3 Best Hostels in Madrid – Bring your Hat and lots of Appetite for Tapas and Design

The BEST Hostels in Madrid? Currently, there is no 5 Star Hostel in the Spanish capital. But, not to worry, we got you covered.

We handpicked the 3 best hostels in Madrid. These hostels come with a cool roof top terrace, a true hostel experience and finally the tranquil design-led spot.

Your Shortcut:

1. The Hat Madrid - best for Couples
2. MOLA Hostel - best for Families
3. Sungate One - best for Solo Travellers

The 3 Best Hostels in Madrid are …

Let’s jump right into the coolest hostels in Madrid.

1. The Hat Madrid – best for Couples
2. MOLA Hostel – best for Families
3. Sungate One – best for Solo Travellers

We put all accommodations on the map, incl. our own tips for restaurants, things to see, and more.

Overview: Best Hostels by Traveler Type

🦸 Solo Traveler:	Sungate One
🙎‍♀️ best for Female Solo Traveler:	The Hat Hostel
🥳 Party Hostel:	Cats Party Hostel
👩‍❤️‍👨 Couple Hostel:	The Hat Hostel
👨‍👩‍👦 Family Hostel:	MOLA Hostel
👩‍💻 For Digital Nomads:	The Hat Hostel
🧘 Cozy Hostel:	Sungate One

More lists with 3 top hostels in Europe:

• 3 best hostels in Paris
• 3 best hostels in Rome
• 3 best hostels in Barcelona – compared
• 3 best hostels in Valencia – compared

You can find all 5 Star Hostels here with Hostelgeeks.

As for Madrid, we put all three accommodation on the map. You will find the map at the end of the article.

Important: We picked these three hostels as they stand out due to their design, facilities and vibes.

Find the best hostel Madrid for you and your travel buddies!

1. The Hat Madrid

One of the coolest hostels in Madrid, and our #1 recommendation with probably the coolest name: The Hat Madrid!

Their motto is „home is where your hat is“.

Here you enjoy a design-led hostel hip vibes and literally on top of all this: Their roof-top terrace.

This is the best place to mingle, have a cocktail, enjoy a concert once in a while. On a daily basis you can enjoy the sunsets from here.

Rent a bike at the reception or join the free activities like free walking tours. Their breakfast buffet is legendary.

Book The Hat Madrid here

Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com

The Rooms

You are looking for the best hostels in Madrid, so you should definitely go for one with Air Conditioning. At The Hat? Check!

There is also free WiFi, that’s quick as a bunny!

Basically, you have all types of rooms. The Hat Hostel offers both private rooms like double rooms. They also have both mixed and female-only dorms.

The rooms and dorms come with either shared or ensuite facilities. The luxury version even have small balconies.

Who stays at The Hat Hostel?

The hip traveler! The Hat Hostel is a premium hostel, a quality hostel with cool people all over. Yet, it’s not the typical party backpacker hostel.

It’s one of the best hostels in Madrid for:

• solo-travelers
• couples
• Design-Lovers

For us, this is the best hostel in Madrid for solo-travelers!

Some of the travelers staying here and looking for the real party until 7am in the morning head out to La Latina District.

Location:

Wonderful top location – seriously, you cannot go wrong here!

The Hat Hostel is located directly at Plaza Mayor, the main square in Madrid. It is also just a short walk from Puerta del Sol, the absolute city center in Madrid. This is where you find as well the cities iconic statue of the bear.

This means as well you have a wide range of bars, tapas restaurants and cafes nearby.

Right across the street you have a small supermarket for getting snacks and drinks. Yet, in Madrid you find many small supermarkets, open 24 hours.

Interested in party and Nightlife?

After meeting new friends at the roof-top, we recommend heading to La Latina District. The team at The Hat is an expert of the nightlife in Madrid. Ask them for bars and clubs before heading out on their own. 
 
Ask them for their best recommendation – but not for “guiris”, ask for the local stuff!

