name

Hostelworld.com Limited

Website

https://hostels.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hostelworld is a global online marketplace connecting budget travelers with 17,400+ hostel properties across 179 countries, monetizing via booking commissions, fees, and tour/experience integrations through its web platform and mobile apps.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Travel Marketplace

NAICS

Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps (72131)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Traditional Dormitory Hostels (THAGAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private-Room Hostels (THAMAIAB), Long-Stay/Monthly Backpacker Hostels (THAGAGAI), Student & Youth Hostels (Youth Organization/HI-style) (THAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Hostel booking platform
• Budget accommodations
• Traveler community
• Online travel marketplace
• Social travel features

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Booking Commission: Hostelworld acts as an agent facilitating bookings between travelers and hostel properties. Commission is earned on completed bookings through commission from property partners.
2. Booking Fees: Users may be required to pay a flat booking fee for use of the Hostelworld Sites when making a booking. This fee is non-refundable in all circumstances.
3. Voucher System: Credits system (previously Hostelworld credits) replaced by vouchers system integrated with Talon One. Vouchers can be applied to future bookings.
4. Affiliate Program: Third-party affiliates advertise Hostelworld and earn commission on referred bookings.
5. Tours & Experiences: Facilitates booking of tours, tickets, and experiences through integration with aggregators like Viator and partnerships with providers like G Adventures on Roamies platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Hostelworld (Hostels.com) operates an online marketplace platform that connects budget travelers with over 17,400 hostel properties across 179 countries. Travelers can search, compare, and book beds in dorms or private rooms using the website or mobile apps, supported by 13+ million verified traveler reviews. The platform also offers social features (chat, Linkups, Events & Stays) to help travelers connect with one another, and facilitates booking of tours and experiences through aggregator integrations.

Product overview

Hostelworld is a unified hostel booking platform that combines accommodation search and booking with social travel features. The core product is the Hostelworld Platform (hostelworld.com) which provides access to over 17,700 hostels across 179 countries with 13+ million traveler reviews. This is supported by a mobile app (4.91+ million installs) for on-the-go booking and social connectivity. The product ecosystem includes Hostelworld Inbox for traveler messaging, Linkups for connecting travelers with group activities, Events & Stays for combining event discovery with accommodation booking, and Roamies for group travel experiences. Additional offerings include the Hostelworld Blog (travel advice), Hoscars awards, a hostel partner signup program, an affiliate program, and a student discount feature through Studentbeans. The platform operates as an agent facilitating bookings between travelers and third-party hostel and experience providers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HW Roamies: Platform for booking tours and experiences in partnership with aggregators like Viator and G Adventures
• Hoscars
• Hostelworld Inbox

Products and services

• Hostelworld Platform (Core Booking Engine) The main hostel booking platform enabling travelers to search, compare, and book beds in hostels across 179 countries, with access to 13+ million traveler reviews and 17,400+ property listings.
• Hostelworld Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android (4.91+ million App Store installs, 4.74+ million Play Store installs) enabling hostel booking, social chat, and event discovery.
• Roamies Platform for booking group travel experiences and activities, integrated with G Adventures for adventure tours combined with hostel accommodation.
• Events & Stays Feature combining global event discovery with hostel accommodation booking, allowing travelers to find events and budget-friendly stays near them in one place.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.9+ million iOS app installs and 4.7+ million Android app installs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Talon OnecoreTechnology or IntegrationMarketing promotion engine integrated for voucher and coupon system. Supports vouchers system (replaced previous 'Hostelworld credits') across all room rate types advertised by hostel partners.
• G AdventuresflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to enable booking of combined hostel stays and tours/experiences on the Roamies platform. Allows travelers to book both accommodation and adventure tours through integrated offering.
• ViatorcoreTechnology or IntegrationTour/experience aggregator integrated into Hostelworld platform for booking tours, tickets, and activities.
• Goki Pty LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership enables Goki guests to access Hostelworld inventory of hostel accommodation, allowing them to make bookings after check-out and seamlessly move between platforms.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party payment processor for taking payments on website and app.
• WorldpaycoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party payment processor enabling online payments via credit card, debit card, and other payment options.
• Google CloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationCloud storage services used to store and manage data securely.
• ZendeskcoreTechnology or IntegrationCustomer relationship management system used by Customer Services team to record contacts and resolve queries and complaints.
• South PoleminorOthersClimate Neutral certification provider verifying Hostelworld's commitment to reducing environmental footprint.
• Student BeansminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStudent discount partnership providing exclusive discounts for students using Hostelworld services.
• Hostelworld Services Limited (UK)coreOthersUK subsidiary providing marketing initiatives and promotions.
• Hostelworld Services Portugal Lda.coreOthersPortugal subsidiary providing product development services.
• Hostelworld Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.coreOthersChina subsidiary helping to service customers in Asia.
• Counter App LimitedcoreTechnology or IntegrationProperty management and payment solutions platform subsidiary.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Agoda: Booking Holdings' Asia-focused OTA offering hotels, hostels, and alternative accommodation. Competes for the same backpacker traveler in APAC and offers strong regional pricing/inventory in Asia.
• Hotels.com: Expedia-owned OTA focused on hotels with growing budget and hostel inventory. Competes for traveler mindshare in budget accommodation, especially in English-speaking markets.
• Trip.com: Global OTA from Trip.com Group offering hotels, flights, tours, and increasingly alternative accommodation. Competes in Chinese outbound travel and APAC hostel markets where Hostelworld operates.

Direct peers

• Tripadvisor: Travel reviews and comparison platform with integrated booking for accommodations, tours, and experiences. Competes with Hostelworld on traveler reviews, hotel/accommodation discovery, and experience booking.
• Airbnb: Alternative accommodation marketplace that has expanded into shared rooms, private rooms, and experiences. Targets overlapping budget and social travelers with stronger brand among Gen Z; direct competition for non-traditional lodging bookings.
• Booking.com: Operates the largest global accommodation marketplace including extensive hostel inventory. Directly competes for hostel bookings with broader accommodation selection, brand power, and loyalty (Genius) program.
• HostelBookers: Hostel-focused booking platform historically operating as a direct hostel-marketplace competitor to Hostelworld (now part of the Hostelworld Group). Closest legacy direct competitor in the hostel-specialist niche.

Emerging players

• Hopper: Mobile-first travel app offering flights, hotels, and accommodation with price prediction and fintech features. Targets younger, mobile-native travelers that overlap with Hostelworld's core backpacker demo.
• Klook: Asia-based tours, activities, and experiences marketplace with growing accommodation vertical. Directly comparable to Hostelworld's expansion into tours/experiences and event-based travel.

Regional players

• MakeMyTrip: Leading OTA in India with expanding global hotel and alternative accommodation inventory. Regional competitor for outbound Indian backpacker travel, a growing segment for Hostelworld.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hostels_com
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/hostelworld
• Facebookfacebook.com/timeline
• Instagraminstagram.com/hostelworld
• Pinterestpinterest.co.uk/hostelworld
• TikToktiktok.com/@hostelworld
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/om-hostels---india

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hostels.com