Hostels are cheap, and I commend you for choosing to stay in them. I’ve stayed in dozens of hostels around the world, and my best money-saving tip that is to avoid Hostelworld fees and ALWAYS book directly on the hostel’s website.
You see, when you book your hostel through a hostel search engine, you are actually paying more because of hidden fees that go directly into Hostelworld’s pockets.
These Hostelworld fees can easily be avoided by booking your hostel direct.
Hostelworld Booking Fees and Commissions
Hostelworld receives a commission between 10% and 25% for each booking that is made through their website or app. This commission is usually built into the price of the booking and passed along to you as the guest. You end up paying between 10% and 25% more when you book through Hostelworld because of these fees.
When you book your hostel through Hostelworld, your money is split between them and the hostel itself. In fact, the deposit that you pay when booking your hostel goes directly to Hostelworld and the hostel never sees it.
Booking directly with the hostel is always going to be cheaper. I’ve never come across a case where it was more expensive to book a hostel directly. On the flip side, it will rarely be cheaper to book a hostel on Hostelworld.
Hostelworld vs Direct Booking
Let’s compare prices on a hostel’s website to prices on Hostelworld. This will show you exactly how much you are being overcharged.
Consider this example. A bed in a 10 person dorm for two nights at Urban House Copenhagen costs $37.14 when booked directly on Meininger’s website.
On the other hand, the same bed in the 10 person dorm for the same two nights at Urban House Copenhagen costs $43.45 when booked through Hostelworld.
So by not booking directly on this hostel’s website, you pay an extra $6.31 which is 17% more.
| Hostelworld | Booking Hostel Direct |
|---|---|
| 1 guest | 1 guest |
| 10 person dorm | 10 person dorm |
| $43.45 | $37.14 |
Notice how the Payable Now amount is $6.05. It isn’t surprising that the price difference between booking direct and booking on Hostelworld is pretty darn close to the deposit amount. I’d argue that the only reason these dollar amounts differ is because of how each website is performing currency conversions.
As you know by now, the deposit is going directly to Hostelworld and the hostel never sees it. Essentially, the deposit is the premium you pay for using Hostelworld and can be completely avoided by booking your hostel directly on the hostel’s website.
If that went over your head, perhaps a video explanation will be easier for you to understand.
Always Book Your Bed Directly with the Hostel
Hostelworld is no doubt the leading hostel search engine. They handle thousands of bookings everyday. Unfortunately, the vast majority of travelers are clueless that they are paying more than they should.
I’ve talked to a few hostel owners about this topic, and every time I hear the same story. Since it’s is the go-to hostel search engine nowadays, a hostel is missing out on a lot of potential bookings if it isn’t listed on Hostelworld.
In order to stay relevant and competitive, hostel owners feel obligated to list their hostel on hostel search engines.
Therefore, the hostel has two choices: incorporate the Hostelworld commission into the price of the bed or take a loss. Since most hostels are so cheap to begin with, they don’t really have the wiggle room to offer their beds for any less. So unfortunately what most hostels do is increase the price of their listing on Hostelworld and pass the fee onto their guests.
Save Money By Booking Your Hostel Direct
It’s okay to use Hostelworld to search for your hostel. I do it all the time. The reviews and ratings on Hostelworld are quite invaluable. Additionally, to filter and sort hostels based on your specific criteria is super helpful. But when it comes time to book, use the hostel’s website to make your booking direct. This will save you between 10% and 25% on the cost of your hostel. And as a budget backpacker, every penny counts!
As a budget backpacker myself, I’ve written extensively on budget travel tips.
Safe and happy travels my friends!
That’s all fine and good, however, I went directly to a hostel website in Lisbon, Portugal and it was 250 euros, on hostelworld it said i owed $232.00 at the hostel which is 200.90 euros. Don’t forget about the conversion rates. The fee for hostelworld was $37.04
Actually, in many countries cheaper not to book directly with hostel, parricularly Latin America. Selina hostels for example can be often 50% more expensive on their own website than Hostelworld or even on AirBnB
As a hostel owner, I can say yes we add extra when we list on hostel world, and it is 20 percent cheaper when you book directly. Because h.world takes 20 percent commission here in Türkiye… They use to take 15 percent but unfortunately not since few years. 15p. was not bad, but I guess they wanted to earn more and grow big… But on some occasions of course h.world is still great. You can have nice reviews which help you get more bookings and if a guest books from h.world, 99 percent of chance he comes, because he already paid some amount and that amount acts as a guarantee… Can the hostel world takes 15 percent or little bit less commission? SURE THEY CAN! And they’ll still be earning a lot of money! They earn very easy cash here. But as they monopolize the hostel booking market, they do whatever they want. THANK YOU for the informative page 👍