Book The Hat Madrid here

Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com

Downside:

To make this listing complete for you, take into account: there is no kitchen at The Hat Hostel to use. Yet, they offer a huge breakfast and there is an in-house restaurant.

On top, other than Paris, Madrid is quite affordable and the Tapas are delicious.

2. MOLA Hostel

MOLA Hostel is a new player in town and got high ratings right away.

There is good reason for that: it’s luxurious, cool, and comes with high quality facilities.

We especially like the design of the rooms. The dorms come with cool and solid bunk beds and the chosen colors for the different rooms and floors add a nice warmth. Any questions on what to do in Madrid? Then don’t be shy and ask for help at the reception from sunrise to sunset – 24 hours.

There is also free WiFi in every single corner.

Mola Hostel is a new concept hostel you’ll certainly enjoy while exploring the Spanish lifestyle in the capital.

Fun Fact: Mola is Spanish and means “cool”.

The Rooms at MOLA: You can chose from private rooms and dorms.

Some of the rooms offer private facilities.

Just check the availability to see what is available for your travel dates. There is free and quick WiFi all over the hostel, the sleeping area as well as common room.

Book MOLA Hostel here

Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com

Who stays at Mola Hostel?

We recommend this Madrid Hostel especially for:

• families
• big and small groups
• the quiet traveler

This accommodation is one of the many Madrid youth hostels we recommend.

What about the location?

Old town, central but near the metro station.

Simply put, this Youth Hostel Madrid has a great location!

Only 5 min to the famous Plaza del Sol (Sol Square), which is the center of the city. There are beautiful places to visit nearby such as the Calderon Theater, the Plaza Mayor, San Miguel Market and Puerta del Sol.

Book MOLA Hostel here

Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com

Downside:

Same here, there is no kitchen. Yet, we do not consider a kitchen important in this city. Tapas and Eat out is cheap and super yummy in the right places.

3. Sungate One

The last option of this list of the 3 best hostels in Madrid is a more backpacker type place.

Sungate One is a smaller, more intimate backpacker hostel in Madrid. It is super easy to connect, and you can feel the family, friendly, and social vibes here. It even made it to our guide of the Best Party Hostels in Madrid, thanks to its warm atmosphere..

This hostel is part of the Hostel One brand – one of the leading hostel chains in Europe.

If you prefer a small hostel in Madrid, then go with Sungate One. The team behind is what makes the difference here. It is the kind of backpacker-type hostel that made hostels so comfy and homey.

The team always create a family atmosphere, including everyone.

This one is usually the cheapest option among our best hostels in Madrid is the Sungate One.

They offer free breakfast.

Expect services like lockers, luggage storage and laundry as an extra.

Book Sungate One here

Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com

Rooms:

Each room comes with Air-conditioned (for summer) and heating (for winter). For shared accommodation you can choose from Female-only dorms and mixed dorms. The dorms here have NO bunk beds. Every bed is a single bed.

As for private rooms, you have the choice between a double room, twin room and a triple room.

Bed linen are included in the price. But towels are available as an extra.

We always recommend to bring your own travel towel. Check our hostel packing list for the best travel towels we recommend.

Read: Our overview of different hostel room types.

Location: Same as the other two places, the very city center!

You are just a 3 minutes walk away from Puerta del Sol and Gran Via Avenue for shopping.

With all these three budget accommodations in Madrid you do not have to worry about the location. They are all three great and central!

Sungate One is the coolest hostel for:

• Backpacker
• Solo-Travellers
• Young Travellers
• Small Hostel Lovers

Book Sungate One here

Check prices at:
Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com

Downside:

The only downside here would be the design. The two others hostels, MOLA Hostel and The Hat Hostels, are more design-led. That is not to say it is not cool. It’s really cool here, no creaking bunk beds and excellent vibes to connect.

This is the best backpacker hostel in Madrid!

Comparing all 3 Top Hostels in Madrid

Okay, okay. Here you have it. Pretty awesome hostels to choose from, right?!

Here is an overview of our handpicked top hostels in Madrid.

