Updated September 28, 2026 ยท NomadCue Editorial Team
A&O Hostels vs Hostelsclub
A&O Hostels
Higher score in this comparison
Hostelsclub
A&O Hostels vs Hostelsclub: the differences
| Compare | A&O HostelsReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | HostelsclubReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Hostels, Hotels | Hostels, Hotels, OTACovers more |
| Booking fees | No booking fee; prices include VAT | 10% deposit, non-refundable booking fee |
| Cancellation terms | Free until 18:00 on arrival day (FLEX) | Free cancellation up to 24h before arrival |
| Mobile app | YesHas it | No |
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Key differences
- A&O Hostels scores higher overall: 9.0 vs 8.8.
- Products: only Hostelsclub offers OTA.
- Mobile app: only A&O Hostels.
- Founded is lower at A&O Hostels: 2000 vs 2002.
Our verdict on each
A&O Hostels
A&O Hostels suits backpackers, overlanders and budget travellers who book their own beds and rooms rather than packages. It covers hostels and hotels, runs a mobile app, and states its money terms plainly: No booking fee; prices include VAT, with the FLEX rate Free until 18:00 on arrival day (FLEX).
Hostelsclub
Hostelsclub suits travellers who want one desk for a hostel bed or a hotel room instead of a whole trip, and the company has run since 2002. The trade-off is scope: hostels, hotels and ota lists stays and nothing else, while every booking carries 10% deposit, non-refundable booking fee.
Score breakdown
| Area | A&O Hostels | Hostelsclub |
|---|---|---|
| Offer | 9.0Higher | 8.8 |
| Trust | 9.0 | 9.0 |
Sources behind this comparison
A&O Hostels
- aohostels.com: 8 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Hostelsclub
- hostelsclub.com: 4 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- linkedin.com: 3 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- play.google.com: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | A&O Hostels | Hostelsclub |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels and accommodation | 385 of 637 | 430 of 637 |
| Hotels and vacation rentals | 418 of 648 | 454 of 648 |
| Hostels | 11 of 20 | 15 of 20 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | A&O Hostels | Hostelsclub |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | a&o hostels Marketing GmbH | Mo.Lo.Ra. SRL |
| Headquarters | Germany | Italy |
| Founded | 2000Lower | 2002 |
| Support channels | Email, Phone, Help centre | Email, Phone, Help centre |
Pros and cons
A&O Hostels
Pros
- Money terms are plain: No booking fee; prices include VAT, so no surprise line appears at checkout.
- Real flexibility on the FLEX rate, where Free until 18:00 on arrival day (FLEX) covers the whole arrival day.
- Beds and rooms sit in one place, since hostels and hotels covers both hostel beds and hotel rooms.
Cons
- The range stops at accommodation, hostels and hotels, so anyone wanting a full trip in one basket needs a second site.
- The price shown is the final price, No booking fee; prices include VAT, which leaves little room to shave cost with a code or cash rate.
- Only the FLEX rate carries the same-day window, Free until 18:00 on arrival day (FLEX), so cheaper rate plans have to be read term by term.
Hostelsclub
Pros
- A single checkout covers hostels, hotels and ota, so a group can hold a bed and a room together without moving to a second site.
- Free cancellation up to 24h before arrival gives a group a free exit before arrival, which matters when dates booked for several people shift at once.
- Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so the person who booked for the group can reach a human rather than a queue of messages.
Cons
- hostels, hotels and ota is the whole list, with no flight, rail or bus leg to add to the room.
- There is no mobile app, so both the booking and any change to one run through the website.
- 10% deposit, non-refundable booking fee sits on top of the room rate, so the headline price of a property understates what a group pays in total.
Who each suits
A&O Hostels
Who it suits
- Solo backpackers and overlanders rebooking bed after bed as they move.
- Groups comparing prices across stay sites, since MoMo and WayAway list hotel and hostel stays alongside flights, rail and bus and flights, rail and bus.
- Travellers who want a known operator behind the booking, given a&o hostels Marketing GmbH and 2000.
Who should look elsewhere
- Travellers who want the whole trip in one basket: WayAway lists flights, rail and bus, far wider than the hostels and hotels on offer here.
- Anyone planning around ferries, rail passes or transfers, which 12Go covers under flights, rail and bus.
- People who shop mainly on hotels, since MoMo's range under flights, rail and bus puts more weight on rooms and packages than a hostel brand does.
Hostelsclub
Who it suits
- Groups booking beds or rooms together who want Free cancellation up to 24h before arrival as a buffer against changing plans.
- Travellers who have already arranged their transport and only need the stay, and who are comfortable paying 10% deposit, non-refundable booking fee.
- Anyone who values being able to pick up a phone about a booking, which email, phone and help centre covers.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who wants the bed and the travel in the same basket: MoMo covers flights, rail and bus in one flow.
- Trips that need packages, transfers or tours alongside the stay: WayAway lists flights, rail and bus.
- Anyone planning a route built on ferries or buses: 12Go covers flights, rail and bus, which hostels, hotels and ota leaves out.
Current offers
A&O Hostels
Current offer
Discount code
a&o Club member discount: 15%, up to 25% with FIX
Free membership; 15% on every booking, up to 10% extra on FIX bookings
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Discount code
FIX rate prepayment saving: 10%
Individual bookings up to 9 people; pay in advance, non-refundable
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Bonus
Kids stay free in parents' room: Free
Children up to age 7 in a private room
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Bonus
a&o hotel voucher: 129 EUR for 2 nights in a double with breakfast
Box voucher for 2 people, breakfast buffet included
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | A&O Hostels | Hostelsclub |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | Yes | No |
| Czechia | Yes | No |
| Denmark | Yes | No |
| Germany | Yes | No |
| Hungary | Yes | No |
| Italy | Yes | No |
| Netherlands | Yes | No |
| Poland | Yes | No |
8 of 9 countries where either is available.
Questions about each
A&O Hostels
Does A&O Hostels charge a booking fee?+
No. No booking fee; prices include VAT, so the rate shown for a bed or a room is the amount charged and there is no add-on to strip out. For budget travellers comparing a dorm against a private room on another site, that keeps the comparison straightforward.
What does the FLEX rate let me do?+
On the FLEX rate, Free until 18:00 on arrival day (FLEX). The window runs up to a set time on the arrival day itself, which helps when a train lands late or a plan slips. Read the label, since the same window is set out for the FLEX rate rather than for every plan offered.
Hostelsclub
What does a Hostelsclub booking cost on top of the room price?+
The headline room price is not the whole cost. Hostelsclub adds 10% deposit, non-refundable booking fee to each reservation, so a group should budget the deposit and the non-refundable fee into the total before it books. The fee sits on the booking rather than on the length of stay, so a longer trip does not soften it.
Can I cancel a Hostelsclub booking?+
Yes, inside a set window. Free cancellation up to 24h before arrival is the published policy, and that cut-off falls before arrival, so a group whose plans change early enough loses nothing. After the cut-off the booking stands, and the 10% deposit, non-refundable booking fee is not returned even if the room is released.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
A&O Hostels
Hostelsclub