When it comes to communal lodging, today's budget-conscious travelers have more enticing options than previous generations. While hostels have always been a big part of the travel experience, there's been an exciting shift from the shared spaces of yesteryear. From beach hostels with award-winning bars to flipped castles, prisons, and lighthouses to treehouses, caves, and Mongolian yurts, these are the world's coolest and most unusual hostels you definitely need to book right now.
Quepos, Costa Rica
You'll feel like you're flying high while staying at the Hotel Costa Verde 727 Fuselage in Costa Rica. After serving South Africa Air and the Colombian Avianca Airlines, this vintage 1965 Boeing 727 now functions as a unique hostel space with spiral staircases and hand-carved Indonesian furniture soaring over Manuel Antonio National Park's jungle canopy.
Goreme, Turkey
The family-run Aydinli Cave Hotel in Turkey overlooks the exquisite, old town of Goreme. This semi-arid region of Cappadocia is famous for its distinct natural rock and stone formations and historical cave dwellings. The rock-cut guest house has 14 individually-styled rooms, and many are equipped with stone fireplaces and jacuzzis. Terraces present uninterrupted views of the village with its famed "fairy chimneys" and traditional rock features, as well as the surrounding picturesque Rose Valley and snow-capped Aragus Mountain.
Sydney, Australia
Travelers can stay just outside of Central Station in Sydney, Australia at the laidback Railway Square YHA, where guests can sleep in a cozy, vintage railway carriage on the former Platform Zero or in a renovated historic building from 1904. The hostel's modern common area -- lined with surfboards as decor -- has computers (and free wifi access), foosball tables as well as a kitchen and pool. Plus you'll be close to the city's best attractions and pubs for all your entertainment needs.
Miami, Florida
Among the new, upscale hostels cropping up in the U.S., The Freehand in Miami, Florida stands out for its "summer camp for adults" traits: art classes, pop-up events and one-off experiences, game nights, bocce, and booze. In the vein of a luxe boutique hotel, the South Beach hostel has cultivated a top-notch food and beverage program. Courtyard bar Broken Shaker -- featuring weekly rotating inventive cocktails with property-grown ingredients -- has been nominated for two James Beard Awards and deemed one of "The World's 50 Best Bars" for the past three years.
Nuremberg, Germany
The DJH Youth Hostel, or "Castle Hostel," in the heart of Nuremberg, Germany dates back more than 500 years. The 93-room hostel within the medieval castle is an Old World space with modern day amenities like en-suite showers, open common areas, and even a bar and bistro.
Edinburgh, Scotland
The medieval Old Town and neoclassical New Town make Scotland's capital city a cherished UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is why Scotland's Castle Rock -- located right next to the famous Edinburgh Castle -- is more like staying in a museum than a hostel. There's a free book exchange, plenty of records plus guitars and a grand piano to play. They'll even organize pub crawls, pool competitions, and ceilidhs (social events with traditional folk music, singing, dancing, and storytelling). When the Scottish weather isn't moody, the patio is great for barbeques with new friends.
Quebec, Canada
It took 18 years to construct Chateau Bahia, a wooden castle in the forests of the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec, Canada. The four-tower and seven-turret hostel offers guests a choice of dorm-style rooms or private suites. A banquet hall hosts free breakfasts, and visitors can also opt for a nightly candlelit dinner package for an extra fee. Handy guests with at least two weeks to spare can even stay free of charge if they're willing to pitch in with some construction work.
Stockholm, Sweden
Recline for the night in a retired and repurposed Boeing 747, Jumbo Stay, tucked away in a quiet corner of Stockholm, Sweden's Arlanda Airport. You won't have to worry about the legroom in this old jumbo jet, which is equipped with dormitory-style quads or a luxury cockpit suite with an ensuite bathroom and panoramic views. Should you choose to deplane, the nearby town of Märsta also has plenty of shops, bars, and restaurants worth exploring.
Santa Marta, Colombia
Situated in a Colombian mansion in Santa Marta, The Drop Bear Hostel was once used by a major Colombian cartel in the 1980s. It still houses escape tunnels and cryptic codes inscribed on tiles plus secret stashes for money and contraband whiskey. Today, it's safe for travelers to tour the grounds for highlights from Colombian drug trade history. You can also relax by the pool, chill in a hammock, hit up the bar's twice daily happy hours, or even rent a motorcycle from the in-house agency to head into the city.
