Let’s jet set to the Belgium capital and discover the 3 best hostels in Brussels. Hand-picked by us, specifically for you.
Before you can scoff too much chocolate and sip one too many Belgian beers: you must choose your preferred hostel.
There may not be a 5 Star Hostel in Belgium, but we’ve found great hostels in Belgium you will enjoy for your backpacking Brussels trip. Whether you’re a solo traveller or a party hostel lover – we’ve covered all bases. We have also summed up the best hostels in Bruges.
Your shortcut:
- 2GO4 Quality Hostel City Centre – best for solo-travellers
- MEININGER Bruxelles City Center – top pick for couples
- Jacques Brel Youth Hostel – best for backpackers
Money-saving tip: Compare hostel prices with Hostelz.com. They compare prices from Hostelworld, Booking.com and others with 1 click.
We condensed it all to the 3 coolest hostels in Brussels. For those looking to extend their travels, have a gander at our 5 Star Hostels in Europe. We also have other guides in Belgium, like one on the best hostels in Antwerp, and one on all of the best hostels in Belgium.
This guide is perfect for YOU, when you…
- are tired of crappy hostels!
- want a social Hostel to actually meet people
- are happy to spend $1 to $2 more for a much better experience
- 3 Best Hostels
- Best hostel for solo travellers
- Best party hostels in Brussels
- Cheap hostels in Brussels
- Other hostels worth a mention
- How to book
- A map of all hostel locations and sights
- FAQ
- Flights
- More hostels in Belgium and Area
Let’s set those horses free and get right down to it, shall we?
A Quick overview of the 3 Best Hostels in Brussels
To keep things simple, here are the 3 best hostels in Brussels:
- 2GO4 Quality Hostel City Centre – best for solo-travellers
- MEININGER Bruxelles City Center – top pick for couples
- Jacques Brel Youth Hostel – best for backpackers
Overview: Best Hostels by Traveler Type
| 🦸 Solo Traveler: | 2GO4 Quality Hostel City Centre |
| 🙎♀️ best for Female Solo Traveler: | MEININGER Bruxelles City Center |
| 🥳 Party Hostel: | Brussels Hello Hostel |
| 👩❤️👨 Couple Hostel: | MEININGER Bruxelles City Center |
| 👨👩👦 Family Hostel: | Sleep Well Youth Hostel |
| 👩💻 For Digital Nomads: | MEININGER Bruxelles City Center |
| 🧘 Cozy Hostel: | MEININGER Bruxelles City Center |
1. 2GO4 Quality Hostel City Centre (wacky design hostel)
Get ready for striking design and relaxing ambience at 2GO4 Quality Hostel City Centre.
This Brussels hostel is a real mix of vintage and modern, ideal for budget travellers, individuals and friends.
There are dorm and private rooms available. All vary in size, and some come with an en-suite. What’s great is that all rooms include linen!
Note: the age limit for dorm rooms is 35 years. We at Hostelgeeks do not like this kind of rule. We think a cool hostel should welcome all types of travelers.
Groups are also catered for, with a maximum booking of 10 people.
What to expect:
- high-speed WiFi – for free
- Full-equipped kitchen
- Free cereal + hot drinks every morning
- A free city tour to join
- No curfew
There is a large lounge area that will instantly grab your attention. It’s evident someone with a wacky personality designed the place! Tiny wooden chairs hang off walls, and bicycles from the ceiling.
What else can you spot?! It’s a perfect opportunity to update your Instagram.
What about the location of 2GO4 Hostel in Brussels?
2GO4 Hostel Brussels is secure and convenient, located right in the city centre. All major points of interest are within walking distance.
This includes bars, restaurants, shops, cool architecture, and nightlife.
2GO4 is the best hostel in Brussels for:
- budget traveller
- Solo travellers
Compare prices and read reviews at: Booking.com | Hostelworld
2. MEININGER Bruxelles City Center
Located within the walls of an old brewery, MEININGER Bruxelles City Center has a warehouse vibe with a twist. Look closer and see the super cool graffiti everywhere!
The fun-loving design of the place, mixed in with awesome social & work spaces, spacious rooms and excellent amenities meant we couldn’t ignore this hostel in our top 3.
Here are some of the highlights:
- Lively bar
- Outdoor terrace
- Dedicated games room
- Fully equipped kitchen & vending machines
As it’s a big place, it’s easy to find the vibe you’re looking for, whether it’s lively & social, or quiet and solitude.
There’s plenty of space to set up your laptop and get some work done, or simply chill and get chatting with new people.
Whilst there’s no free breakfast, you can still order one for an extra fee to start the day well.
What about the rooms? There’s such a good choice! From double and family rooms, to female-only and cosy 4-bed mixed dorms.