It will help you to take a decision.

	The Hat Madrid	Mola Hostel	Sungate One
Recommended for…	Female Solo Travellers Social Couples	Families Couples	Young Solo Travellers Backpacker
Kitchen	No	No	Yes
WiFi	Free (Super Fast)	Free (Good)	Free (Good)
Breakfast	Big Buffet Breakfast (extra)	Big Buffet Breakfast (extra)	Included (simple)
Location	Top	Top	Top
Special	Roof Top Terrace, Hip Vibes	Quality facilities	Smaller, more intimate
Activities	Yes	Yes	Yes
Lockers – and safe?	Yes	Yes	Yes
Facilities for disabled guests	Yes	No	No
How to book?	Hostelworld	Hostelworld	Hostelworld

This information can vary by season and availability. Please take this into account.

How to book?

For Madrid we recommend using Booking.com or Hostelworld for your reservations.

Booking.com is the biggest and safest platform for hotels in Madrid Spain and hostels reservations. Their cancellation policy is one of the best, normally 100% refundable until 24h before the stay.

Hostelworld is also super safe and the biggest booking platform for hostels.

On both platforms your credit card is 100% protected and the booking 100% confirmed.

Read: our guide how to properly book with Hostelworld (and how not to book!)

We included the handy links to each of the recommended hostel. Just click on the hostel name. The link will lead you to check prices and availability.

We recommend booking your hostel as early as possible! You don’t want to miss Hostelworld best hostels in Madrid.

All of Madrids best hostels are popular. To make sure you end up in those stylish hostels, secure your room or bed as soon as you have your travel dates fix.

What about the cheapest hostels in Madrid?

Of course, there are always cheap hostels. And there are some cheaper options than the ones we mentioned.

Yet, keep reading.

We think, it’s not worth it to go with the cheapest hostels in Madrid.

Why?

The difference is usually only 1-2€ ($1-2), and a lot of amenities are not included. This can be breakfast or linen. Although, keep in mind a bad location far away from the city center costs you more in transport and time.

Good to know: Many of the very cheap hostels Madrid Spain are illegal, without proper license to run.

However, if you are traveling on a shoe-string budget and you wanna save every penny, there are ways to find the cheapest places to stay in Madrid.

Here is how to find the cheapest places to stay in Madrid

1. Open Hostelworld with full list of accommodations in Madrid
2. Order the listing by price

It is that simple.

Remember to compare the reviews, and read them carefully. Filter by the “extreme” reviews, meaning the best and worst ratings. These ratings usually give you a pretty good idea what is wrong here and what’s super cool!

How about a cool Party Hostel in Madrid?

So we have covered the tranquil hostel,  the cheapest one on a shoe-string budget and the epic places to stay in Madrid.

What about Party and Fiesta?

The best party hostel in Madrid for the young traveler is Cats Hostel Madrid Sol.

They organize fun events, crazy parties and are the perfect place if you are the party-animal traveler!

Looking for the best party hostels in Madrid? You nailed it, dear reader!

Get ready to book in the best party hostel Madrid!

Book Cats Hostel Madrid Sol here

Check prices at: Hostelworld | Booking.com | Hostelz.com

More Madrid hostels worth a mention

We hope that by now you already have a hostel Madrid Spain in mind and a pretty good idea where to stay in Madrid.

The Hat Hostel Madrid, Mola Hostel Madrid, and Sungate One Backpackers Hostel are our personal favorites and they really standout in our Madrid hostels review but there are a lot of other hostels that you can consider.

We think that the three are the best Madrid Spain hostels.

We listed more Hostels in Madrid Spain that you want to look at.

• 2060 The Newton Hostel, Madrid
• Room007 Chueca Hostel
• Cats Hostel Madrid Sol
• TOC Hostel Madrid
• Safetstay hostel (formerly known as U Hostel Madrid)

Hostels are indeed the best option compared to Madrid hotels because they are more affordable.

