3 Best Hostels in Seattle, USA – First-Hand Backpackers Guide with Fun Events

Best Hostels in Seattle, USA - full backpacker accommodation list

We gathered the best hostels in Seattle you should go to so could enjoy the rest of Seattle in a different party-ish and art-ish way possible.

While the city is keeping you busy with discovery, we have just the right and coolest hostels to change the vibe of your  stay and travel in Seattle.

Quick overview:

  1. Green Tortoise Hostel – top pick for party traveller
  2. HI Seattle at the American Hotel – best hostel for small groups
  3. Hotel Hotel – perfect for couples

Any questions about hostels in Seattle?

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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

You are in luck because we got you covered. Here are the best hostels in Seattle. Coolest hostels with great access to the heart of the city and of course, coffee.

Travelling the West Coast of the US? Check out these other guides:

Here is our full guide to the best hostels in California.

What we cover in this article?

You can find all 5 Star Hostels here with Hostelgeeks and all guides to “Best Hostels In” here.

If you’re travelling the states extensively, you will love our new guide to the 45 best hostels in USA.

Quick Introduction to Seattle

Average price for a bed: Hostels in Seattle cost 25€ – 35€ per night for a bed in a dorm. A private room starts from 70€ up to 135€ 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.

🎁 New to Hostels? Read our guide to staying in a Hostel for the First Time here. We especially recommend reading:

The 3 Best Hostels in Seattle, USA

Let’s jump right into the boutique hostels in Seattle.

  1. Green Tortoise Hostel – top pick for party traveller
  2. HI Seattle at the American Hotel – best hostel for small groups
  3. Hotel Hotel – for couples

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: HI Seattle Hostel
🙎‍♀️ best for Female Solo Traveler: HI Seattle Hostel
🥳 Party Hostel:Green Tortoise Hostel
👩‍❤️‍👨Couple Hostel: HotelHotel Hostel
👨‍👩‍👦 Family Hostel: HotelHotel Hostel
👩‍💻 For Digital Nomads: HI Seattle Hostel
🧘 Cozy Hostel: HotelHotel Hostel

1. Green Tortoise Hostel

The Green Tortoise Hostel is built around the idea that being in a beautiful place, with great food, and awesome people are essential for a gratifying travel experience.

It is the perfect place for exploring the city by foot, being a short walk from the Space Needle, and central Seattle locations.

And for the room options, the hostel has private and family rooms as well as mixed and female-only shared rooms to accommodate a variety of travellers.

Bunk beds have Queen or twin mattresses with curtains for privacy. There are 18 semi-private bathrooms for guests to use.

In addition to curtains, each bed has a storage locker, reading light, fan, and personal outlet.

Amenities you can access at Green Tortoise Hostel:

  • Free WiFi
  • Free breakfast
  • Washing machine (laundry)
  • Book exchange
  • Fully equipped kitchen

At the hostel, guests can take advantage of board games, DVDs, and Foosball table in the common area.

From Green Tortoise Hostel, you can take a free walking tour of the heart of the city, or enjoy a guided tour through three sections of underground passageways that run beneath Pioneer Square.

Location: The hostel is in a central location, directly across from the popular Pike Place Market.

Seattle is a great city for biking, so you may want to rent a bicycle from reception and explore the city that way.

Green Tortoise is a top Seattle Hostel for:

  • Female Solo-Travellers
  • Party Travellers
Book Green Tortoise Hostel Here

Compare prices and read reviews at: Booking.com | Hostelworld

Green Tortoise Hostel is the across the Pike Place Market You can grab a bike at the Green Tortoise Hostel and take a stroll around the city

2. HI Seattle at the American Hotel

Located in a renovated building from 1926 near Union Station and International District, HI Seattle Hostel is a safe and clean place to stay while travelling in the city.

Private rooms sleep 1-4 people with a shared bathroom, and single, double, and bunk beds.

Shared rooms sleep four people in bunk beds with reading lights, and are designated for female and male travellers.

