Swiss Youth Hostels’ Geneva Hostel celebrates topping-out ceremony

The Swiss Youth Hostels are building a new youth hostel in French-speaking Switzerland. A state-of-the-art facility is being developed in Switzerland’s second-largest city in close collaboration with the city of Geneva. The opening is scheduled for mid-July 2026, and bookings are now possible. The youth hostel, which also includes a public restaurant, is being built as part of an overall project with social housing and sports facilities on Route de Vernier.

Swiss Youth Hostels are continuously expanding their network in French-speaking Switzerland, today celebrating the topping-out ceremony for their new hostel in Geneva, which will open in July 2026 and is now available for booking. With Geneva Youth Hostel, which is located in a new neighbourhood, the Swiss Youth Hostels are establishing a youth hostel in a strategically important location. “With its airport and the associated connections to international markets, Geneva is the most important gateway to Western Switzerland for travellers from all over the world. As a member of the global umbrella organisation Hostelling International, we expect high demand from international guests. At the same time, Geneva is an important destination for schools, groups, families and solo travellers from Switzerland who are looking for affordable, ultra-modern accommodation,” says Janine Bunte, CEO of the Swiss Youth Hostels.

The new ‘place to be’: youth hostel, restaurant and sports facility
The new Geneva Youth Hostel has a total of 176 beds in 61 rooms, with 24 rooms offering barrier-free access. Featuring double, 4-bed, 6-bed and family rooms, the wide mix of rooms is ideal for sports groups, clubs, schools, solo travellers and families. The private double and family rooms have their own shower/WC.

The youth hostel reception and the trendy public à la carte restaurant Yoummi are located on the ground floor of the seven-storey building. It is ideally situated as a place to spend time together with the sports club after a challenging training session or as a team after work in a cosy atmosphere. “All public areas are available both to our youth hostel guests and to the entire neighbourhood,” continues Bunte. On the first floor are the leisure and play areas for overnight guests as well as two modern seminar rooms with a capacity for 20 people each.

The new youth hostel is also particularly attractive for sports clubs, as sports fields and halls, a fitness centre and football pitches are located right next to the new building. In addition, a Helsana Trail starts right outside the youth hostel’s doorstep, which running fans can complete at various levels of difficulty.

Top location for solo travellers, business travellers and researchers
The new youth hostel is very well connected and is therefore suitable for tourists, but also for business travellers and researchers from national and international universities. From Geneva Airport, the youth hostel can be reached in 15 minutes by public transport. Geneva city centre, the railway station, Lake Geneva and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), for example, are all within 20 to 30 minutes by public transport. Adrien Genier, Director of Genève Tourisme & Congrès, emphasises: “The new youth hostel in Geneva is a great addition to our tourism offering. Ideally situated between the city centre and the airport, it offers affordable, high-quality accommodation with an appealing design. That’s why the hostel fits so well with our strategy to attract both leisure and conference guests. We want to establish Geneva as an open, accessible and attractive destination for all travellers and the youth hostel brings us one step closer to this goal.”