They’re all super spacious and come with little extras such as a table to work on and sofa area. Oh, and each room has a private bathroom!
We deem MEININGER Bruxelles City Center to be a top pick for:
- Couples
- Digital nomads
Compare prices and read reviews at: Booking.com | Hostelworld
3. Jacques Brel Youth Hostel (atmospheric, minimalist design)
Jacques Brel Youth Hostel is certainly hipster friendly.
This lively, international hostel is bright and spacious. The minimalist design creates a comfortable atmosphere to suit all traveller types. This place is our coolest hostel in Brussels for backpackers.
Quality twin, triple, 4 and 6-bed rooms are on offer. All with an en-suite and free breakfast, yippee!
Psst! Linen and a towel are also included. Pay attention to this to avoid any extra fees.
Let us tempt you some more with these extras:
- Free organic buffet breakfast
- 24/7 key card access = NO curfew
- Fully-equipped kitchen
- Free Wi-Fi + PC access
There is an on-site bar here that serves fresh Belgian Craft Beer daily. Yum!
Besides that, make yourself at home in the huge outdoor courtyard – unique to the town.
Jacques Brel Youth Hostel makes it even easier to make friends with the available table tennis, air hockey, and football.
The question is; are you feeling lucky?
In the summer months this hostel hosts concerts, themed evenings, exhibitions and much more.
As for location, Jacques is a stone’s throw from Grand Place. The European district is only 1 mile away. Seriously, do you need anymore? Make Jacques Brel Youth Hostel your home when backpacking Brussels and Belgium!
Jacques Brel Youth Hostel is a number one pick for:
- Backpackers
- Social travellers
Compare prices and read reviews at: Booking.com | Hostelworld
Best Hostel in Brussels for Solo Travellers?
We know what solo-travellers need when traveling the world on your own: A cool place to meet even cooler people, safe, clean, and fun! Right?
There’s two places we recommend for solo-adventurous:
- Brussels 2GO4 Quality City Centre Hostel – but remember the age limit of 35 years
- Jacques Brel Youth Hostel – fun with the in-house bar
Yet, there is one more cool Brussels hostel we think you would enjoy too.
It’s likely you’ve travelled by train and perhaps even slept on one during a long journey. But have you ever stayed in a train carriage transformed into a hostel?
Welcome to the aptly named Train Hostel in Brussels.
We believe we’ve found the best hostel in Brussels for solo travellers. It’s got solo traveller written all over it!
A huge library (introvert alert), spacious common area, games, beer and courtyard – plenty of opportunities to integrate…
If you want to, of course!
Compare rates at: Hostelz.com
Best Party Hostels in Brussels?
Well, although Brussels can have some fun nightlife with its cool bars, it is not really a place to party. For party hostel Brussels, better hop over to Bruges or Ghent. Especially Ghent has a vibrant nightlife, it is a students city.
After extensive research, it would seem that Brussels doesn’t have a party hostel per se. Bummer…
Instead, what is on offer are great hostels with on-site bars and close proximity to the city centre.
The best party hostel in Brussels is Brussels Hello Hostel.
The bar is lively, the rooms spacious and the centre is just a 5-minute subway ride away. Brussels party hostel comes with a young vibe, also pretty cool to meet more people as a solo-traveller and backpacker.
Oh and of course, the Belgian beer is worth a try!
Compare rates at: Hostelworld
Other hostels worth a mention
Because we are well traveled and we want the best for you, we can’t just limit your choices into three hostels. We have here more hostels to choose from. Let’s go!
- Sleep Well Youth Hostel
- Generation Europe Youth Hostel
Sleep Well Youth Hostel Brussels
Sleep Well Youth Hostel is one of the most convenient hostels in this list.
The staff here are extremely well-mannered and offers help whenever you need it. The rooms are big and the beds are very comfortable. You see that plush hotel beds? Their beds are exactly like that.
Their breakfast is delicious, you no longer have to worry where to get the energy for the whole day trip. If you want to have a late night drink, their bar is open until late and they serve local beers at an affordable price.
I don’t know with you but shower rooms are the first thing I check whenever I go to hostels, I must say that Sleep Well’s shower areas are pretty decent.
The location is near to other stores so you’ll never run out of stocks – food, batteries, etc.
Facilities and amenities you can enjoy:
- family rooms
- bar
- free wifi
- gift shop
- game room with board games/puzzles, table tennis, and pool table
- library
- bikes
- shared kitchen
Compare rates at: Hostelworld | Booking.com
Generation Europe Youth Hostel
Before you say anything, I’d like to clear it up – Yes. it’s a coincidence that we have hostels with the word Youth in it.