If you are not into hostels Madrid, have a look at best hotels in Madrid but we promise you hostel is worth a try!

2060 The Newton Hostel, Madrid

2060 The Newton Hostel is surprisingly a nice hostel. They offer different types of activities. They have a free tour through Madrid of the Austrians.

If parties and drinking games are your type, they offer a sangria open bar for two hours, which is really cool.

If you like riding bicycles and will only be in the city for a short time, take advantage of their rental service.

Rent a bike and ride with us to the city’s most scenic spots.

The sauna and Jacuzzi provide a refreshing haven in the middle of bustling Madrid.

Book 2060 The Newton Hostel here

Compare prices: Booking.com | Hostelworld | Hostelz.com

Room007 Chueca Hostel

Room007 Chueca Hostel is a great place to stay and there are two metro stations that are near the hostel. Chueca and Tribunal metro stations are within a 5-minute walk of the hostel.

Breakfast is simple but good value. There are also a lot of restaurants around that you can try.

The neighboring streets definitely offer restaurants, stylish bars and shops. Fresh towels and sheets are provided and they clean the rooms every day.

Room007 Chueca Hostel have rooms for solo travellers, backpackers, couples. They have bunk beds for dormitories and single or double beds for private rooms.

Book Room007 Chueca Hostel here

Compare prices: Booking.com | Hostelworld | Hostelz.com

Cats Hostel Madrid Sol (formerly known as Living Cat’s Hostel)

Experience a relaxed atmosphere, clean spaces, and comfortable rooms in Cats Hostel Madrid Sol.

It is centrally located, near La Latina, Puerta del Sol and the Prado Museum.

The hostel was visually pleasing and the safety measures made me feel secure.

The hostel serves a daily breakfast in the café, and there are vending machines for sandwiches and pastries. A fridge and a microwave are available for all guests.

If you like to go clubbing, Cats Hostel Madrid Sol is definitely the spot. This hostel is perfect for people who loves party because it offers a fun party vibe. They are known for their Paella Party on weekends, plus a bar downstairs.

Book Living Cat’s Hostel here

Compare prices: Booking.com | Hostelworld | Hostelz.com

TOC Hostel Madrid

TOC Hostel Madrid has a good location, just 121 m from Puerta del Sol Square. This stylish, modern hostel offers smart, air-conditioned rooms with free WiFi.

At TOC Hostel you can book private rooms or a bed in a shared dormitory. The rooms and dorms feature attractive décor with parquet floors and light wood furniture.

They have clean rooms, bathrooms/toilet, comfy bed, good sized lockers, huge room and hospitable staff. There is even an elevator so you do not have to worry if you are assigned to a higher floor level.

It is walking distance to bars, restaurants, shopping area, public transport, and sites.

Book TOC Hostel Madrid here

Compare prices: Booking.com | Hostelworld | Hostelz.com

Safestay Madrid Central (formerly known as U Hostel Madrid)

Safestay Madrid Central is located just 5 minutes’ walk from Fuencarral Market and the lively Chueca district.

The hostel has cinema room, a karaoke bar, a pub, and free walking tours.

They have clean rooms and comfortable beds. Guests will also appreciate the hostel because they have plenty of showers and bathrooms.

If you are looking for safety lockers, that would be perfect because they have big lockers in the rooms for luggage storage.

They also serve breakfast. In fact, there are different breakfast options available every day. Snacks and drinks are available from the vending machines.

Good to know: U Hostel Madrid is now Safetstay Hostel. It is the same building and address.

Book Safestay Madrid Central here

Compare prices: Booking.com | Hostelworld | Hostelz.com

Accommodation discounts for Madrid

Currently, we have no special hostel discounts in Madrid. I know, it’s a pity. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our newest hostel discounts always to your inbox.

You can find all our hostel discounts worldwide here.

You can always get the 35€ discount for Airbnb here. Read our guide on how to use Airbnb.

All Hostels put on a Map + Sights

A map of Madrid is always handy. This helps you to get a better understanding of the location.

