The red carpet was rolled out in Dublin this week for one of the budget travel industry’s most anticipated events of the year as the Hostelworld Customer Annual Ratings (HOSCAR) took place to recognise the best hostels in the world.

The Portuguese city of Lisbon was the top location for hostels with Travellers House winning the coveted prize of number one hostel in the world while Rossio Hostel and Lisbon Lounge hostel giving the popular backpacking destination an impressive one, two, three.

The Riverside BP, Cardiff secured fourth place and was also voted number one in the world for best staff.

More than 20,000 properties from across the globe were eligible for the awards. The winners were voted for by over 800,000 customers worldwide who booked their accommodation online and rated and reviewed the hostel on six criteria; character, security, location, staff, fun and cleanliness.

Gonzalo Figueira, co-owner of the Travellers House hostel was delighted with the award, saying: “We are very happy. It’s been a successful year for us, so we thought we had a good chance of winning a HOSCAR.”

Manager of the hostel, Adriano Cardoso, said he believed the hostel was popular because guests were treated the way they would like to be treated when staying in a hostel, adding: “You have to be there for travellers and take care of them – know your guests and offer the things you know they need.”

Top 10 Worldwide Hostels

• Travellers House, Lisbon, Portugal
• Rossio Hostel, Lisbon, Portugal
• Lisbon Lounge Hostel, Lisbon, Portugal
• The Riverhouse Backpackers, Cardiff, Wales
• Greg- Tom Hostel, Krakow, Poland
• Sitting on the City Walls Courtyard House, Beijing, China
• Academy Hostel, Florence, Italy
• Goodnight Backpackers Hostel, Lisbon, Portugal
• Flamingo Hostel, Krakow, Poland
• Mambo Tango Backpackers, Barcelona , Spain

With many people looking to save money on their holidays this year and stay a bit closer to home, the top 10 UK hostels, also recently revealed, could prove invaluable.

The Riverhouse Backpackers in Cardiff took top spot with Downhill Castle in Castlerock, Northern Ireland and Kipps Independent Hostel in Canterbury making up the top three.

Top 10 UK Hostels

• The Riverhouse Backpackers, Cardiff, Wales
• Downhill Hostel, Castlerock, Northern
• Kipps Independent Hostel, Canterbury, England
• Castle Rock Hostel, Edinburgh, Scotland
• Skyewalker Hostel, Isle of Skye, Scotland
• Budget Backpackers, Edinburgh, Scotland
• Derry City Independent Hostel, Derry, Northern Ireland
• Chase The Wild Goose Hostel, Fort William, Scotland
• YHA London Central, London, England
• smartcityhostels Edinburgh, Scotland

Chris O’Toole