World's Top Hostels Highlighted In Annual Hoscar Awards

Even savvy, well-seasoned travelers need fresh ideas and a little inspiration every now and then. A new list of hostels in destinations around the globe may help provide it.

The traditional Guatemalan breakfast, fluffy duvets, multiple indoor and outdoor hangout areas, and daily bar specials (including its famous mojitos), were a few of the reasons Maya Papaya, in Antigua, Guatemala, was voted Best Hostel in North America by fellow budget-minded travelers.

Maya Papaya, in Antigua, Guatemala, was named Best Hostel in North America in the recent HOSCAR awards.

The 2019 list of HOSCARS (an acronym for HOStelworld Customer Annual Ratings), created to recognize the world’s “best” hostels, was released on Monday by the Hostelworld Group, an online hostel booking platform headquartered in Dublin. The announcement was timed to correspond with nominations for the annual Oscar awards.

This year’s winners in 29 categories, chosen from the 36,000 properties Hostelworld represents in more than 170 countries, were based on 1.2 million reviews submitted in 2018 by guests who made reservations through Hostelworld.

Criteria for the reviews include: overall customer experience, value for money, security, location, staff, atmosphere, cleanliness and facilities. Categories were determined by property size, continent, country and city as well as special areas including “best new hostel” and “best hostel for groups”

The HOSCARS list this year introduced 13 new award categories, like for properties that provided the best accomodations for the growing rank of professionals who take time off from work. Home Lisbon Hostel,Portugal, named Best Hostel for Sabbatical Travelers (aged 31+) was recognized for its homemade dinners, cooked by the owner’s mother, and its location as an excellent base for exploring Lisbon’s historic center.

Also new this year is Best Hostel for Solo Travelers. The Roadhouse Prague, Czech Republic, best hostel overall in that category, was acknowledged for its laid-back atmosphere, staff who organize daily activities, like trips to local festivals, and its stylish interior.

In addition, separate awards were given for the best hostels for male and female solo travelers respectively. Hostelworld said the designations were added due to a recent 42% boom in solo travel bookings.

A number of hostels were honored in the same categories they had been commended for in previous years, or won multiple awards.

The Roadhouse Prague, for example, which is just a year old, also landed the Best Hostel in Europe and Best Small Hostel titles.

As it did last year, 5 Terre Backpackers, Italy, won for best atmosphere. The hostel was cited for its ancient building, with stone walls, rustic design and wood-beamed ceilings, and for the panoramic views of Cinque Terre National Park.

Hostels have improved in many ways since Hostelworld received its first booking twenty years, Gary Morrison, the company’s chief executive, said in a statement. Quality, variety, and unique social spaces that foster mingling with travelers from around the world were among the many improvements, he said.

For example, hostels these days range in style from intimate family-run establishments and rustic hide-a-ways to sophisticated, high-design, boutique-like properties. Most hostels provide private as well as shared dorm-style rooms, and many offer activities like traditional cooking instruction, language classes, walking tours of the neighborhood, and bar crawls.

European hostels, as in past years, garnered most awards, but plenty of other regions were featured.

Here are some more highlights from this year’s list:

Best in the US – USA Hostels Ocean Beach, U.S.A.
Best in Latin America — Los Patios Hostel Boutique, Colombia
Best in Oceania – Adventure Q2 Hostel, New Zealand
Best in Asia – Cozy Nook Hostel, Vietnam
Best in Africa – The B.i.g Backpackers, South Africa
Best Atmosphere – 5 Terre Backpackers, Italy
Best Value for Money – Dalat Friendly Fun, Vietnam
Best Location – Adventure Queenstown Hostel, New Zealand
Best Staff – Stay Hostel, Rhodes
Best for Groups – Hostel Mola, Madrid                                             Best Newcomers (in 2018):

 Best new small hostel – The House of Sanderman, Portugal
 Best new medium hostel – Hostel One Madrid, Spain
 Best new large hostel – Romehello Hostel , Italy
 Best new extra-large hostel – Anda Venice, Italy

In addition to Dublin, Hostelworld has offices in London, Shanghai, Sydney and Porto. Its website and mobile app operate in 19 languages.

Click here for the complete list of 2019 HOSCAR winners.