Hostelle, Amsterdam’s first and only Black-owned, women-only hostel, is the answer to many Black solo woman travelers prayers.
Founded in 2012, the hostel was created to provide a safe and fun environment for women travelers hoping to enjoy Amsterdam. The intention was to create an ultimate safe space where women travelers “only need to focus on sightseeing and enjoying [themselves]”.
Founder Bianca Brasdorp explains that working as a marketer and desiring a change in career is what truly motivated the idea for Hostelle. Noticing the lack of hostels that catered solely to women travelers, she generously conceived the idea of offering women and girls a “safe, beautiful, fun and clean place to stay in Amsterdam.”
On Hostelle’s website, it details the journey from opening in March 2012 to being fully-renovated and relocated to a cozier location in 2017.
On the nature of Hostelle’s woman-only ethos, Bianca Brasdorp shares that “Hostelle is founded for women by women. The ultimate girl power!”
It is this precise energy of ‘girl power’ that has led to the hostel’s international popularity. Boasting high ratings on well-known booking sites, guests from far and wide enjoy their stay at Hostelle because of this carefully thought out travel haven for solo-female wanderers.
One guest review hails the hostel as “the best hostel I’ve been to”, going on to praise it for the cleanliness, the opportunity to make friends and adorable decor. The review sections are full of similar reviews from women travelers bursting with gratitude for the welcoming, stress-free stay or as Bianca puts it the uncompromising “home away from home”.
The women-only hostel offers 4, 8 and 10-bed dorms, each thematically decorated to enliven the rooms with personality. Every bed comes with its own shelves, locker, reading light and sockets and as an additional touch of girl power, some rooms have even been decorated by local female artists.
With all of its perks, the hostel is additionally praised for being budget-friendly and well located, being around a 15-minute metro ride from the city center in Amsterdam. To make things even easier for solo women travelers, it is possible to purchase metro tickets, bike rentals and tickets to popular attractions from Hostelle’s 24-hour reception.
While solo female travelers often spend copious amounts of energy and time seeking out safe accommodation, this Black woman-owned accommodation takes the focus away from the exhausting research process and instead offers opportunities to truly be in the headspace of a carefree traveler. Inviting solo-traveling backpackers to the girl-trip gangs worldwide, this women-only hostel is perfect for hosting your safe and unique stay in Amsterdam.