Extras you can enjoy at HI Seattle at the American Hotel:

  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Free Breakfast

There is a kitchen where guests can make their own food, which can be purchased at a grocery store only a block away.

And if you are into food tripping, the hostel is surrounded by cheap bakeries, noodle houses, and creperies.

When you just want to stay inside for a rest, there is a games room with a television and Foosball table where you can hang out after a long day of exploration.

What about the Location?

The hostel is located near to the city’s main sports stadiums including Safeco Field, Qwest Field, Seattle Sounders FC, and the Seattle Centre making it a great spot if you were planning to catch a game while in the city.

The hostel is only half a block from the light rail, and walking distance from Pioneer Square and the Space Needle as well as Seattle’s other downtown attractions.

Good to know: HI Seattle Hostel is wheelchair accessible. That makes it suitable for travellers with disabilities. Keep an eye on this!

This is one of the best hostels in Seattle for

  • Small groups
  • Wheelchair Friendly
Book HI Seattle at the American Hotel Here

Compare prices and read reviews at: Booking.com | Hostelworld

HI Seattle at the American Hostel is located in Chinatown International District Great space area in the rooms of HI Seattle at the American Hotel You have all the access to use the fully equipped kitchen at HI Seattle at the American Hotel

3. Hotel Hotel

Hotel Hotel is located in the lovely community of Fremont – an awesome neighborhood full with bars, great food and live music.

“Hotel Hotel is a small hostel with big flavor.”

This hostel came under new ownership in September 2021 and they have definitely added to the awesome vibe here!

Important: Hotel Hotel now only offers private rooms and no shared dorms.

Ok so that explains the name! Whilst we’re aware there aren’t shared rooms here we still decided to include Hotel Hotel in our top 3 recommendations.

Honestly, there isn’t a huge variety of great hostels in Seattle, and we think couples and families are going to love this option.

Room choices include:

  • Twin room
  • King room
  • King suite w/ensuite
  • King Family Suite w/ensuite

What else can you expect at this hostel? Free linen, private lockers and towels to hire, for starters.

There is still access to a communal kitchen here, too.

It’s pretty basic but it does have a fridge and microwave and offers a good opportunity to “bump” into other travellers staying here.

A great place to stay in Seattle for:

  • Couples
  • Families
  • Friends
Book HotelHotel Hostel here

Compare prices and read reviews at: Hostelworld

HotelHotel Hostel is one of the best hostels in Seattle, USA HotelHotel Hostel is one of the best hostels in Seattle, USA HotelHotel Hostel is one of the best hostels in Seattle, USA

What about cheapest hostels in Seattle?

Of course, there are always cheap hostels in Seattle.

We think, it’s not worth it to go with the cheapest hostel out there.

Why?

The difference is usually 1-2€ ($1-2) per night, and a lot of amenities are not included. This can be breakfast or linen.

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

  1. Open Hostelworld with full list of budget places to stay in Seattle
  2. Order the listing by price

Simple as that.

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.

Best Hostels in Seattle for Solo Travellers?

Traveling solo? As a solo explorer you need a fun, clean and safe hostel to mingle. Right? We always have a look on what hostels fits best.

Green Tortoise Hostel

Green Tortoise Hostel offers private rooms for female-solo travellers equipped with lockers and accessible kitchen.

It is directly across the famous Pike Place Market and a few minutes-walk from the other must-go places.

Seattle is also a bike-friendly city. You can grab a bike, slow down and take your time exploring the streets of Seattle and stop to smell coffee.

Book Green Tortoise Hostel Here

Compare prices and read reviews at: Booking.com | Hostelworld

Join the other guest and play Foosball in the game room at the Green Tortoise Hostel The nightlife in the city is just right around the corner of Green Tortoise Hostel

Party Hostels in Seattle

Being the number one on our list for Best Hostels in Seattle and Best for Solo traveller, Green Tortoise Hostel also makes it the best hostel for party.

A room specific for smoking for your local, legal, recreational marijuana, vaping and old-fashioned cigarette; where drinks are allowed and music is constant – this definitely gives you the hype to party.

