Gay hostels
With Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and Melbourne Homosexual Pride March entity so popular, we thought we should have a chat to one of our fabulous Anchor staff members about her experience as a gay backpacker in Australia. As anticipated, our chat with Emily further validated our conviction that if we were to coin individuals based on common traits, principles and an approach to life, then "backpackers," whether same-sex attracted, straight, transgender, German, Australian, Christian (you get the idea), as a "type" of people, distribute more commonalities as a group, than that of the gay community as a whole. In simple terms and generally speaking of course (there's always an exception to every generalisation), "backpackers," regardless of heritage, culture or sexual orientation, all divide a common lust for life, unseal mindedness and a curiosity and tolerance of different cultures, countries and customs.
Anyway enough philosophical jargon... meet Emily:
Lets initiate off with your name, age and hometown? Emily. I'm 26 years ancient and I am from Wellingborough, England
Favourite food?(laughs) Pizza of course!
Celebrity crush? Emma Stone
What is your current role at Base? Bar Manager at Base St Kilda, Melb
LGBTQIA+ friendly hostels that travellers love
Michaella Fenton | Posted on |
Travelling in hostels is more than exploring modern places and having somewhere to wait. Hostels bring travellers together from diverse locations, cultures and backgrounds, to build unforgettable experiences and share a perception of belonging.
We assume that hostels are some of the most inclusive environments for travellers and local communities around the world, encouraging people to be their true selves and make friends with others doing the same. For LGBTQIA+ travellers, this can be empowering, but we also know it can be daunting, and that unfortunately not everywhere in the world is inclusive
For this year’s Identity festival, we’re shining a light on some of the many hostels around the world that are not only welcoming to all travellers, but support their local LGBTQIA+ communities too!
- Modal Hostel, Greenville, USA
- O de Casa Hostel, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Bastardo Hostel, Madrid, Spain
- Ember Hostel, Denver, USA
- Ostello Bello Napoli, Milan, Italy
- Hostel Le Banc, Istanbul, Turkey
- The Beehive, Rome, Italy
7 of the most LGBTQIA+ friendly hostels from around the world
Gay Friendly Hostel
Looking for queer friendly hostels? LGTB warm, and good looking? No problem, we compiled a list for you!
The 5 Star Hostels are uncover to any kind of traveler. Here is a complimentary list of same-sex attracted friendly and LGTB hostels. Just keep scrolling and check out the budget accommodation you fancy.
Furthermore, here you can find a list of great hostels for solo-travelers.
Gay Travel Instruction and Discounts
You can identify all hostel discounts here. We also share exclusive discounts in our free newsletter. Furthermore, have a look at Travels of Adam for its packed guide on gay-travel.
Also, we offer discounts to gay-friendly hostels such as
You can always find great deals with Hostelworld.
Hostel Guide
We recognize a thing or two about hostel-type accommodation. Therefore, in our guide to hostels we cover all topics around hosteling. We talk about sex in hostels and help you with the ultimate packing list.
Last but not least, we put together 15 booking hacks to score better deals, including Hostelworld.
Read: how to book hostels with Hostelworld
Destination not listed?
That simply means we haven’t found a gay-friendly hostel in this destination yet. If you’ve feedba
Safe, Social, Shirtless: The Rise of Men-Only Hostels
It turned out I needn’t have worried about my age. These types of men-only hostels reinvent the idea of a hostel, pivoting away from youth and giving travelers on a budget somewhere to linger . It’s affordable, but also, because it’s “boutique,” slightly more upmarket than the usual youth hostel.
To my relief, as I walked in, I saw that I wasn’t the oldest guest – and also saw that this was a social, welcoming place where I could truly be myself.
What are men’s hostels?
Men-only hostels aren’t like men-only gentlemen’s clubs, which bar women and are controversial.
These types of hostels are aimed at homosexual men like myself who desire to stay somewhere they can truly relax. In gay hostels like the one where I stayed, you won’t see any families or children.
However, other similar venues are more LGBTQIA-focused, and tend to be less niche, welcoming every letter of the rainbow community, in addition to allies and families. Hostels will usually tell you up front on the websites which types of guests they welcome. You can also usually get a sense of the vibe from