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Poshtels explained: hostel spirit, boutique style

Not long ago, choosing a hostel meant accepting squeaky bunk beds, a single shared bathroom down the corridor and a common room with a tired sofa. Choosing a boutique hotel meant good design and quiet comfort, but also a higher bill and a lobby where nobody talks to each other. The poshtel sits right between those two worlds. It keeps the friendly, social energy and sensible prices of a hostel, and adds the thoughtful design, comfortable beds and stylish spaces you would expect from a small design hotel.

Poshtels can now be found in almost every major city and backpacker hub, from Bangkok, Tokyo, Seoul and Singapore to Sydney, Melbourne, Cape Town, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Medellín, New York, Lisbon and Berlin. This guide explains what makes them different, which room to choose, and how to make sure the place you pick fits the way you travel.

Who stays in a poshtel?

The short answer is almost everyone. Solo travellers love poshtels because it is easy to meet people without the chaos of a party hostel. Couples and friends book private rooms to save money while still enjoying the rooftop bar and events. Digital nomads come for the fast wifi and co-working desks. Business travellers on a budget, festival goers and people on a long city break all find something that suits them. The result is usually a lively, mixed crowd from many countries.

Choosing your room: from pods to private suites

Room options are where poshtels differ most from traditional hostels. Most offer a mix of the following:

• Pod-style dorms, where each bed is a semi-enclosed capsule with a privacy curtain, a reading light, a power socket or USB port and often a small shelf. Capsule-style sleeping is well known in Japan, and the idea has spread to poshtels worldwide.
• Classic dorms with an upgrade, with sturdy bunks, proper mattresses, individual lights and curtains, in rooms of different sizes. Smaller dorms are usually quieter.
• Female-only dorms, offered by many poshtels for women who prefer to share only with other women.
• Private rooms, with a double or twin bed, sometimes with a shared bathroom and sometimes with their own ensuite, at a price that often undercuts nearby hotels.
• Family or group rooms, handy for friends travelling together who want the social spaces without sharing with strangers.

When comparing, look at whether the dorm has its own bathroom or uses a shared one down the hall, whether there is air conditioning or heating in the room itself, and whether towels and bedding are included or rented separately.

Life in the common spaces

The shared areas are where a poshtel earns its name. Many have a rooftop bar or terrace with a view, a cafe or restaurant on the ground floor, a lounge with good seating and books, and sometimes a small pool, cinema room or garden. Social events are a big part of the experience: walking tours, cooking classes, quiz nights, pub crawls, yoga sessions and family-style dinners. You can join in as much or as little as you like.

Kitchen access is worth checking. Many poshtels have a well-equipped guest kitchen where you can cook your own meals and store food in labelled bags, which saves a lot on a long trip. Others have replaced the guest kitchen with an in-house restaurant, so if self-catering matters to you, confirm it before you book.

Working on the road

For digital nomads and remote workers, the best poshtels double as a workspace. Look for a dedicated co-working area with proper desks, ergonomic chairs, plenty of power sockets and a quiet atmosphere during the day. Some offer phone booths or meeting rooms for video calls, printing, and discounted weekly or monthly stays. Wifi speed can vary a lot, even in stylish places, so ask about it directly if your work depends on it. Cities such as Lisbon, Mexico City, Medellín, Bangkok and Cape Town are popular with remote workers, and poshtels there often build their offer around longer stays.

Rules that are good to know

Poshtels are relaxed places, but most have house rules. Some set a minimum or maximum age for dorm guests, commonly to keep the atmosphere suited to young adults, while children may only be allowed in private rooms. Others welcome all ages. Quiet hours in the dorms are standard, and bars on the premises may close earlier than the city's nightlife. Some poshtels do not allow outside alcohol, and a few do not accept guests who live in the same city. Read the rules on the owner's website before you book, especially if you travel with children or as a large group.

Staying safe and sleeping well

Good poshtels take security seriously, with key card access to floors and rooms, staff at reception around the clock and a personal locker for each guest. Check whether lockers are large enough for a backpack or only for valuables, and whether you need your own padlock. In a dorm, keep your passport, cards and electronics locked away when you are out.

Noise is the main downside of shared rooms. Pack earplugs and an eye mask, and consider choosing a pod with a curtain or a smaller dorm if you are a light sleeper. If you want to join the rooftop party but sleep in peace, ask whether the bar is far from the rooms, or book a private room on a higher floor away from the terrace.

Questions to ask before you book

• Are dorm beds pods with curtains, and does each bed have its own light and power socket?
• Is there a female-only dorm, and does it have its own bathroom?
• How big are the lockers, and do I need to bring a padlock?
• Are towels and bedding included, or is there a charge?
• Is there a guest kitchen I can use?
• Are there age limits for dorms or for the property as a whole?
• How fast is the wifi, and is there a co-working space or quiet area for calls?
• How close are the rooftop bar and event spaces to the rooms, and when do they close?
• Is there a discount for weekly or monthly stays?

Tips for a great stay

Book early for weekends, holidays and big city events, because the best-value private rooms and the pods by the window go first. If your dates are flexible, mid-week stays are often calmer and cheaper. Pack light: a small backpack fits more easily in a locker than a large suitcase. Bring flip-flops for shared showers, a universal travel adapter and a small padlock. Say hello at events even if you arrived alone; that is exactly what poshtels are designed for. And keep in mind that seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere, so summer in Sydney, Melbourne, Cape Town and Buenos Aires falls around December to February, which is when those cities are at their busiest.

How to use the list above

The poshtels on this page are grouped by continent, country and region, so you can quickly find a stylish place to stay in the city you are heading to next. Each link goes to the owner's own website, where you can check availability and book directly. Do you run a poshtel or design-led hostel? Add your link for free with the button above and meet your next guests here.