You can also ask the staff for bookings that can take you bar hopping and tours.

Book Green Tortoise Hostel Here

Compare prices and read reviews at: Booking.com | Hostelworld

Drink while you play at Green Tortoise Hostel

How to book?

We recommend using Booking.com or Hostelworld for your reservations.

Booking.com is the biggest and safest platform for hotel 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.

Here’s our guide how to use 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:

  1. Green Tortoise Hostel: Booking.com | Hostelworld
  2. HI Seattle at the American Hotel: Booking.com | Hostelworld
  3. Hotel Hotel: Hostelworld

We recommend booking your hostel as early as possible!

All of Seattle 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 Seattle. 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 Seattle put on a map + sights

Let us have a look on the map.

Below we put all our favorite hostels in Seattle on a map. That helps you to plan your trip better. Make sure you pick a hostel that’s close to the things you want to see and to do.

You are indeed a certified coffee lover if you have Seattle in your to-go list.

Being home of the well-known coffee chains that have gone international – Starbucks, Seattle’s Best and Tully’s among them.

This is the reason why people love to stay here. Aside from being known for the best coffee, Seattle also offers great wine and beer.

We also included the main tourist attractions you’ve to know in this list:

  • Space Needle
  • Pike Place Market
  • Chihuly Garden and Glass
  • Seattle Aquarium

Any questions about hostels in Seattle? 🤔

Join our Facebook Group!

Ask all your questions and connect with like-minded wanderers 🔥

FAQs

Alright, here we list 3 of your most asked questions.

What are the best hostels in Seattle?

Here a quick overview of our top 3 hostels in this guide:

  1. Green Tortoise Hostel - Best hostel for party traveller
  2. HI Seattle at the American Hotel - Best hostel for small groups
  3. Hotel Hotel - Best hostel for solo traveller

What are the best sites for finding hostels?

Booking.com and hostelworld are the most useful sites to find the best places to stay in Seattle.

Simple, right?

What is the best accommodation in Seattle?

If we have to choose one from this guide of the best hostels in Seattle, we recommend you to check out:

Green Tortoise Hostel - Best hostel for party travellers and backpackers alike.

See you all there!

Flights to Seattle?

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.

Our Step-by-Step Guide to Skyscanner

review of Skyscanner flight searches

More guides

Alright, this is your answer to where to stay in Seattle.

Here are all our US Hostel Guides:

Party hostels in the US:

Not too far away in Canada you can also discover the best hostels in Vancouver and the cool budget hostels in Whistler.

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.

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.

 – – –

Best Hostels in Seattle, USA - full backpacker accommodation list

CLOSED: City Hostel Seattle (Hipster and Library)

Update: Our former #3 hostel has permanently closed.

The City Hostel Seattle is located in the Belltown Neighbourhood in the historic Lorraine building, and wants you to come as a stranger and leave as a friend.

This hostel is all about art, so much so that it is part hostel part gallery. Local artists have painted each room with murals that are amazingly creative.

Private rooms sleep up to two people with an en-suite or shared washroom and two complimentary towels. Shared rooms have four and six beds, with a shared washroom and linens included.

There are female-only four-bed dormitory rooms.

Amenities to enjoy at City Seattle Hostel:

  • Free and yummy Breakfast
  • Free WiFi
  • Theater room
  • Art Walk (every month)
  • Courtyard Area
  • Kitchen
  • Washing Machine

There is a common area at the hostel with board games and DVDs for you to enjoy during your stay, as well as an outdoor terrace.

The outdoor terrace is obviously amazing during the summer. Have a beer with your new hostel mater here!

Location: The hostel is across the street from some of the most popular bars in Belltown as well as being just a short walk from Pike Place Market, the Olympic Sculpture Park, and Elliott Bay Trail.

Belltown neighbordhood in Seattle is known for its indie boutiques, galleries, and hip cafés.

It is also home to the iconic Crocodile, and live-rock-music hot spot for nearly three decades.

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