Hostelling International partners with Mews to modernise its global hostel network

Hostelling International, the world’s largest youth hostel network, has announced a strategic partnership with Mews, the operating system for hospitality, to modernise operations and enhance guest experiences across its global community of member hostels. With 58 Member Associations operating independently across more than 56 countries, achieving consistent operational standards and shared learnings at scale has historically been difficult without a common technology foundation.

Hostelling International spans Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. As the network embarks on a significant digital transformation, the partnership gives member properties access to Mews’ cloud-native hospitality operating system, designed to meet the unique operational needs of hostels, simplify daily operations, and create more seamless guest journeys. Rather than leaving Member Associations to navigate this shift individually, the partnership gives the entire network a common foundation, enabling shared benchmarking, faster onboarding, and the kind of collective gains that simply aren’t possible when associations are working in isolation.

Brianda Lopez, CEO of Hostelling International, added: “Mews is a key partner in Hostelling International’s digital transformation journey. Their platform gives our Member Associations the technological foundation they need to operate more efficiently and deliver the experiences today’s travellers expect.”

YHA Australia – also a member of WYSE Travel Confederation – the largest provider of low-cost travel accommodation in Australia and part of the Hostelling International network, has successfully used Mews to modernise its operations – achieving booking engine conversion rates of up to 16% at select properties, compared to an industry average of around 2%. Paul McGrath, CEO of YHA Australia, commented: “We have been partnering with Mews for several years now, and the results have been clear across our property network – from operational efficiency gains through to measurable financial outcomes. The broader Hostelling International partnership opens up something genuinely valuable: shared benchmarking, real knowledge exchange, and the kind of scale improvements that are simply harder to achieve when Member Associations are working in isolation. We are strong supporters of this direction, and I look forward to seeing more associations benefit in the same way we have.”

“Hostels have been part of Mews’ story since the beginning. YHA Australia has shown us what’s possible when the right technology meets a mission-driven operator,” said Matt Welle, CEO of Mews. “Partnering with Hostelling International gives us the opportunity to bring that impact to an entire global network – and that’s something we’re genuinely excited about.