It’s time to venture to the capital of Puerto Rico to discover the 3 absolute best hostels in San Juan. Are you ready? Be prepared for a super duper 5 Star Hostel and rooftop spaces that allow you to appreciate this huge city from above.
If you’re keen for nightlife, San Juan won’t let you down with its selection of bars, nightclubs and casinos. Either that or soak up the cobblestoned Old Town and sweeping ocean views from a fortress.
Read: full guide to the absolute best hostels in Puerto Rico!
Your shortcut:
- Santurcia Hostel & Bar – great for female solo travellers
- Nomada Urban Beach Hostel – one for backpackers
- Casa TripGoGo – top pick for couples
Money-saving Tip: Before making your reservation, compare all prices on major booking platforms for hostels in San Juan with Hostelz.com, and save lots of money!
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We’re pretty sure San Juan will be enjoyed by solo travellers and backpackers. Keep scrolling to find out why!
This guide is perfect for YOU, when …
- tired of bad and crappy hostels
- want to avoid the “young party kids”
- happy to spend 1-2€ for a better experience
Get ahead of the game and skip to the one and only 5 Star Hostel in San Juan, Santurcia Hostel & Bar.
What we cover in this article?
- Introduction
- 3 best hostels in detail
- Comparison chart of 3 best hostels
- cheapest hostels in San Juan Puerto Rico
- best hostels in San Juan Puerto Rico for solo travellers
- fun party hostels in San Juan Puerto Rico
- more hostels worth a mention
- discounts and promo codes
- How to book?
- all hostel and sights on a map
- Flights
- FAQs
You can find all 5 Star Hostels here with Hostelgeeks and all guides to “Best Hostels In” here.
Quick Introduction to San Juan
Average price for a bed: Hostels in San Juan cost 15€ – 26€ per night for a bed in a dorm. A private room starts from 35€ up to 67€ per night. This is a rough average just to give you an idea.
Prices always depend on season and holidays. Please always check exact rates on Hostelworld.com or Booking.com.
Check-In and Check Out: The average check-in time is from 15:00 (3pm), while the Check Out time is before 11:00 (11am). Hostels usually offer luggage storage in case you arrive earlier or leave later. Make sure you check if luggage storage is free or if there is an extra cost.
Tourism Tax: Note that there is a 9% tourism tax which is not always included in the room price. Our #1 hostel Santurcia Hostel & Bar, for instance, adds this percentage to the room price on arrival. Be sure to check this before making a booking with your chosen hostel.
🎁 New to Hostels? Read our guide to staying in a Hostel for the First Time here. We especially recommend reading:
- How to book hostels? (and websites to save $)
- 23 clever items: the hostel packing list to download
- How does the Hostelworld App work exactly? Our Advanced Guide
The 3 Best Hostels in San Juan
Let’s jump right into the boutique hostels in San Juan.
We put all three accommodation on the map, you will find the map at the end of the article.
Overview: Best Hostels by Traveler Type
| 🦸 Solo Traveler: | Nomada Urban Beach Hostel |
| 🙎♀️ best for Female Solo Traveler: | Santurcia Hostel & Bar |
| 👫 For Socializing: | Santurcia Hostel & Bar |
| 👩❤️👨Couple Hostel: | Casa TripGoGo |
| 👨👩👦 Family Hostel: | Nomada Urban Beach Hostel |
| 👩💻 For Digital Nomads: | Santurcia Hostel & Bar |
| 🎒 For Backpackers: | Nomada Urban Beach Hostel |
1. Santurcia Hostel & Bar
Get ready for Caribbean colour and bohemian flair at our 5 Star Hostel in San Juan, Santurcia Hostel & Bar.
Set in the artistic and nightlife epicentre of Santurce, you’re set to have nothing but a wonderful stay here in Puerto Rico.
The atmosphere here is friendly and relaxing. It’s also nice and safe thanks to the inclusion of keypad locks on every room door.
Let’s take a quick glance at the room types:
- Mixed dorms w/ 6-16 beds
- Female dorm
- Standard double
We love the huge lockers in each dorm room which will most certainly fit backpacks. There is also a personal light and air-conditioning in the rooms for added comfort.
The best bit about this hostel is without doubt the awesome rooftop space. The views are great and it’s a perfect spot to wind down with a coffee.
