Sometimes an overnight layover is inevitable when returning from a far-flung journey. While hotels and even Airbnb in urban hot spots can be pricey for a solo traveler, hostels have come a long way from being dingy party pads to offering stylish—and still affordable—accommodations that won’t make you cringe upon check-in.
Whether you’re bunking up or splurging on a private room, book at one of these impressive hostels in key hubs, all serving as a convenient gateway to outdoor adventures. They’re the 7 best luxury hostels to book around the world.
7 best luxury hostels to book around the world!
- Generator Paris, Paris, France
Rule 1: Never forget to relax in style with a killer view #Paris pic.twitter.com/zZ2VSvSrsC
— Generator Paris (@Gen_Paris) May 15, 2017
Medium new to the hostel scene, Generator Hostels gives millennial travelers exactly what they demand: stylish quarters, high-tech amenities, central locations and a whopping number of private rooms for the bunk-a-phobic.
The most lauded is Generator Paris in the trendy 10th arrondissement, which offers 916 beds including several penthouse suites with private terraces touting hammocks. Guests sprawl out here: from the sit-down restaurant and subterranean bar to cushy social spaces and rooftop terrace.
Intrepid travelers peel away to explore Les Catacombes, a series of dark tunnels beneath the city streets that moonlights as a centuries-old underground tomb with human bones and skulls. Generator Paris is a 40-minute cab ride ($54) or 30-minute metro from Gare du Nord ($12) to Charles de Gaulle Airport, and it’s one of the 7 best luxury hostels to book around the world.
2. Kex Hostel, Rekyjavik, Iceland
Movie night: Terminator starts at 8pm ? pic.twitter.com/dRM0zDbBrB
— KEX HOSTEL REYKJAVIK (@KexHostel) October 8, 2018
Just an eight-minute cab ride from the airport ($8), Kex Hostel is a fantasy hostel that could serve as the set of a Wes Anderson film. The eclectic design and vintage-meets-modern furnishings make it feel like a whimsical movie set (think: carousel horses hanging from the ceiling, vintage comic book pages lining entire walls and obscure old maps in public spaces).
The owners created a visual haven for creative types who can be found chilling out at the heated outdoor patio or getting some cardio in with the old-school punching bag. Kex rents out leisure bikes on property but more adrenaline-seeking guests can gear up for extreme mountain biking through the mountains, valleys and number of geothermal springs just outside the city center.
3. New York Loft Hostel, Brooklyn, New York
Ovejas back 2 Brooklyn (@ New York Loft Hostel – @nylhostel in Brooklyn, NY w/ @ovejoperdido) https://t.co/KKNyNkpjPu pic.twitter.com/tGTj5KRJu3
— La Niña Hit (@LaNinhaHit) April 21, 2015
NYLH, New York’s most popular hostel, is located in Bushwick, an area that’s a little rough around the edges but getting cool points with its “hipster” cred in TV shows like Girls and Glee.
The hostel offers a private, sprawling lawn with sun beds, downstairs bar with happy hours, partner gym, complimentary breakfast and edgy art to make up for the basic rooms. You can hang out with your pick of international hipster guests or get your adrenaline pumping at Brooklyn Boulders, an indoor rock-climbing facility that offers some serious rock climbing for all levels.
4. HI Los Angeles Santa Monica
Book your stay at our HI Los Angeles Santa Monica Hostel and save 15% off our best flexible rates through January 4, 2021! Enjoy super low rates, free 24-hour cancellation, and no pre-payment. Enter promo code “LETSGO” Let's Go to Santa Monica! pic.twitter.com/nncKCdKu3m
— Hostelling International USA (@HIUSA) November 6, 2020
HI Los Angeles Santa Monica in Santa Monica, California, scores points for location. It’s a short stroll to the iconic Santa Monica Pier and beaches, steps from Third Street Promenade and right in the middle of all the nightlife action.
It’s also a quick, twenty-minute cab (approximately $20) from LAX (buses that stop in front of the hostel will get you there in 45 minutes for a buck). If you’re hard up on meeting people, the hostel makes it easy by organizing themed dinners in its restaurants or group outings like local pub crawls.
Don’t have time to chum up? Head to Runyon Canyon Park in the Hollywood Hills (30-minute drive), the most popular hiking spot in the city. Nearby HILASM is Will Rogers State Park, offering a handful of trails with impressive vistas for a hike closer to home.
Don’t forget to pack a travel pillow! Here’s my favorite on Amazon.
5. Cocomama, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The sunset over Amsterdam's canals is always pretty as a postcard.
(? by IG user:marc_nouss) pic.twitter.com/SMYbPIH0M0
— I amsterdam (@Iamsterdam) May 24, 2019
After biking along Amsterdam’s extensive canal system, Cocomama is the perfect place to decompress. The design hostel (a former brothel) is bright and cheerful with most public spaces drenched in sunlight.
Guests drink one Euro beers in its garden full of gnomes and cozy up with the resident house cat, Joop. All the rooms—each designed with a Dutch theme like “Red Light District” or “KLM”—have tons of personality with chandeliers and plastic taxidermy, a far cry from your typical hostel quarters.
Cocomama is just steps from the hip Fredericksplein hood, but even more convenient is the easy 15-minute cab ride (approximately $55) or a 30-minute train/tram ride to Schipol International.
6. Bunk Beyoglu Hostel, Istanbul, Turkey
Best Hotel #deals in #Istanbul #BunkTaksim starting at TRY30.06 https://t.co/Tz7VnzPN1I pic.twitter.com/gizFQRMlHC
— Cheap Hotels (@_Cheap_Hotels_) September 29, 2016
Most hostels in Istanbul are quite drab with little imagination to aesthetics yet Bunk Beyoglu impresses with modern furnishings and intuitive design. In the vibrant Beyoglu neighborhood, this popular pad books up fast with only 11 rooms, all decked out with mosque-style ceilings, marble bathrooms and windows that open (or private terraces for fresh air).
A street front café on the ground floor serving Turkish coffee has a bohemian vibe that mirrors the neighborhood allure. Bunk is a half-hour tram ride to most popular sites like Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, and Taksim Square is just ten minutes stroll away.
To get here, take a shuttle from Istanbul Ataturk Airport to Taksim Square (15 miles away) at $10 per person, or a cab ride (approximately $30) is only 30 minutes.
7. Jumbo Stay Hostel, Stockholm, Sweden
Sweden’s Jumbo Stay Hotel is located inside a 1976 Boeing 747-212B! http://t.co/VwhwER4ssm #JumboStay #Boeing #sweden pic.twitter.com/cKbaXzgrLT
— HEXAPOLIS (@_Hexapolis) September 22, 2014
Need a reason to spend another 24 hours on a plane? Check into Jumbo Stay Hostel at Stockholm Arlanda Airport, the world’s first hotel built onboard an actual Boeing 747 jet.
The interiors were gutted out to accommodation 76 beds in 27 rooms with flat-screen TVs and WIFI, a cockpit suite in the actual cockpit and a bar and restaurant. It’s just a short distance from the city center, where thrillists are donning helmets and harnesses to explore the city by various rooftops. Best part of the hotel? It’s only a 15-minute walk from the international terminal.
Don’t forget to pack your travel pillow! My favorite from Amazon is below.
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Jimmy Im has traveled to 113 countries, stayed in over 600 hotels and has flown a million airmiles. He lives in New York City.