Pilo Hotels
Pilo Hotels (The People Hostels) is a privately held French hostel chain founded in 2022, operating nine properties across France with dorm beds, private rooms, on-site restaurants, and event venues, primarily serving budget travelers, families, groups, and digital nomads.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersLyon, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Pilo Hotels does
Pilo Hotels, operating commercially as The People Hostels, is a privately held French hostel chain founded in 2022 and headquartered in Lyon. The company operates nine properties across France — four in Paris (Belleville, Bercy, Marais, Nation), plus Lyon, Marseille, Strasbourg, Tours, Caen, and Le Havre — with a recent addition at Les 2 Alpes. Its flagship Lyon property occupies a converted former school building on the Croix-Rousse hills, featuring a terrace in the former playground with panoramic views of the Basilique de Fourvière.
The product portfolio combines budget accommodation (capsule-style dorm beds from €20/night, with mixed and girls-only configurations) with mid-tier private rooms (standard doubles from €69, premium doubles from €79 with Chromecast TV, and family/tribe rooms from €94 sleeping up to four). Revenue is diversified beyond rooms via an on-site restaurant and cocktail bar (Lyonnais specialties, street food, local artisan coffee), coworking/working spaces targeting digital nomads, and private event venue hire for birthdays, bachelor/bachelorette parties, and group gatherings. The technology stack is built on third-party SaaS — Mews for property management and ZenChef for booking distribution — with no proprietary platform disclosed. The website is localized in German, French, English, and Spanish, signaling an international tourist orientation.
The company positions itself as a 'reimagined youth hostel' bridging budget lodging and boutique lifestyle, targeting budget travelers, families, groups, and remote workers. It is privately held with no disclosed external funding, operates with a lean team of 17 employees, and in 2025 completed a full rebrand from Pilo to The People. Customer acquisition runs through direct website booking, third-party booking aggregators, walk-ins, and local partnerships, with no enterprise or contracted B2B revenue base.
Pilo Hotels firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pilo Hotels
- Legal name
- The People Hostels
- Website
- https://pilohotels.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Pilo Hotels (The People Hostels) is a privately held French hostel chain founded in 2022, operating nine properties across France with dorm beds, private rooms, on-site restaurants, and event venues, primarily serving budget travelers, families, groups, and digital nomads.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pilo Hotels industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hostel Accommodation
- NAICS
- Other Traveler Accommodation (72119)
- SIC
- Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Traditional Dormitory Hostels (THAGAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Party & Social Hostels (THAGAGAC)
Keywords
Where Pilo Hotels is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lyon
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices7 records
Markets served
Pilo Hotels business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Accommodation: Revenue from dormitory beds (mixed and girls-only) and private rooms (double standard, double premium, and family/tribe rooms). Nightly rates ranging from €20 for dorms to €94 for family rooms.
- Food and Beverage: On-site restaurant serving local Lyonnais specialties, cocktails, and street food. Café service with local artisan coffee. Terrasse dining available.
- Event Venue Rental: Private event bookings including birthdays, bachelor/bachelorette parties (EVJF), and group gatherings. Venues include mezzanine, restaurant, and seasonal terrace.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Dorm bed (mixed or girls-only) with capsule bed, USB charging, and blackout curtain |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Family room (Tribu) sleeping up to 4 people with private bathroom |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard double room for couples or friends with private bathroom |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium double room with Fourvière views, TV, and complimentary beverages |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Pilo Hotels product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pilo Hotels (trading as The People Hostels) operates a multi-property youth hostel chain across 9 French cities offering dormitory beds and private rooms at nightly rates from €20, alongside on-site restaurants, cocktail bars, coworking spaces, and private event venues. The flagship Lyon property is housed in a converted former school with a terrace in the former playground overlooking the Basilique de Fourvière, blending affordable accommodation with lifestyle amenities and event programming.
Product overview
Pilo Hotels operates The People brand hostels, a portfolio of youth hostels across France including Lyon, Paris (4 locations), Marseille, Strasbourg, Tours, Caen, Le Havre, and Les 2 Alpes. The product portfolio combines accommodation services (dormitory beds and private rooms) with food and beverage (restaurant and cocktail bar), event venues, and coworking spaces. The Lyon location serves as a flagship property featuring a converted school building with a terrace in the former playground, offering room types ranging from budget dormitory beds (from €20/night) to premium double rooms (from €79/night) and family rooms (from €94/night). The brand positions itself as a reimagined hostel experience combining lodging, dining, entertainment, and community events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Dormitory Beds (Mixed and Girls-Only)
Companies that use Pilo Hotels
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Pilo Hotels technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Pilo Hotels partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights4 records
Pilo Hotels competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Generator Hostels: Europe's largest design-led hostel brand operating in Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Barcelona, and other major cities. Directly comparable as a premium 'lifestyle hostel' chain targeting budget-conscious travelers with F&B, events, and private rooms alongside dorms.
- Wombat's Hostels: European hostel chain with locations in Vienna, Munich, Budapest, London, and Dortmund, known for central locations, on-site bars, and event programming. Closely matches Pilo's lifestyle-hostel positioning and European multi-city footprint.
Peers
- a]o Hotels / The Social Hub:
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Pilo Hotels social profiles
Digital presencePilo Hotels financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pilo Hotels leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Pilo Hotels funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pilo Hotels 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 Pilo Hotels
What does Pilo Hotels do?
Pilo Hotels (trading as The People Hostels) operates a multi-property youth hostel chain across 9 French cities offering dormitory beds and private rooms at nightly rates from €20, alongside on-site restaurants, cocktail bars, coworking spaces, and private event venues. The flagship Lyon property is housed in a converted former school with a terrace in the former playground overlooking the Basilique de Fourvière, blending affordable accommodation with lifestyle amenities and event programming.
Is Pilo Hotels a public or private company?
Pilo Hotels is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Pilo Hotels founded?
Pilo Hotels was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Pilo Hotels based?
Pilo Hotels is headquartered in Lyon, France, in the Europe region.
How does Pilo Hotels make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Accommodation is the primary driver. The others are food and Beverage and event Venue Rental.
Who are Pilo Hotels's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Generator Hostels and Wombat's Hostels. a]o Hotels / The Social Hub is listed as a peer.
Does Pilo Hotels have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pilo Hotels.
What industry is Pilo Hotels in?
Pilo Hotels's product category is Hostel Accommodation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAGAGAA, Traditional Dormitory Hostels, with a secondary code of THAGAGAC, Party & Social Hostels. Its NAICS code is 72119 and its SIC code is 7000.