Porto, Portugal
Located on the Miguel Bombarda Street, Portugal's Gallery Hostel Porto -- a building from 1906 renovated to keep its traditional Oporto house appeal -- lives up to its surrounding Porto art district name. The modern hostel transforms its in-house art exhibitions to showcase different local artists every other month with room décor inspired by the artists' work and lives. Hostel installations function with other street-level and new exhibition openings, and concerts and other cultural activities regularly draw in the community crowd.
Nazareth, Israel
A 200-year-old Arab mansion in Nazareth's Old City, Fauzi Azar Inn is a stunning home base for Galilee explorers. While the hostel itself is spectacular -- with hand-painted ceilings, marble floors, and a gorgeous limestone courtyard with arched passages -- the building is also centrally located. Guests can easily walk to the souq (open air market), the Basilica of Annunciation, and the White Mosque. Free walking tours and complimentary breakfast, homemade cakes, Arabic coffee, and herbal tea round out a hospitable Israeli experience.
Olympos, Turkey
The kitschy and vibrant treehouse village of Kadir's Tree Houses rests in a wooded region of the Mediterranean coast, offering a destination relatively untouched by civilization. Rich with Lycian history and modern pleasures like free wifi, the hostel has two sleeping arrangements: a room up in the pine trees -- accessible by rope ladder and suitable for up to five guests -- or a private, air conditioned bungalow on the ground. Explore a nearby beach and ancient ruins, and enjoy the property's bar and "pizza house" after rock climbing and kayaking.
Bangkok, Thailand
Booking a room at The Overstay in Bangkok is more like crashing in an artists' collective amid all the graffiti art and other works produced by guests and local artists. The six-story brothel-turned-guesthouse is also an art space and live music venue. Make your own artistic contribution to the co-working space (the whole building is your canvas), snag a rooftop hammock, play with the resident kittens, or make new friends at the 24-hour bar -- renowned for its DJ parties and concerts.
Sligo, Ireland
If you're concerned about your carbon footprint while traveling, the environmentally-friendly Gyreum Ecolodge -- the "wooden UFO that landed on the rural hillside" of Sligo, Ireland -- is the ideal spot to stay. The conical structure's roof is sloped to blend into the plateau of Moytura and the vale of Lough Arrow, and powers its geothermal heating with a wind turbine. Solar panels, compost toilets, repurposed rain water, and an organic vegetable garden make for an all-natural experience as well. And because this is Ireland, your stay includes Irish language workshops.
Coober Pedy, South Australia
Located roughly 34 steps below ground in a former opal mine, the Radeka Downunder Dugout Motel & Backpacker Inn is probably one of the coolest places to stay in Coober Pedy, South Australia. The town is known for its "dugouts," or subterranean homes, museums, opal mines, shops, art galleries, and churches. This desert cave-turned-hostel's dorm-style beds and private suites are a budget-friendly way to stay in the Outback... and keep "warm in winter, cool in summer," according to their motto.
Sukhbaatar, Mongolia
Anak Ranch offers wide-open spaces and a chance to immerse yourself in a new culture and nature on an actual working ranch in northern Mongolia. Volunteer to milk cows and herd livestock, ride horses to the Russian border, and eat farm-fresh meals. It's not every day that you get to stay in a traditional nomadic home, known as a "ger" or "yurt," and "learn to drink vodka the Mongolian way."
Berlin, Germany
If you've ever wanted to experience East Berlin life in the '70s and '80s, OSTEL Hostel Berlin provides a unique glimpse into this sliver of German history. Rooms are designed with German Democratic Republic (GDR) era furniture and multicolored floral wallpaper and the rest of the "most Eastern GDR Design Hostel in Berlin" is like a museum. It's filled with Stasi-suits, Pittiplatsch figurines, plastic egg cups, chocolate GDR-Mark coins, and other East German-style collectibles from the GDR days. It's also located near the East Side Gallery, double-decker Oberbaum Bridge, Alexanderplatz, and the TV Tower.
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Slovenian military prison-turned-youth hostel Hostel Celica features 20 former cells that have been turned into cheerily decorated hangouts -- still with barred metal doors -- thanks to local artists. The Ljubljana-based hostel once served as a military prison for over 100 years during Slovenia's socialist rule. The prison, abandoned in 1991 when Slovenia declared its independence, was restored over a 10 year period to incorporate an art gallery, paintings and framed sketches in rooms, and a basement museum in the original solitary confinement rooms.
Pescadero, California
Amid California's central coastline, one of the tallest lighthouses in America is also a cool hostel on a cliff. The still-operating, Pescadero-based HI-Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel has been guiding mariners since 1872. If you're looking for a quiet coastal escape or an educational adventure by the sea, the hostel is popular for its naturalist-led educational walks, miles of hiking and coastal trails, oceanfront boardwalk, tidepools and cove beaches, harbour seals and whale watching, sunset dips in the cliffside hot tub, and stargazing.
