Hostel and Budget Accommodation FAQs

How do I book online?

Enter your destination, dates, number of people etc. This brings you to a city page where you will see a list of all hostels with availability.
Please choose the hostel you would like to book
You will now see the prices and room types available.
Choose your room type and No of people in your party.
If the information is correct hit the "Click to Book" button.
You will now see a page displaying all the booking information.
If the information is correct click the "Confirm" button.
The system will now request you to complete the Booking Form.
You need a valid credit card to make your booking.
We accept Visa, Visa delta and Mastercard only.
Click 'Confirm' and wait for your booking confirmation.

How many people can I book for and for how long?

You can only book for a maximum of 7 nights and for 10 people in any one booking unless otherwise specified on the hostels microsite.

What happens with the 10% deposit?

On booking you will be charged a 10% deposit, plus a $2 booking fee
This will not be refunded to you on arrival at the hostel.
The remaining 90% is due to the hostel on your arrival.
The 10% deposit and booking fee is strictly non refundable, as per the terms and conditions you ticked to agree to on booking.

What credit cards can I book with?

You can only book using a Visa, Visa Delta or Mastercard.

If I don't have a credit card can I still book?

No! Bookhostels.com operates an online booking service only and require you to submit a valid credit card number in order to secure your booking.

Does the name on the credit card have to be the same as the name on the Reservation?

No! If you don't have a credit card but have been given permission to use a friend's or family member's card to book - that's ok.
So the name on the credit card can be different to the name on the reservation.

Is my credit card safe?

Yes! Bookhostels.com uses Verisign, the world leader in Internet security. All information is encrypted online and transferred securely direct to the hostel.

If I am getting a credit card error while I am booking or waiting for my confirmation, what can I do?

Bookings are secure and processed through WorldPay. If you are receiving an error, here are some potential reasons why.
There may be insufficient funds to cover the transaction being booked.
You may not have filled out all the information fields requested.

Can I book over the telephone or by email?

No! Bookhostels.com operates an online booking service ONLY. We do not offer a reservation service via the telephone or by email.

Do I need to be a member to use your site or stay at one of your hostels?

No, you do not need to be a member of any Youth Hostel organisation to stay at any of the hostels listed.
You do need to book in advance and have your booking reference with you on check- in at the hostel.

Do I have to book in advance?

We always recommend that you book your accommodation and other services well in advance to avoid disappointment! Allocation sells very quickly especially in High Season.

Can you check availability for me?

The online availability that you see is uploaded by each individual property.
Bookhostels.com has no control over this availability as it is the direct responsibility of the hostels.
We are an online company that provide the technology for hostels to sell their beds online.
So to check availability you must do so yourself online. Enter the dates that you need and the number of people and you will see all the properties with availability for the dates of your query.

Can you give me directions and contact details of a hostel before I book?

Each hostel has its own unique page on the site, this is their microsite.
This page will give you a description of the hostel, where it's located and the hostel facilities.
As we are an online booking service we do not provide you with telephone number, email address or website details until you have made your reservation.
Once you have made your reservation you will be able to view full contact details and directions to the property booked on your booking confirmation.

Can you send me a brochure?

All the information we have about the property is displayed!
Each hostel has its own page or microsite. All the information you need will be on these pages.
At the top of the page there are 4 photos uploaded by the hostel to give you an indicator as to what their property is like. The pictures of the rooms will not necessarily be the rooms that you will be staying in on your arrival.
The hostel will have a description of their property and the facilities they have.
The information displayed here is uploaded by each hostel.
It is up to each hostel to ensure that all the information here is correct. The hostel also uploads its own rates and availability.

I am an older traveller will I still be able to book one of the hostels online?

If a hostel has any age limits it should specify this on its hostel page (or microsite).
All the information on the hostels microsite is uploaded by the hostel themselves and should be accurate and up to date. It is the hostels responsibility to ensure that all the information is correct.

If you have found the answer to your question please do not contact us. If you contact us and your question was answered above we will not be able to reply to you due to the large volume of emails we receive on a daily basis.

If you have not found the answer to your question then you can contact us and we will try to reply to your email within the next 24 hours.

Reservation Queries

I have not received my confirmation, what can I do?

Once you click the 'Confirm' button it should only take up to 1 minute to receive confirmation of your booking on screen.
We then send you a confirmation email with your booking details. It's important that you enter the correct email address if you don't you won't receive the email.
Please note that due to the nature of the internet and individual email servers that sometimes mails will not be received. If you require confirmation of your booking please click here.

What happens if I want to cancel my booking?

If you wish to cancel your booking you must contact the hostel directly to do so. Once the booking leaves our system we have no more control over it.
In the event of a cancellation the booking fee and deposit are non refundable. You must cancel at least 24 hours before your arrival as failure to do so can result in your card being charged for the first nights stay.
Contact details for the hostel are on the booking confirmation.

What if I need to amend my reservation?

You must contact the hostel directly to see if they can amend your reservation.
You may need to cancel your reservation and rebook online. The booking fee and deposit are non refundable. Contact details for the hostel are on the booking confirmation.

What happens if I don't show up and haven't contacted the hostel?

In the event of a no show the hostel will charge your card for the first nights stay and cancel any remaining nights booked. The deposit and booking fee are non refundable.

I have just noticed on my confirmation that my book in day is the same as my leaving day, how can this be?

If you make a booking for 1 day only the date on your booking will be the day of your arrival only. The confirmation only shows the dates reserved and not the check out date.

If you have not found the answer to your question then you can contact us and we will try to reply to your email within the next 24 hours.