Also: yoga sessions are frequently held here!
Rustle up something tasty in the communal kitchen, or treat yourself to a drink and snack at the bar.
There’s also a great communal living area to chill out and enjoy a good chinwag. The design is perfectly home-from-home and cosy.
Want to know more? Check out our full guide to Santurcia Hostel & Bar here.
This is one of the best hostels in San Juan for
- Female solo travellers
- Friends
Compare prices and read reviews at: Booking.com | Hostelworld | Full Guide
2. Nomada Urban Beach Hostel
How do you like the sound of breathtaking views, modern style and rooftop camping?! All this and more is part of Nomada Urban Beach Hostel.
Read: Our list of favorite beach hostels worldwide – this hostel has also found its place on it.
This place is built on good vibrations and Latin Caribbean culture.
A total of 28 guests can choose from and enjoy:
- 4 or 10-bed mixed dorms
- 1, 2 or 3-bed private rooms
- Rooftop tents(!)
- Deluxe private room
Each dorm bed comes with a reading light, plugs, linen and a locker.
Honestly though, if you’re looking for a unique stay you should opt for the rooftop tent. It has the best view in the house overlooking the mountains AND the beach!
Each tent has a queen sized bed so it’s perfect for single travellers, couples and friends – there is a lot of space.
There’s plenty of social spaces spread over 3 floors, including a shared kitchen and outdoor dining area.
Good to know: the rooftop is open to all, not just those staying in a rooftop tent.
As for the location – it’s top notch! The beach is just down the road and there are cool restaurants, bars and shops in the surrounding area.
This is one of the best hostels in San Juan for
- Backpackers
- Solo travellers
Compare prices and read reviews at: Booking.com | Hostelworld
3. Casa TripGoGo
Receive a warm welcome from the staff at Casa TripGoGo and let everything else fall in to place.
Before we go any further, we want to let you know that there are only private rooms here which include double, king and queen.
They’re all very cosy and come with extras such as a DVD player and vanity mirror.
It’s a good place to get both your own private time and social time, if you wish.
There is a cute little dining area and a lovely rooftop space that overlooks the city goings-on down below.
Alongside this there is also a designated smoking area and parking available on-site.
It has to be noted that the breakfast here is great.
Forget old toast and jam, this is a warming feast that will surely set you up for the day.
And you’ll need all that energy to explore Old San Juan which is right on the doorstep. It’s just a few minutes walk to the tourist spots, bars, shops and eateries.
This is one of the best hostels in San Juan for
- Couples
- Older travellers
Compare prices and read reviews at: Booking.com
What about cheapest hostels in San Juan?
If you are traveling on a shoe-string budget and you wanna save every penny, there are ways to find the cheapest places in San Juan.
- Open Hostelworld with full list of budget places to stay in San Juan
- Order the listing by price
Simple as that.
Read: 15 hacks for booking hostels
Make sure you use then the other filters and rank per price.
Also keep a close eye on the ratings, especially the “extreme ratings”. Meaning, the best and worst. These ratings can give great insight on what to expect.
More Hostels worth a Mention
Just down the road (17 km, in fact) in a place called Dorado is a very nice accommodation called The Village Hostel.
This hostel has cool amenities, comfortable spaces and community know-how all wrapped up in one.
We love the hammocks hanging in the outside yard and 24/7 free tea and coffee. There’s also a great work area for digital nomads offering a wonderful view of the La Plata River.
Dorado itself is great for local culture and access to beaches frequented by surfers.
Highly recommended if you want to be close to San Juan but are after a more organic, local feel of Puerto Rico.
Compare prices and read reviews at: Booking.com
Best Hostels in San Juan for Solo Travellers?
What is seriously the best hostel for solo travellers in San Juan, Puerto Rico?
Well, if you’re a female solo traveller we cannot rate our #1 hostel Santurica Hostel & Bar highly enough. The security is great and there are female dorms available. No doubt you’ll easily make friends on the rooftop!
If you’re a solo traveller that likes bigger dorms and rooftop views of the beach (who doesn’t?!) then we suggest staying at Nomada Urban Beach Hostel. The central location is super handy, too.
Party Hostels in San Juan
Although San Juan is the biggest city in Puerto Rico, it doesn’t have much in the way of party hostels!
