Hostelbookers vs Hostelworld

"Which one to use? Advantages and Disadvantages"

"Hostelbookers vs Hostelworld" was last updated on April 13, 2012
All information below is subject to change

Want to book accommodation online, but don't know which one to use:

Hostelbookers or Hostelworld?

No worries.

I've used both when I booked hostels and guesthouses for my backpacking journeys in Asia. So I can provide you with the advantages and disadvantages about these two sites.

First of all: who should book a room in advance?

FAQ -- Should I book a room in advance? (opens in a new window)

Comparison of
Hostelbookers and Hostelworld

Price:

HB say that, on an average level, they're 8,7 % cheaper than Hostelworld. To read more about this price comparison, click here (opens in a new window)

I did a comparison between these two sites (April 2012). I used the same hostel (Nappark Hostel in Bangkok), dates (December 7-9) and number of nights (2).

What is the conclusion?

$ 32.36 at Hostelbookers, and $ 34.14 at Hostelworld.

You see that the difference is not exactly huge. But if you're a penny-saver -– Hostelbookers is the winner here!

Aesthetic of websites:

Both HB and Hostelworld have clean blue sites, and provide maps and directions of the hostel. HB on the other hand is more user-friendly because it has all the information you need on one page (instead of clicking on internal links).

In contrary to Hostelworld, HB also give information on check-in and check-out details, as well as cancellation policy.

Coverage:

Both websites cover thousands of accommodation in all major towns and cities around the world.

But you may notice that the hostel you're looking for may not be on HB, but can only be booked through Hostelworld. Or vice versa.

This is not a bad thing at all -- it only makes the decision easier!

Reviews:

Both websites let travelers write positive and negative reviews of hostels and guesthouses. In addition both of them use ratings.

Hostelbookers have been critized for removing bad reviews, but they've clearly stated that they only remove bad language, racism comments and alike.

They only allow people who have stayed at a property to submit a review online. They’re emailed after their stay to be prompted to leave a rating and review.

When it comes to Hostelworld their review system is set up so that only people who have booked on their site and actually stayed at the property are able to leave reviews.

They remove any reviews that they believe to be faked or that are left by people who haven't actually stayed.

Further they also monitor the reviews to ensure that they have come from the correct person.

Booking fees:

HB say that they don't charge booking fees on top of the standard 10% deposit, which Hostelworld also charges. You pay the remaining 90% on arrival. There's a booking fee at Hostelworld -– 2 $.

What so great about Hostelworld though is that they donate 5% of every booking fee to UNICEF. So they money you're paying goes to a good cause!

When you have booked through Hostelworld or HB, both of them will send a confirmation mail. When I booked through HB I also received an e-mail from the guesthouse/hotel, which confirmed the booking.

Here's a summary of advantages and disadvantages of Bookers and Hostelworld:

Hostelbookers
Hostelworld
No booking fee and service charge
$ 2 booking fee
8,7% cheaper than Hostelworld
Donates 5% of every booking fee to UNICEF
Good coverage
Good coverage
Nice aesthetics, with maps and directions, user-friendly
Nice aesthetics, with maps and directions, user-friendly, don't have information on check-in and check-out and cancellation policy
Travel content: provide travel guides, World Travel News alongside their Destination Guides and a huge number of interesting travel related articles on their blog
Travel content: provide travel guides, Iphone applications, travel videos and podcasts
Special deal: HB have more frequent sales and discounts than Hostelworld
Special deal: Once in a while, but not as often as Hostelbookers
Recommendation: 93.7% of 101,949 customers would recommend Bookers to a friend
Recommendation: 95% would recommend Hostelworld to a friend
Reviews: Offers positive and negative reviews, and ratings

Reviews: Offers positive and negative reviews, and ratings

Conclusion:

Whether you should choose Hostelbookers or Hostelworld depends on your preferences. They function the same, and look the same.

If price is on your mind, compare the price between these two sites -– then decide.

But as I mentioned, HB is slightly cheaper than Hostelworld.

Good luck! :-)

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