Generation Europe Youth Hostel’s breakfast is awesome. Let’s start it with breakfast because it’s not often that you have free options for breakfast. You can change your menu if you like.
This hostel has a garden where you can just relax and appreciate the greenery. It also has a bar if you want to let off steam and have some drink.
If you love the hustle and the bustle of the city, this hostel may not be for you. It’s quiet and calm here. The vibe is leaning to Eco-friendly too.
Facilities and amenities you can enjoy:
- picnic area with sun terrace, BBQ facilities, and outdoor furniture
- walking tours and evening entertainments
- game room with table tennis and pool table
- family services including indoor play area, books/DVDs for children, and board/puzzle games
- special diet menus (on request)
- snack bar
- bar
Compare rates at: Hostelworld | Booking.com
What about the cheapest hostels in Brussels?
Of course, there are always cheap hostels. But how do you actually find them? When you are traveling on a shoe-string budget and you want to save every dollar, there are ways to find the cheapest places in Brussels.
- Open Hostelz.com with a full list of all hostels in Brussels
- add your dates
- Order the listings by price
Simple as that.
Hostelz.com is a price comparison site for hostels. They list every single one in the world and tells you exactly which website is cheaper to use.
Another smart Tip: Check what is actually included, and what is excluded. Take a closer look at the location, too. A further location might mean more costs in transport.
Any Discounts?
From time to time, I receive special promo codes for booking platforms, hotels, or hostels. I will be sharing these here once received. Bookmark this page to get an update.
How to book?
The most popular booking platforms are Booking.com and Hostelworld.com. On both platforms, your credit card is 100% protected and the booking 100% confirmed.
I included some handy links to each of the recommended hostel. Just click on the hostel name. The link will lead you to check prices and availability.
I recommend booking your hostel as early as possible! All of Brussels best hostels are popular; especially in high-season. To make sure you end up in those stylish and good hostels, secure your room/bed as soon as you have your travel dates fix.
My Best Hostels in Brussels for Female Traveler on a Map + Sights
Just to make life that little bit easier, we’ve included this map with all the hostel locations.
Of course no adventure it complete without some great things to see and do.
And there’s plenty to do in Brussels!
Our top recommendations for Brussels are:
- Visit the iconic Brussels Atomium
- Join the fun and informative 2.5-hour walking tour
- Feel like a giant at the Mini-Europe attraction
- Take a day trip to Ghent and Bruges
For simpler travel around the area, take the hop-on hop-off tour bus.
FAQs
You’ve reached the FAQ part and you’re itching to pick your hostel from the list above. Don’t worry, this won’t be long. We have here some of the top questions we often get.
More Hostels in Belgium and Europe
We have covered your question on where to stay in Brussels. But, where next? Your backpacking Europe trip does not stop here, right?!
We have handwritten even more hostel guides for you, so you can focus on your travels instead of researching.
Here you find all the best Belgium hostels.
Here are other guides for hostels in Belgium:
Besides the places mentioned above, the coolest hostels in Belgium are:
- Bruges: Snuffel Hostel
- Antwerp: Antwerp Backpackers Hostel
- Gent: Hostel Uppelink
- Leuven: HI De Blauwput Leuven
- Liege: Youth Hostel Liege
We have written following guides for other European countries and cities for you:
- best hostels in Amsterdam
- best hostels in Rotterdam
- coolest hostels in Paris, France
- best hostels in Luxembourg
Find all our destinations we have written about here. We also have guides on the best hostels in Europe, and the best coworking hostels in Europe.
Safe travels!
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pin it for later
CLOSED: Sleephere
Update: Sorry folks, Sleephere permanently closed in late 2020.
Are you in search of a small, home-away-from-home style accommodation?
We’ve found you a suitor: Sleephere Brussels.
This guest house cum hostel sleeps a maximum of 16 guests. How cute is that?
During the 20th century, the Botanique area became the Brussels City center of film-makers. This building hosted many major film companies during that time.
It’s evident the staff are incredibly accommodating because…
- The whole house is available for use
- Beds, mattresses and linen are 5-star quality
- Luggage storage is available (even before you check in)
- Typical Belgian foods are served during breakfast
- All rooms are superior en-suite.
That includes private, shared, family and group-sized rooms. That is quite unusual for Brussels hostels, but after all, that is what makes these places good hostels.
Enjoy all of the common spaces designed to make you feel at home. These include terraces and a suspended garden with table tennis and BBQ area.
Relax in front of the TV or play some games. Why not, you’re on holiday!
Sleephere is perfectly located next to the botanical gardens. All major sights are within walking distance. A fun hostel in Brussels, no doubt.
We deem Sleephere Hostel to be a top pick for:
- Couples
- Peace + quiet lovers
