Sleep like royalty on a backpackers budget.
Budget travellers enjoy a standard of luxury that was once reserved to rich people only a few years ago. Since the millennium, they have become more savvy, wanting more value, and hostels have responded by bringing in architects and interior designers to restyle their dorms.
Here is our pick of designer hostels that have combined cheap rates, brilliant locations with expert design and stylish furniture.
If you have never considered a bunk bed before, maybe now is the time to start?
1) The RomeHello - Rome, Italy
Rome’s hottest new hostel is getting a lot of attention. Located within a 20-minute walk of the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the Colosseum, and the Spanish Steps, the RomeHello is the city’s first ever street art hostel.
If you want the best craft beers, hipster furniture, and seriously hot bar staff, then you’ve come to the right place.
2) Poshtel Premium Hostel - Bilbao, Spain
The Bilbao designer hostel is located in a rowhouse alongside boutique shops and cafes. A popular choice with designer travellers, it is only an 8-minute walk from the legendary Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and 14 minutes' walk from Matiko-Garden City railway station.
3) Hostel Suffix - Kalinigrad, Russia
Not many people associate western Russia with hipster culture, but they obviously haven’t booked a holiday at Hostel Suffix. With its bright interiors and comfortable bedding, the hostel is perfect for anyone wanting to see the World Ocean Museum or go for a stroll along the River Pregel.
4) Youthville - Pune, India
Youthville hostels have been designed to make being alone not only comfortable, but stylish and affordable too. The interiors are contemporary and aesthetically designed to reflect modern tastes. Also, this Pune-based hostel is for girls-only, so female travellers will feel safe and secure at all times.
5) Universo Pol Bamboo Hostel - Morro de São Paulo, Brazil
Located inside a Brazillian nature reserve, Universo Pol Bamboo Hostel offers quality rooms and dorms in Morro de São Paulo. This eco-friendly hostel is a unique experience that will appeal to budget travellers wanting something peculiar to share on Instagram.
6) STAY Rhodes - Rhodes, Greece
STAY Rhodes, the first design hostel in Rhodes, and it boasts expertly designed interiors and loads of spaces to hang out with fellow travellers - not to mention affordable rates all-year-round.
7) The Dorm, Lisbon - Lisbon, Portugal
The Dorm is the latest brainchild of the LXFACTORY, offering a new and exciting way to sleep cheap in Portugal's capital. Situated in the hipster headquarters of Alcântara, visitors can hang out in the city’s coolest bars and restaurants in Lisbon’s former industrial district.
8) Dream Hostel - Bratislava, Slovakia
Situated in the heart of Bratislava, the Dream Hostel is where travel dreamers come to sleep with people from all over the world. The dorms and rooms are in excellent shape, and the property is only a few minutes walk from the Compatriot's Museum and Slavin Monument.
9) Babila Hostel - Milan, Italy
The new Babila Hostel is located in Milan’s fashion quarter and is only a brief walk from Piazza San Babila. It offers travellers stylish rooms and is an elegant choice if you’re looking for a place to stay in Italy’s fashion capital.
10) Dutchies Hostel - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Cool and simplistic, the Dutchies Hostel is located on a tree-lined street near the city centre and is only an 11-minute walk from De Vlugtlaan metro station, and 4 km from Anne Frank's House.
11) L'atelier Poshtel Phuket - Phuket, Thailand
Staying at the L'atelier Poshtel Phuket, you'll be minutes from the Phuket Butterfly Garden and Insect World. Relax in one of the 12 air-conditioned private rooms and receive free Wi-Fi from the moment you arrive.
Enjoy the splendid views from the terrace and chill on their designer sofas as travellers check in from all corners of the globe.