This we find quite strange as there is an awesome nightlife and party scene within the city.
With that in mind, we suggest staying at Santurcia Hostel & Bar and taking advantage of the close location to nearby bars and party atmosphere.
Before heading out make sure you get the social vibes flowing on the rooftop – there is a bar here selling drinks and snacks.
Compare prices and read reviews at: Booking.com | Hostelworld
Airbnb San Juan Puerto Rico
Airbnb is another option during your stay in San Juan. There are a suprising amount of hosts in this part of the world offering great accommodation at reasonable prices.
For your very first stay make sure you take advantage of our €35 Airbnb discount code here. Win!
How to book?
We recommend using Booking.com or Hostelworld for your reservations.
Hostelworld is the most popular website when it comes to hostel bookings.
Read: step-by-step guide on how to book with Hostelworld
On both platforms your credit card is 100% protected and the booking 100% confirmed.
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.
Here is the overview:
- Santurcia Hostel & Bar: Booking.com | Hostelworld
- Nomada Urban Beach Hostel: Booking.com | Hostelworld
- Casa TripGoGo: Booking.com
We recommend booking your hostel as early as possible!
All of San Juan best hostels are popular; especially in high-season. To make sure you end up in those stylish hostels, secure your room or bed as soon as you have your travel dates fix.
Any Discounts?
Currently, we have no special hostel discounts in San Juan. I know, it’s a pity. You can subscribe to our newsletter to receive our newest hostel discounts always to your inbox.
You can find all our hostel discounts worldwide here.
Our Favorite Hostels in San Juan put on a map + sights
Let us have a look on the map. Below we list all three best San Juan hostels on a map.
Personally, we love to plan our trips with a map having all sights and potential hostels on it. We thought this map will help you with planning your trip too.
We also included the main tourist attractions you’ve to know in this list:
- Viejo San Juan
- Castillo San Felipe del Morro San Juan
- Castillo de San Cristóbal
- Condado Beach
- Sitio Histórico de San Juan
- Playa El Escambrón
- Luis A. Ferre Theater
And as always, here are a few fun activities you can join in and around San Juan:
- El Yunque Rainforest (half day tour)
- Old San Juan Sunset Cruise
- Fajardo: Catamaran Sailing, Snorkel and Picnic Cruise
Any questions about hostels in San Juan? 🤔
Join our Facebook Group!
Ask all your questions and connect with like-minded wanderers 🔥
Flights to San Juan?
We use Skyscanner and Omio.com to find cheap flights and good connections all over the globe.
Skyscanner has a bunch of cool features like Multi-City Trip. Instead of doing this research step-by-step, Skyscanner offers this flight planning tool.
FAQ
Alright, you should have found your accommodation already. Below we list all the frequently asked questions. Have a look.
Which city is better San Juan Puerto Rico or Miami?
Have a look at our full guide to the best hostels in Miami and compare. Let us know which destination you like the best!
Where should we go to enjoy the nightlife in San Juan Puerto Rico?
If you stay at Santurcia Hostel & Bar you get the best of both worlds. Up on the rooftop you can enjoy the social vibes and a few drinks, and then head out to the nearby bars and party atmosphere. Easy!
It also happens to be the only 5 Star Hostel in the city. Here’s the full review of Santurcia Hostel.
More guides
Alright, this is your answer to where to stay in San Juan.
We did the leg work for you and bring you more hostel guides to destinations:
- 3 best hostels in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
- 3 best hostels in Tulum, Mexico
- 44 best hostels in Costa Rica
- Casa del Pavo Real in Palomino – 5 Star Hostel
- 40 best hostels in Mexico
You can find all our new and updates articles for Best Hostels in here.
We also created a huge guide to hostels. Here we cover how to build lifetime friendships in hostels, the perfect packing list and more.
Over to you
Was this useful? Do you have any questions, doubts?
Then please please leave us a comment. This list of awesome San Juan 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!
Last note: Our commitment
This is a genuine article to help you travel a bit smarter and find the best place on a budget! We ONLY recommend places we know you will enjoy, no matter what.
We will never recommend you any place we haven’t evaluated or are not convinced by. We only share with you places we also recommend to our best friends and family!
Enjoy this fine hostel selection and all 5 Star Hostels.
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