We created a hostel map for Madrid with all the 3 best hostels (marked red in the map) and the sights (green in the map). As you can see, the sights are dotted around the centre. Staying around the center just makes sense, and actually saves you money in metro tickets.

The sights to visit are:

• Puerta del Sol
• El Oso y el Madroño (Statue of the bear and the strawberry tree)
• Plaza Mayor
• Prado Museum
• Botanical Gardens
• Reina Sofia Museum
• Royal Palace of Madrid
• El Retiro Park
• Stadium of Real Madrid F.C., the Santiago Bernabeu (for the football fan)

Read: Our 5 best travel tips for Madrid

We’ve marked them as follows:

• Best Hostels: Pink
• Other Recommendations: Orange
• Sights in Madrid: Green

(You can open the sidebar in the map to activate and deactivate groups. Open the map in a new tab here.)

FAQ

Alright, you should have found your accommodation already. Below we list all the frequently asked questions. Have a look.

Sex in Madrid Hostel

Sex is part of the hostel life.

Especially when staying at Party hostels. There is no need to pretend it is not. That is not to say, hostels are only about sex – NOT AT ALL!

We wrote a big guide with 5 dos and donts of having sex in Hostels.

Especially rule #5 is important to remember. Otherwise you may end up being a porn-star. Because: hostels have cameras!

Read: How to have sex in hostels in Madrid here.

Here is another hostel sex story from Barcelona. Two friends stayed in a dorm with another guy. He warned them that he’s going to have sex tonight in the dorm. They did not listen.

Read: The Hostel Sex Story from Barcelona.

Flights to Madrid?

Madrid is a huge European hub to fly in or out of Europe, especially for Latina American countries. You can score some really great flight deals. It is also well connected with the rest of Europe. However, we usually find cheaper flights to Barcelona.

So you might want to consider flying first to Barcelona and then take a bus or train to Madrid.

We use Skyscanner and Omio.com to find cheap flights and good connections all over the globe.

Flights to Madrid

Madrid is a huge European hub to fly in or out of Europe, especially for Latina American countries.

You can score some really great flight deals. It also well connected with the rest of Europe. However, we usually find cheaper flights to Barcelona.

So you might want to consider flying first to Barcelona and then take a bus or train to Madrid.

We enjoy Skyscanner, Omio.com and Kiwi.com to find cheap flights all over Europe including Madrid.

This new website has super cool features like a so-called radius search. Just draw a circle over Europe and find the cheapest rates for the area.

Here is our review of Kiwi.

More epic hostels in Spain and Europe

By now you have found your place to stay in Madrid. We even have more for you.

We are Hostelgeeks, your independent shortcut to the worlds finest hostels, the 5 Star Hostels.

We are hunting down the best hostels in the world for you, and put them under one roof. So you can find your accommodation with 1 click and spend your time exploring the world instead of researching hostels.

You can find more exquisite hostels in Europe:

• 3 best hostels in Barcelona – including the 5 star hostel Casa Gracia Barcelona
• Best Party Hostels in Madrid
• Urban Jungle Hostel in Malaga – and the guide comparing the best hostels in Malaga
• best hostels in Valencia – all compared
• best hostels in Seville
• best hostels in Tarifa
• best hostels in Las Palmas
• coolest surf hostels in Spain
• best hostels in San Sebastian
• best hostels in Bilbao
• Islands: best hostels in Mallorca & best hostels in Ibiza
• best hostel in Palma de Mallorca
• best hostels in Riga, Latvia
• best hostels in Costa Brava
• Best Hostels in Fuerteventura & Surf Hostels in Corralejo

Here’s our guide to the best hostels in Spain, including itinerary and hidden gems.

Over to you

Was this useful? Do you have any questions, doubts?

Then please please leave us a comment. This list of cool Madrid hostels should be as informative and useful as possible.

Your question will help me to understand what I have missed to mention.

Therefore, drop us a comment, we are keen to help you!

Safe travels,
The Hostelgeeks