The 2011 HOSCARs: Hostelworld.com Announces Top Hostels Worldwide

DUBLIN and LONDON, Feb. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Hostelworld.com hosted the 9th Annual Hoscar (HOStelworld Customers Annual Ratings) awards this evening at a gala ceremony in London, England. Created by Hostelworld.com, the leading online provider of hostel reservations for more than ten years, the awards recognize excellence in the budget accommodation industry. Hostelworld.com customers select the winners from 25,000 properties across 180 countries around the globe.  

Hoscar winners are chosen based on their overall score in six categories – fun, cleanliness, staff, security, location and character – and were voted for by more than one million Hostelworld.com customers who booked their accommodation online and stayed in the properties in 2010. Hostelworld.com's Hoscars are the only awards in the travel industry decided exclusively by guest appraisals, a crucial point in light of recent news regarding the integrity of online customer reviews.

The Portuguese city of Lisbon has again proved itself to be the jewel in the crown for budget-conscious travelers around the world, securing the top three spots. 'Travellers House' was voted Best Hostel in the World for the third year in a row, followed closely by 'Lisbon Lounge' and 'Living Lounge' respectively.

The awards recognize the top hostels in a number of categories including the best hostels in each of the seven continents, the most improved and the top hostel chains. Several new categories were introduced this year including the top 10 Best Large and Small Hostels along with Best Seasonal Hostel, Best Hostel for Groups, New to Hostelworld and a Special Contribution and Lifetime Achievement Award.

USA Hostels San Francisco received the honor of Best Hostel in the United States, while cities along the East Coast dominated the top ten, with hostels in Boston, New York, Washington DC and Miami being recognized.

Hostelworld.com's Chief Executive Feargal Mooney commented on this year's awards, saying, "The Hoscar awards ceremony is now regarded as the biggest event in the budget travel calendar and the announcement of category winners is eagerly anticipated each year by hostel owners and customers alike. Hoscar reviews and ratings have become a significant factor for customers in accommodation selection and the continued growth in reviews and ratings from genuine customers on Hostelworld.com reflects the expanding appeal of hostel accommodation worldwide."

He continued, "The travel industry now recognizes the importance of customer-based reviews. Hostelworld.com has been leading the charge for a number of years and the Hoscar awards are based only on reviews and ratings of those guests who have actually booked and stayed in the accommodation. We believe this is the only real way to ensure a true reflection of a property's strengths and weaknesses. Congratulations to all of this year's winners."

*For the full list of winners please visit www.hostelworld.com/hoscars-2011.

Best Hostels Worldwide

1. Travellers House – Lisbon

2. Lisbon Lounge Hostel - Lisbon

3. Living Lounge Hostel – Lisbon

Best USA Hostels

1. USA Hostels San Francisco - San Francisco

2. USA Hostels Hollywood - Los Angeles

3. HI Chicago - Chicago

4. Miami Beach International Hostel - Miami

5. Adelaide Hostel and Hotel - San Francisco

6. HI Washington DC - Washington DC

7. HI Boston Downtown - Boston

8. The New York Loft Hostel - New York

9. India House Backpackers Hostel - New Orleans

10. HI New York - New York

Best Hostels in North America

1. Montreal Central, Montreal

2. ACBB Hostel Niagara, Niagara Falls

3. USA Hostels San Francisco, San Francisco

Best Large Hostels Worldwide

1. Travellers House - Lisbon

2. Living Lounge Hostel - Lisbon

3. Yes! Lisbon Hostel - Lisbon

4. Hostel Mostel - Sofia

5. Friendly Fun Franks Backpackers Hostel - Riga

6. Montreal Central - Montreal

7. Han Tang Inn Youth Hostel – Xi'an

8. Home - Lisbon

9. EastSeven Berlin Hostel - Berlin

10. Castle Rock Hostel – Edinburgh

Best Small Hostels Worldwide

1. Lisbon Lounge Hostel - Lisbon

2. Rossio Hostel - Lisbon

3. Greg & Tom Hostel - Krakow

4. Academy Hostel - Florence

5. Rivoli Cinema Hostel - Porto

6. Hostel of the Sun - Naples

7. Oporto Poets Hostel - Porto

8. Oasis Backpackers Hostel Granada - Granada

9. BackHome Kuala Lumpar – Kuala Lumpur

10. Sant Jordi Diagonal Hostel – Barcelona

Special Contribution Award – INOUT Hostel, Barcelona, Spain

Lifetime Achievement Award – Wombat's City Vienna – The Base, Vienna, Austria

For additional information and user comments on the hostels mentioned above and a list of winning hostels based on geography, please visit www.hostelworld.com. Graphics of hostels are available upon request.

About Hostelworld.com

The global market leader for over 10 years, Hostelworld.com is the leading provider of online reservations to the budget, independent and youth travel market. It offers confirmed online reservations for over 25,000 hostels and budget hotels in 180 countries worldwide and is the only hostel booking site to offer a service guarantee. The site also offers budget travellers over 3.5 million user reviews, award-winning travel videos & podcasts, free customised city guides, a travel social network and more. Hostelworld.com is headquartered in Dublin and is fully owned and operated by Web Reservations International Ltd (WRI). www.hostelworld.com/press

*Photography available on request*

SOURCE Hostelworld.com