London, England
You can sleep in the London courthouse where The Clash stood trial for shooting a pigeon in 1978 and author Charles Dickens once worked as a court scribe while writing "Oliver Twist." The 200-year-old Victorian building has been restored as Clink78, a hostel with a striking, contemporary interior design. Kick back in the former courtrooms (two courtrooms and seven prison cells were preserved), or party in the basement night venue ClashBAR. The company also owns another London hostel, Clink261, and ClinkNOORD in Amsterdam.
Ottensheim, Austria
Along the Danube River in Ottensheim, you'll discover a rather unique hostel concept at the Austrian Das Park Hotel. Hostel rooms are housed within robust canal drain pipes -- thoroughly cleaned and equipped with minimal built-in fittings like Eurofoam mattresses for comfortable sleeping quarters. They've adopted a "pay as you wish" system, so a night in a cozy concrete tube on the Danube costs as much as you can afford or would like to pay.
Goreme, Turkey
Most of the rooms at Traveller's Cave Pension are built right into a cliff in Turkey's gorgeous Cappadocia region. Activities abound -- from magical hot air balloon rides to horseback riding to daily hikes in the surrounding volcanic rock landscape of Rose Valley and the Derinkuyu Underground City. You can also enjoy traditional Turkish performances at night.
Stockholm, Sweden
Situated on an island in the middle of Stockholm, Langholmen Hostel was originally used in the 1840s as a "spinnhaus," or women's remand prison. Later, it housed men and became the site of the last execution in Sweden before capital punishment was abolished in 1921. While prison doors closed in 1975, the hostel still bears the same layout and heavy, bolted cell doors guarding rooms with 2-4 beds, it's been fully renovated into a modern, chic space, even specializing in weddings and large events.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
In a city of cyclists and canals, staying on The Beagle Houseboat is the way to go in Amsterdam. The two-story houseboat on the canal can accommodate up to four people. The main living room on the upper deck (shared with the owner and captain) is surrounded by wide windows for views of the surrounding docklands, and the bottom deck serves as the bedroom. Old, comfy couches, classic board games, and free coffee/tea make this a cozy hangout.
Sydney, Australia
Backpackers and budget travelers can score stunning views of the Sydney skyline from one of the highest rated hostels in Australia at an affordable price. Bounce Sydney's private rooftop terrace with a bar and bistro regularly hosts BBQs, and the hostel also organizes pizza and movie nights as well as pub crawls and nightclub parties. Its close proximity to the city's main train and bus lines at Central station make staying at this modern hostel a no brainer.
Belgrade, Serbia
The beautiful Arkabarka Floating Belgrade Hostel on the Danube River is surrounded by a scenic park in Block14 -- a popular hangout for cyclists, rollerbladers, and nature lovers. You can relax in nature and still walk to the center of Belgrade in just 20 minutes. The vibrant, laidback hostel has a contemporary interior with a community café and glass multi-functional space for meeting locals, free bicycles and guided tours, and a roof terrace with a panoramic view of the Belgrade Fortress.
Ontario, Canada
Ontario's HI Ottawa Jail Hostel, originally the Carleton County Gaol, once housed maximum security prisoners for well over 100 years and was the site of public executions, which has earned it the reputation as one of Canada's most haunted buildings. Guests can partake in the free daily ghost hunt tours through secret tunnels, stay in solitary confinement cells, and mingle with locals at the indoor/outdoor pub. The Canadian slammer is also within walking distance of the Parliament Buildings, Byward Market and National Gallery of Canada -- and you're free to leave whenever you'd like.
Picton, New Zealand
With a 16-person capacity, Picton's smallest hostel Jugglers Rest might be cozy, but it's definitely not your typical hostel situation. The renovated historic villa has circus toys on hand for guests to play with (don't worry, juggling and hula hoop spinning workshops cover all the basic tricks) and puts on nightly fire and glow shows, which you can watch from comfy bean bag chairs or hammocks in the garden.
Koh Lanta, Thailand
Located on the beautiful island of Koh Lanta on Thailand's west coast, Clayzy House was hand-built with mud, bamboo, and driftwood, and is covered in floor-to-ceiling artwork. With both treehouse and dorm-style accommodations, plus a mud communal area, the hostel's quirky, laidback community attracts "free-spirited, adventure-seeking, and eco-conscious music and art lovers." Frequent open mic nights, an on-site bar streaming reggae and rock music, free bike rentals, and hammocks -- all mere steps away from the beach -- often keep lodgers here much longer than initially planned.
