COMING SOON: THE TOP 50 HOSTELS IN NORTH AMERICA BOOKFrom Zack Reed, author of Same Bag, Different Bunk: My Life Inside American Hostels, and Bobby Dyer, co-founder of ITH Hostels, Hostelmanagement.com, and Chair of the Marketing Committee for the North American Hostel Association, comes a book...
What happens when there’s a full-blown coup inside a hostel… and the entire team ghost quits the day before a sold-out holiday weekend?In Episode 1 of Hostel Therapy, we dive into one of the wildest hostel management stories ever told. A packed holiday weekend. Zero staff. No warning. The owner is...
Celebrating the hostel owners and independent properties that make our global hostel community unique.The best hostels offer more than just a place to sleep. They create welcoming environments where travelers can relax, connect, explore, and experience the local culture.In this edition of our...
The short version: You are not hiring a host, you are hiring an operator who can host. Test for numbers, judgment and people skills with a paid project, tie the bonus to a few KPIs you can actually measure, and plan their first 90 days before they arrive.Most hostel owners hire their first manager...
What Happened?As accommodation costs continue to rise across Europe, hostels are gaining attention as an affordable and flexible option for group travelers, including families, couples, and friends traveling together.In a November 6, 2026 article published by Forbes, travel and hospitality...
1. A Growing Market, But an Uneven RecoveryAsia-Pacific remains the world's largest regional hostel market, accounting for approximately 35% of global hostel market revenue in 2025, according to Fortune Business Insights' 2026 report.But market size alone does not explain how the region's...
The short version: The gap between a direct booking and an OTA booking is real, but it is a lot smaller than the headline commission suggests. Chase direct share with a calculator, not a grudge. The grudgeEvery hostel owner has a commission story. It usually involves an invoice, a glass of...
In the heart of Agaete, Gran Canaria, Spain, Anna Gadea has created something special: a hostel where travelers can slow down, reconnect with themselves, and experience the beauty of community.As the owner of Casa Calma Yoga Hostel, Anna has spent years taking care of a place built around a simple...
The global travel industry continues to show resilience despite inflation, rising operating costs, and geopolitical uncertainty. On November 2, 2026, Marriott International raised its full-year 2026 revenue growth forecast, signaling stronger-than-expected demand across several travel markets....
Is the traditional, casually operated hostel becoming a thing of the past?For years, many hostel operators have relied on flexible work exchanges, hands-on management, simple spreadsheets, and informal systems to keep their businesses running. But the hostel industry is changing — and the old ways...
The short version: Nobody outside Hostelworld knows the exact ranking formula, and anyone who says otherwise is selling something. What you can do is observe the factors that consistently move position, and test them one at a time.A note on secret formulasEvery few months, someone in a hostel group...
The short version: A hostel is a property business wearing a hospitality costume, and most failures start with the property, not the vibe. Prove demand, lock the right building and the right permits, then fund twelve months of operating losses before you buy a single bunk.Every year a fresh cohort...
