We try to keep self-serving plugs to a minimum (seriously folks), but every rule has its exception. After about a year of preparation and development, today we’re announcing the relaunch of our sister site, EuropeanHostels.com. The website is entirely focused on making it easier for budget travelers to find the best hostels in Europe.
What makes it “new,” you might ask?
Well, for its original launch in 1999, Tom hand-coded it (ouch, that was painful) and it sort of lingered around for a few years as a hostel directory. Last year we decided to redevelop it into a hostel booking site that is simple to use, yet includes snazzy new features that aren’t typically found on hostel sites. Unsurprisingly, it took us much longer to launch than we originally planned, but we think it was worth the wait.
Here are a few of the new features that we hope will be helpful to travelers:
Cool hostel search engine: We put together a top-secret algorithm to showcase what we think are the best hostels. This algorithm factors in lowest price, central location, user rating, and other factors. Ok, the secret is out, but whatev.
Site membership and itinerary manager: When travelers become members of EuropeanHostels, we save their reservations so they can log in from the road and not worry about losing confirmation printouts.
“Editor’s Picks” and user reviews: We’ve done a lot of research to decide which hostels should be our “picks.” Users may also review and rate any of the 15,000 properties on the site.
Smart maps: We love maps and have put them all over the site, even color-coordinating the map tickers based on hostel price. (Fancy, eh?)
Hostel articles and city guides: Our editors have written helpful city guides for 38 European cities. Guides cover budget transportation, neighborhood information, free activities and festivals, plus city-related links.
If you have a minute to visit EuropeanHostels.com and see why we’re so excited, please do. And please let us know what you think in the comments below.