How much you pay for accommodation can often make or break a trip. Too often we’ll shy away from cheaper digs like hostels, believing them to be worn down and grimy. This worn out stereotype couldn’t be further from the truth. Hostels have been evolving over the years, and making travel on a budget much easier for young people. Some hostels have ditched the dorm room feel altogether, embracing design and style in an attempt to score your tourist dollars.
In big cities, hostels offer boutique hotel accommodation for hostel prices. Sure, you might have to share a bathroom, but you’re getting a ton in return. Below are some of our favorite hostels in big cities — priced out on HostelWorld. The properties are unique. The beds are clean. The atmosphere is convivial. And the prices are cheap.
Add in the low season airfare kicking in right now and what are you waiting for? Go. Hit that road hard!
THE LOCAL NYC — NEW YORK CITY, USA
The Local sits just across the East River in Queens, New York. The hostel offers private rooms and dorms with a rooftop terrace to take in the Manhattan skyline. They also have a great bar, art installations, and hold special movie screenings in case you get bored with the rest of the city for some reason.
Beds in a four person dorm with an en suite bathroom and linens run $60 a night.
GRAND HOSTEL BERLIN –BERLIN, GERMANY
You’ll find this majestic hostel right in the heart of Berlin. The converted building has a great staff who also run private tours and bar crawls around the city. The rooms are spacious. The bar is always full of travelers having a great time. And one of Europe’s craziest cities is all around you.
Private rooms start at $60. If you’re more adventurous, you can snag a dorm bed for $18 per night.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVZ42ubhZR0/
FLOW HOSTEL — BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
Flow Hostel is a modern take in an old city. The hostel is next door to Budapest’s amazing Central Market and a few steps from the mighty Danube. The rooms are new and the hostel’s open spaces are set up to help you socialize with fellow travelers and maybe plan your next big adventure.
Private rooms will set back around $70 per night for a double room. Dorms start at an easy $12 a night.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVh7yYQlZhU/
FREEHAND LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES, USA
Freehand in LA is a luxury hostel with straight up boutique hotels rooms, chic dorms, and a rooftop pool that’s always a party. The property boasts a great bar, full-service restaurant, and a hip aesthetic in every detail. Staying at this hotel-hostel hybrid might be the most fun you have downtown Los Angeles.
Private hotel rooms are steep and start at $285 per night with four beds. However, the well-equipped dorms start at $79 per night per bed.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYMrMzHHLrX/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYMONaNFFFV/
LES PIAULES — PARIS, FRANCE
Les Piaules sits in Paris’ hip Belleville neighborhood. The art deco building has been recently renovated by a trio of travelers with a heavy interest in helping people traveler better, cooler, and happier. The bar has a carefully curated selection of local beers and spirits. Plus there’s a rooftop bar where you can enjoy those carefully curated drinks while taking in the Paris skyline.
Private rooms for two start at $110 per night. Dorms start at $38 per night per bed.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWkk9CrH3Sx/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXGw-JfBf7G/
CASA GRACIA — BARCELONA, SPAIN
Barcelona is known for amazing food and great beaches in a city full of beautiful architecture and gothic remnants. Casa Gracia is in the middle of it all. The property is another spot that bridges the world of hostels to boutique hotels. It’s a little bit of down-home coziness with a splash of luxury.
Private rooms that are pretty much boutique hotel quality start at $140 a night. Chic dorm beds will run closer to $40 per night per bed.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BX0aiIQgIiN/
YIM HUAI KHWANG HOSTEL — BANGKOK, THAILAND
Yim Huai Khwang is the best of both worlds. It’s situated slightly outside the main hustle and bustle of Bangkok’s central districts. So you’ll get a real local feel to the neighborhood. It’s also right next to an MRT line that can take you into Bangkok’s tourist sights within minutes. The hostel is well-fitted, friendly, and a great base of operations for a trip around Southeast Asia. They’ll even store your bags for months at a time.
Private rooms for two start at $47 per night. Dorms beds will run you $14 per night.
CAIPIHOSTEL — RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
Located in the famed and historical Lapa neighborhood of Rio, CaipiHostel is a great home away from home. Lapa has a rad bar and restaurant scene that’s liable to turn into a party nightly. The hostel also houses a great bar where meeting like-minded backpackers will be easy. The rooms are well-equipped and comfortable — though you won’t be spending much time there. Rio’s gorgeous beaches are about 20 minutes away by metro trains.
A private room for two will set you back around $42 per night. Dorm beds are a lot cheaper at $11 per night.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQAll4_hiN_/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUhNJpjlQ84/
RIAD VERUS — FEZ, MOROCCO
A stay in a Riad is a must in Morocco. The buildings are built around a central courtyard/meeting place where you can chill, eat, relax, and socialize. Riad Verus is a laid back location nestled inside the old Medina in Fez. You can get lost in winding alleys where cobras pop up from baskets and the waft of well-spiced food cooking somewhere will be your guide. The rooms in the Riad are all air conditioned and offer plenty of spots to lounge while you escape the intense Moroccan heat.
A private room for one will set you back $27 per night. Dorm start at $12 per night per bed.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUtUXZsAy7i/
SKY BACKPACKERS — DUBLIN, IRELAND
Right in the heart of Dublin sits Sky Backpackers hostel. The hostel is located in what used to be Litton Lane Rehearsal & Recording Studios where U2, Sinead O’Connor, and Van Morrison laid down tracks. It never hurts to spend a night in a spot where music history was made. The hostel is a perfect meeting point to plot your route around Dublin’s amazing pubs and sights. The rooms are well-fitted and comfortable. And the bar is a great time every night.
A private room for two will set you back $112 per night. Dorms beds start at $30 per night.