Kyoto, Japan
Close to the Kyoto train station, Capsule Ryokan Kyoto offers traditional hostel bunk bed accommodations with Japanese-style efficiency. Each bunk can be enclosed "capsule style," which turns the bed into your own room with personal air conditioning, a wall-mounted flat screen TV, and a storage locker. If you'd prefer a little more space, private rooms are available. Otherwise, you can stretch your legs in the shared lounge space or elsewhere in the city.
Luzern, Switzerland
Jail Hotel Luzern is the converted counterpart to a former prison built in Luzern, Switzerland in 1862. You can stay in 'unplugged cells' of this cool and unique hostel for the real behind-bars adventure or opt for the Director's Office or former Library for a more luxurious experience.
Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, and Penang, Malaysia
Inspired by sustainable architecture, eco-friendly design, and the Japanese concept of "Kyosho Jutaku" -- or "living in style on a tiny footprint," according to the website -- the Container Hotel chain of hostels have been constructed out of recycled shipping containers. As part of the green movement, bikes for exploring the city are also available at each of the three hostel locations in Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, and Penang.
Seattle, Washington
Washington's City Hostel Seattle is a one-of-a-kind artistic paradise. Housed in the centrally-located, historic Lorraine Hotel, a prominent celebrity gathering spot during the 1930s, each room has been thoughtfully decorated by a different local artist. With free film showings in the in-house theater and complimentary breakfasts, you'll be hard pressed to find better rated, budget-friendly digs in the city.
Mombasa, Kenya
Kenyan hostel Tulia House Backpackers on the postcard-perfect coast of Mombasa has private and dorm-style rooms as well as a camp site and the chance to sleep suspended in a Funzi hammock in a traditional African structure with a beach sand floor. The hostel also has a thriving social scene: outdoor movie nights, poolside BBQs, volleyball and beer pong tournaments, speedboat excursions to nearby beach bars, and sunset trips to Nguuni Wildlife Sanctuary.
Tokyo, Kyoto, and Fukuoka, Japan
The Japanese are known for putting unconventional spins on just about everything common, and the country's hostels are no exception. With hostels in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Fukuoka, Book and Bed invites bookworms in need of a budget-friendly place to stay to live in a magical bookstore atmosphere. The beds are situated in bookshelves, which also house a wide collection of bedtime reading material -- from novels to comic books to magazines.
Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Just minutes from the beach, it's like a whole other world at Mushroom Point in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Communal and private rooms are housed in distinct, mushroom-shaped straw bungalows, which are furnished with round, rattan beds cloaked in mosquito netting. Huts have private bathrooms and small patios, and the water tower's single rooms overlook the gardens.
Mossel Bay, South Africa
The Santos Express, better known as "The Train" to locals, is an old steam train with five sleeper coaches parked incredibly close to Santos Beach. Located on the Indian Ocean side of Cape Town, it's a terrific spot to stay along South Africa's famous Garden Route. In season, the train sundeck offers prime views Mossel Bay's whales and dolphins. An on-site restaurant serves traditional seafood dishes and the beer garden is the perfect place to kick back after a day of shark cage diving, surfing, hiking, or bungee jumping.
Vienna, Austria
Hostel Ruthensteiner could pass for a woodcarver's cottage straight out of a fairytale. The owners have carved almost every inch of the cozy Vienna property by hand. One of two backyard gardens is equipped with an oversized chessboard, and there are several reading and socializing nooks. Plus it's a short walk from Westbahnhof train station and a tram ride from local attractions like Old Town and Schonbrunn Palace.
Karterados, Greece
So you want to visit beautiful Santorini, Greece. How about staying in some real off-the-beaten-path lodgings? Built when locals carved their homes and shops right out of the ground, Caveland is an 18th-century winery comprised of eight whitewashed and wonderfully cool caves. There's even a lounge and swimming pool to beat the heat. From the quiet island village of Karterados, you'll get to see the less touristy part of Greece -- complete with donkeys, gorgeous gardens, fishermen, and grandmothers whipping up delicious meals.
Lydney, England
If staying in a medieval castle without blowing your budget seems farfetched, your dreams can come true with an affordable stay at the YHA St Briavels Castle. Located in Gloucestershire County's beautiful Forest of Dean, the 800-year-old and well-preserved stone castle is rich in heritage and heavily armed with charm -- its unique rooms range from prison quarters to tower rooms. Archaeologically preserved grounds, including a moat, secluded garden and courtyard with archery, date back to the 12th century. King John used the castle as a hunting lodge in the 13th century.
