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HOSCARs
Awards 2024

The world’s best hostels – voted for by YOU!

Hey there travellers 👋 Welcome to this year’s HOSCARs! 🏆For the 22nd year running, we’re rolling out the red carpet to honour the very best hostels across the globe. Keep scrolling to see this year’s award categories 👀 vote for your favourite finalists 🥇 and get inspired for your next trip ✈️

Vote for your chance to win a $250 Hostelworld voucher

We need YOU to help us choose winners for our three Responsible Travel Awards: The Eco-Warrior, The Community Superhero, and The Culture Champion! Vote for your faves below ⬇️ to be entered into our prize draw to win a $250 Hostelworld voucher 💰 Winners for the remaining 12 categories will be based on the reviews you wander-ful lot have been leaving after your stays, so THANK YOU for making this all possible 🙏 

Voting closes at midnight on 17 March!

Responsible Travel Awards 2024

SO MANY of our 16,000+ hostel partners are doing incredible things to help make our world a better place 🌎 and ensure you have the adventure of a lifetime 🤩 These awards celebrate the hostels going above and beyond in the environmental, community and cultural spaces.

H24-Eco-Warrior

The Eco-Warrior

Hostels are already a whopping 82% less carbon intense than hotels (NICE!). This award shines a real spotlight on sustainability by highlighting hostels with eco-friendly lodgings and facilities, carbon-neutral activities, community-based eco-tours, sustainable practices and more.

Psst...🤫 Look out for NEW sustainability badges when you book your next hostel 🍃 and an email after you've booked for a simple process to offset your Hostelworld accommodation.

 

La Ponderosa Reserve

Santa Marta, Colombia 

Surrounded by 13 hectares of jungle, this off-grid regenerative hostel is a converted farm designed using permaculture principles, built with bioconst...ruction techniques using local materials, and rewilded to restore biodiversity 🌳 Everything is designed to reduce waste, pollution and resource demand, from being 100% powered by solar panels to growing organic food – there’s even a cacao forest! The hostel also runs permaculture tours, bioconstruction and herbalism workshops, and is on a journey to zero waste and carbon neutrality ♻️ 
 

INOUT

Barcelona, Spain

This hostel’s unique location in the heart of Collserola Park, a 20-minute train ride from the centre of Barcelona, has been the driving force behind ...their sustainable practices. With nearly 200 solar panels plus biomass boilers, LED lighting and motion sensor lighting, energy efficiency is a priority 💡They also treat and reuse wastewater for irrigation, plant apple trees in the park to help with reforestation and carbon offsetting, and organise educational programmes for guests and visitors to highlight the importance of sustainability and conservation 🍏 
 

WOT Ericeira Surf Hostel

Ericeira, Portugal 

Surf’s up! And energy consumption is down, thanks to solar panels and LED lighting at this beachy hostel 🎉 The Free Food system (where food left by ot...her travellers is made available to guests) helps tackle food waste, and the Free Refill system after buying a WOT bottle helps reduce single-use plastic. The hostel also rents bikes to guests, gets involved in beach cleanups and works with local businesses to host sustainable markets 🚲 Brownie points for ocean views, a skate ramp and being pet-friendly! 
 

Book1 Design Hostel

Aarhus, Denmark 

When a hostel sets 68 sustainable goals, you know it means business – especially when they’re all set to be achieved by 2028 😎 A few highlights: all e...lectricity needs are currently met with 100% renewable and carbon-neutral Danish wind power, food waste is measured monthly to set new targets, breakfast is 90-100% organic, and disposable single-use plastic is a no-go. The hostel also collaborates with shelters to donate clothes, along with excess furniture and inventory. With a sauna and mini golf, it ticks the wellness, good vibes AND sustainability boxes ✅ 
 

a&o Hostel Venezia Mestre

Venice, Italy 

Take your trip to Venice to another level by staying at the FIRST hostel in Europe to achieve a GreenSign Level 5, a top sustainability accreditation ...held by just 19 properties across the continent 💚 The hostel scored 90% for sustainability performance in core areas including energy efficiency, water and environmental management, and more. Plus, the bar is 80% plastic-free, food is sourced from local and regional producers, and it’s the only hostel chain in Europe to show individual carbon emission values per booking on reservations and invoices 👣 
H24-community-superhero

The Community Superhero

Hostels are a huge part of the local community, so making a clear effort to drive positive community change deserves to be recognised. Through volunteering projects, charitable work, fundraising events, social initiatives and more, this award is for hostels committed to making a difference.

 

Howzit Hostels

Maui, USA 

Following the devastating Maui wildfires, Howzit Hostel added a volunteer day to their activity programme, where guests could get involved with buildi...ng temporary housing, preparing hot meals and organising supplies to help those affected 🥰 Inspired by the impact of their 1,200 total volunteering hours, Howzit permanently integrated community outreach opportunities into their schedule, from beach cleanups to collabs with local businesses. You’ll find the hostel at the mouth of Maui’s lush Iao Valley 💚 where they run FREE island tours for guests!
 

