Backpacker Buzz

Throughout the year hostellers rate our hostels at www.hihostels.com, and from these ratings HI hands out the HI-5ives! awards. Categories for the award are as follows: Friendliest Hostel, Most Efficient Hostel, Most Comfortable Hostel, Best Overall Hostel and Best Country Hostel. Read more »

Hostelling International-Canada is proud to announce that its members and keen hostellers have voted Parks Canada as the 2011 Partner of the Year. Winners and finalists were recognized at the HI-Canada Annual Operation Meeting, the organization's annual gathering of regional partners, on November 7-10 in Halifax. Read more »

Hostelling International-Canada (HI-Canada) introduced a new national award this year, Hostel of the Year. The organization is proud to announce that its members and international hostel users have rated HI-Lake Louise Alpine Centre as the Hostel of the Year. Read more »

Your HI Membership card gets you all sorts of fantastic discounts on restaurants, attractions, and more. We want to improve the value you get with your HI Membership, and we need your help to do that. Please take our short survey, and you will be entered into a draw to win a 16 GB iPad 2.

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This year, HI-Canada has introduced a new “Partner of the Year” award for a national partner who shares our values and contributes to our continued success. The winner of this award is chosen by HI-Canada members and keen hostellers like you, through an online vote between October 17 and November 06, 2011.  Those who cast a vote will be entered into a draw to win a free Life Membership and two free nights in a private room in the Canadian hostel of their choice. Read more »

Stumped on where to stay when in Tampere, Finland? Good news! Dream Hostel has been chosen as Hostel of the Year for 2011 by Hostelling International Finland. This spacious new 90-bed hostel offers stylish rooms, each with a theme based on local culture. We’d like to stay in the black sausage room, which is inspired by famous Tampere Black Sausage or Mustamakkara as it is known in Finnish!! Read more »

One year after the earthquake in Haiti, the country is still in need of our help.  Over 1.3 million people were made homeless after the earthquake struck on January 12, 2010. It left total devastation in its wake; the infrastructure was destroyed, many buildings collapsed and approximately 200,000 people were killed. Read more »

Hostelling International has just announced the “Best Hostels in the World”. Hopefully in 2011 you’ll get a chance to check some of them out - we want to!  Every customer that makes a booking on hihostels.com is asked to rate various aspects of their stay – this is used to determine the winners. Please be sure to add your comments next time you stay and book with hihostels.com, they mean a great deal to us. The winners are… Read more »

During the winter most of HI's Wilderness Hostels close for periods of time.  Please check out full details on closure dates here. Read more »

The HI-C-PM Region Townhall meeting took place in Calgary in September 28 and Edmonton, September 29. Several members attended the townhall to meet with HI Board members and provide feedback about hostelling in Western Canada. For the first time, the Calgary townhall meeting was broadcast online using webinar software, an emerging technology that will help keep our members engaged with HI-C-PM Region and its goals. Read more »