About Hostelworld
Hostelworld is a leading global Online Travel Agent (OTA) specifically focused on the hostel market and budget-conscious travel. Founded in 1999, it has grown into the world’s largest hostel-focused booking platform, connecting travelers with a network of over 17,000 properties in more than 179 countries.
Hostelworld’s core mission is to help travelers “meet the world” by facilitating social, experience-rich stays. Unlike generic hotel booking sites, it prioritizes the community and social aspect of travel, particularly for backpackers and solo adventurers. The platform features millions of honest traveler reviews and has introduced social features in its app to help guests connect before and during their trips.
Hostelworld Affiliate Program Overview
The Hostelworld Affiliate Program allows publishers to monetize their content by referring users to book hostels and other travel products through affiliate links. The program is specifically designed for partners whose audience includes budget-conscious travelers, backpackers, and adventure seekers.
| Factor | Description |
| Industry | Travel / Online Travel Agent (OTA) – Specialist in Hostels |
| Product Type | Accommodation Bookings (Hostels, Budget Hotels, Private Rooms), Tours, Transfers, Travel Insurance. |
| Affiliate Program Type | Cost-Per-Acquisition (CPA) / Cost-Per-Sale (CPS) |
Hostelworld Affiliate Program Offers
Hostelworld provides various tools to help affiliates promote the brand and offers a standard setup for tracking performance.
| Factor | Detail |
| Promotional Materials | Links, Creatives (Banners), Feeds, Deeper integration solutions (APIs, Search Widgets). |
| Affiliate Cookie Duration | 30 Days |
| Accepted Traffic Source | Websites, Blogs, Social Media (generally travel-related content). Must comply with T&Cs. |
| Accepted Countries | Affiliates are generally welcome worldwide as Hostelworld has a global reach. |
| Explicit Content | Not explicitly detailed, but usually not accepted as per standard affiliate network and brand safety guidelines. |
| Religious or political content | Not explicitly detailed, but usually not accepted for promotion as per standard brand safety guidelines. |
Hostelworld Affiliate Commissions & Payments
The commission structure is based on a percentage of the revenue Hostelworld earns from the booking deposit.
| Factor | Detail |
| MLM | No, this is a standard CPA/CPS affiliate program, not Multi-Level Marketing. |
| Commission Rate | Varies, generally cited as 18% – 22% of the deposit earned by Hostelworld per completed booking. Some sources cite rates up to 40% of the deposit. |
| Commission Structure | CPA (Cost-Per-Acquisition) or CPS (Cost-Per-Sale). Commission is earned once the customer has checked out (booking is completed and approved). |
| Payout Frequency | Monthly (for approved commissions). |
| Payout Methods | Global self-billing options, typically via bank transfer in various currencies. Payouts are often processed through the affiliate network platform. |
| Minimum Payout | Cited as low as $30 or $50, depending on the network used. |
Suitable Affiliates for Hostelworld Affiliate
The Hostelworld affiliate program is highly suitable for content creators and platforms that cater to a global audience interested in budget travel, backpacking, and social experiences.
| Affiliate Type | Suitability | Reasoning |
| Bloggers | High | Ideal for budget travel, backpacking, and destination guides which frequently mention and review hostels. |
| TikTokers | High | Excellent for creating short, engaging video content about hostel reviews, budget travel hacks, and meeting people while traveling. |
| KOC/KOL/Influencers | High | Perfect for those with a strong presence on platforms like Instagram and YouTube, showcasing affordable travel lifestyles and authentic hostel experiences. |
| YouTubers | High | Can create longer-form content like hostel tours, “What I Spent in a Week” budget videos, or destination vlogs that feature booking with Hostelworld. |
| Video Editors | Medium | Suitable if they create and manage the content for the influencers/platforms mentioned above. |
| Livestreamers | Medium | Applicable if they are live-streaming their travels and discussing/showing their budget accommodation choices. |
Hostelworld Affiliate Software
Hostelworld does not use proprietary in-house software exclusively; instead, it utilizes reputable third-party affiliate network platforms.
The Hostelworld Affiliate Program is commonly hosted on external affiliate management software platforms like:
- Partnerize (formerly known as Partnerize)
- Admitad
- FlexOffers
- Travelpayouts (as one of the integrated offers)
3 Alternatives for Hostelworld Affiliate Program
Here is a comparison of the Hostelworld program with three other major players in the travel accommodation niche: Booking.com, Agoda, and TripAdvisor.
| Comparison Factor | Hostelworld | Booking.com | Agoda | TripAdvisor |
| Average Bill | Low (Focus on budget/hostels) | Medium to High | Medium to High | Medium to High |
| Entry Fees | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Withdrawal Threshold | Low (e.g., $30 – $50) | Varies, typically higher (e.g., $\text{€}100$) | Varies | Varies |
| Payment Frequency | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly |
| Commission | 18-22% of deposit (or up to 40% of their revenue) | Varies, up to 40% of Booking.com’s commission | Up to 7% of booking value | 50-80% of revenue from hotel partners |
| Conversion | Good for budget-focused audience | Very High (Broad appeal, strong brand trust) | High (Strong in Asia, good deals) | High (Strong in user reviews, good for comparison) |
| Marketing Materials | Links, Banners, Feeds, Widgets/API | Links, Banners, Search Boxes, Widgets/API | Links, Banners, API/Data Feeds | Links, Banners, Widgets (Hotel Search) |