Austin, Texas
At the epicenter of downtown Austin's entertainment district, Firehouse Hostel & Lounge is rolling in the good times for travelers through live music and booze. Housed within the city's oldest standing fire station, you'll discover a newly renovated hostel upstairs and adjacent speakeasy-style craft cocktail lounge -- accessible via a bookshelf in the hostel lobby -- with an eclectic music mix and prohibition-era drinks. The hostel will even hook you up with cool excursions like river tubing and beer-tasting at a local brewery.
Kaikoura, New Zealand
The colorful Albatross Backpacker Inn in Kaikoura, New Zealand encourages guests to bust out their artistic and musical chops by keeping an impressive inventory of art supplies and musical instruments on hand. When you're not tapping into your creative side, you can bike to a nearby seal colony or hang in the garden, which is bursting with fresh herbs and vegetables for picking and has hammocks and a giant chess board. The hostel offers an assortment of funky, art-filled rooms, and even discounts for eco-friendly travelers cycling through New Zealand.
Liepāja, Latvia
At Karosta Prison Hotel in Latvia, you'll have a chance to experience the hardships of being an inmate in a Soviet prison. Book an "Extreme Night" in the former Naval Port prison, and they'll treat you like a real prisoner: you'll get to sleep on a prison bunk or iron bed, eat a prison meal, and participate in a historical, interactive reality show overnight (9 p.m. to 9 a.m.) -- withstanding prison guard verbal abuse and physical punishments like push-ups (you'll just have to sign a waiver first). You'll also get a free tour around the buildings and entry into the Karosta museum.
Milan, Italy
At the intersection of fashion and culture resides New Generation Hostel Urban Brera, a hostel built in a newly redesigned wing of the beautiful Franciscan Friars Convent in the heart of Milan. Stunning architecture and a beautifully redone interior showcase historical and religious iconography, and some rooms even give guests a glimpse of the convent's magnificent cloister.
St. Petersburg, Russia
The owners of Soul Kitchen conceptualized and built their St. Petersburg hostel from the bottom up in a 150-year-old Neo-Baroque building overlooking the Moika River. Cool interior design, private rooms (and bunk beds with curtains, power outlets, and reading lights), a great social vibe, and central location make this spot an ideal place to stay. They even allow free international landline calls to 56 countries.
Seville, Spain
While traveling in Latin America, a group of siblings and friends from the U.K. came up with La Banda Rooftop Hostel. Here, you immediately become part of "la banda," or "gang of friends." They host big family dinner parties of paellas, mojitos, and giant Jenga every night in the rooftop garden, where entertainment-seekers are sure to discover all the best spots to eat, drink, and visit. In addition, guests can partake in free walking tours and nightly bar crawls in Seville.
Tulum, Mexico
If you're looking for a super chill Caribbean atmosphere without the crazy late nights, Hostel Mama's Home, located on a quiet street in Tulum, Mexico, is the perfect guesthouse. Owner Jose treats guests like family, even serving amazing breakfasts like chocolate ice cream pancakes out on the terrace every day. Party-goers can socialize on the patio's themed nights over paella, mojito, and sangria, but still get some uninterrupted sleep after 11 p.m. quiet time.
Lisbon, Portugal
Centrally located in Lisbon's historic district, Home Lisbon is within walking distance of the city's main attractions. Visitors praise the hostel for its nightly budget dinners prepared by the owner's mother. Mamma's dinners, along with walking tours and pub crawls, tend to bring travelers together for a memorable experience in Portugal. The hostel also provides spacious rooms with balconies and huge windows, a bar and patio, and a co-working space for working travelers.
Pukon, Chile
Chill, fun, and social best describe Pukon's Chili Kiwi Lakefront, which has two treehouse rooms with lake views. The owners running this lakeside hostel are fellow backpackers with a zest for travel and the outdoors, particularly skiing and snowboarding. So they know just how to tap into Chile's first-rate adventures, which makes it a fantastic spot for travelers hoping to discover all the country has to offer on a whim.
Paris, France
The rooftop of Les Piaules, a Parisian hostel in a newly renovated art deco building in the up-and-coming and artsy district of Belleville, provides sweeping views of iconic monuments in the city's historical center like the Eiffel Tower and Sacré-Cœur Basilica. A sleek bar with thoughtfully-curated local beers, coffees, and other French specialties also makes it one of the coolest hangouts in the neighborhood.