Rio Hostel Buritaca

Santa Marta, Colombia

This hostel has its own charity arm which guests can volunteer at every single day, and over 1,500 of you did exactly that last year 🎉 El Rio Foundati...on runs FREE educational, wellbeing, sporting and environmental programmes for over 550 local children every week, helping to foster a sense of community, support, belonging and positivity in an area with limited school funding. Did we mention it’s in the middle of a jungle?! 🌴 And right next to a river – perfect for an afternoon tubing sesh. 
 

ClinkNOORD

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Canalside in the Dutch capital’s coolest neighbourhood, ClinkNOORD scores highly for location AND giving back to the community. Through local initiati...ves and contributions to charity partners, they donated over €22,000 to various causes last year, including raising €2,100 to build a greenhouse and solar panels for a communal garden 🌱 The hostel team also spent 70 hours participating in clean-up events, and they’ve joined forces with an organisation that helps reintegrate former prisoners back into society 🧡 
 

Envoy Hostel

Yerevan, Armenia 

Nagorno-Karabakh (also known as the Republic of Artsakh) is a landlocked region in Azerbaijan, and had long been a source of dispute between Azerbaija...n and the predominantly Armenian population who lived there. Last year, Azerbaijani attacks and blockades led to shortages of food, medicine and fuel, triggering an exodus of ethnic Armenians who fled to Armenia. Envoy Hostel provided temporary accommodation for many refugees, helped find rental properties and paid rent for several families, regularly visited families with groceries, fundraised to support charitable endeavours and more 🏠💛  
 

Mad Monkey

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Providing socio-economic benefits to local communities and creating meaningful experiences for guests is embedded in the ethos of Mad Monkey. Each hos...tel supports a Local Community Project – in Siem Reap your stay supports the Clean Water Well Project💧– and last year they ran a Big Backpacker Brunch event to raise funds for local community partners (funds from the Siem Reap and Koh Rong hostels went to The Cambodian Buddhist Association for Vulnerable Children) 💰They also hire and upskill locals, and as part of their 10-year plan they’ll continue to offer first job employment to members of disadvantaged communities and employment to people with disabilities. 
H24-Culture-Champ

The Culture Champion

Brand new for 2024, this award commends hostels which go the extra mile to protect a region’s culture, maintain positive and respectful interactions, and provide guests with educational and immersive opportunities like indigenous cultural evenings, locally run heritage tours and more.

 

Backstage Osaka Hostel & Bar

Osaka, Japan 

Newly under French ownership, this hostel in the foodie capital of Japan facilitates a unique two-way cultural exchange. Their activity calendar is ge...ared towards cultural immersion – think music events with a focus on Japanese influences and language exchange evenings – while their bar not only offers an array of affordable local drinks but also brings locals and travellers together, leading to meaningful interactions 🎶🍻 The hostel also celebrates French traditions, attracting a local crowd interested in French culture.   
 

Hidden Garden Hostel

Chiang Mai, Thailand 

Bringing people from diverse cultural backgrounds together to explore Thai culture is a priority at Hidden Garden Hostel, where guests can join tradit...ional cooking classes, rooftop Thai boxing classes🥊and trips to historical sites, including a temple walking tour. They also take guests to special locations for festivals like Songkran and Loy Krathong to ensure authentic and memorable experiences of important cultural events. The hostel is in an area famous for its arts & crafts community, and there’s a street food market across the road 😋 
 

Viajero Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, Argentina 

Come for the steak and wine, stay for the jam-packed calendar of cultural activities 🤩 This hostel (with two pools, might we add) gives guests the opp...ortunity for cultural immersion every day of the week with a range of exciting experiences. To name just a few: Argentinian slang sessions, empanada-making classes, local wine tasting, free tango classes, neighbourhood tours, folk music nights, Stories of Buenos Aires with mate and pastries...plus an authentic asado experience and an evening celebrating award-winning national cinema 🎬 
 

Selina Serenity Rawai Phuket

Phuket, Thailand 

Commitment to the local community is at the heart of this beachfront resort-style hostel 🏖️ For example, 90% of employees live within a 10km radius, w...ith internships available to the next generation in hospitality via a collab with Phuket Vocational College. The hostel also supports the village school, contributes to a literacy programme and has teamed up with a local NGO to showcase merchandise crafted by underprivileged children. Additionally, they work with a local non-profit dedicated to the wellbeing of stray animals, organise beach cleanups and offer Muay Thai classes! 😍 
 

Hostel Rango Boutique

Medellín, Colombia 

There’s no shortage of opportunities to connect with Colombia’s cultural heritage at this Poblado-based hostel. Enjoy a Colombian dance class, go frui...t tasting to support local farmers and join educational sessions to learn about the importance of cultural preservation 💃 There's also a cultural sharing initiative where guests can share their experiences and traditions, breaking down cultural barriers and fostering a sense of community among travellers from different backgrounds 🧡 The rooftop pool and high-speed wifi are a bonus!