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Spain’s capital city holds a special place in my heart as one of my first solo travel destinations.
The city has a very high standard of hostels so choosing the best one is no easy task. Luckily I’m here to make things easier for you, and as a veteran solo traveller, I know what to look for in a good hostel.
I have chosen hostels that put on events or activities to help you meet other solo travellers, some of them offer shared dinners whereas others offer pub crawls and concerts.
All the hostels here offer free walking tours so this should not be a problem.
This is part of my best hostels in Europe series which also includes Barcelona, Seville, Lisbon, Venice and Rome.
Quick Links if You’re in a Rush:
- Best OVERALL Hostel: Hostel One Madrid
- Best PARTY Hostel: Sungate One
- Best BUDGET Hostel: Cats Madrid
- Best FACILITIES: 2060 The Newton Hostel
- Best for DIGITAL NOMADS: Bastardo
My Overall Verdict
Whilst it is hard to choose somewhere that ticks the boxes for every single traveller, this one came close:
- Best Overall Hostel for Solo Travellers
- Great facilities and runs tours and events to help meet other solo travellers.
- Chilled hostel but if you are the kind of traveller who enjoys a night out then you’re covered with their bar crawl.
Top 5 Hostels in Madrid for Solo Travellers
Hostel One Madrid – Best OVERALL Hostel
✔ Free dinner at night where you can mingle with other solo travellers
✔ Great facilities including a good kitchen
✘ Furthest from Centre of Madrid, although convenient metro access
As I already sneakily revealed earlier, the best overall hostel for solo travel in Madrid is undoubtedly Hostel One Madrid.
The atmosphere is friendly and welcoming with a great family vibe and shared evening meals to meet other travellers (good choices for vegans/veggie too).
The vibe isn’t that of a party hostel, it’s much friendlier and relaxed. However, there are still plenty of opportunities for the party animal inside of you at the daily pub crawl.
The hostel also organises a number of day trips including a trip to Toledo (one of my favourite day trips from Madrid) plus free walking tours of the city to help you get acquainted.
The facilities are great, from the comfy beds with lamps and charging points, to the well equipped kitchen so you can keep your travel costs down.
Sungate One – Best PARTY Hostel
✔ Free breakfast and shared dinner every day
✔ Located in the heart of the city
✔ Great facilities including comfy beds and warm powerful showers
This is easily the best place for partying if you’re a solo traveller in Madrid. The Sungate family make it easy to meet other travellers with free churros every morning, free group dinners and plenty of awesome activities.
The beds are comfortable and there are no bunk beds which is a positive, so no more waking up as your roommates stumble up to the top bunk – ideal.
If you’re outgoing and love to get boozy on your travels, then this is for you. Expect drinking games every evening from around 10pm and then a bar crawl afterwards that’s sure to get a little crazy.
The hostel is in a great area of town that’s really safe and with everything accessible.
Cats Madrid – Best BUDGET Hostel
✔ Great bar with fun staff and good drinks prices
✔ Tours to meet other people including walking tour and bar crawl
✔ Free dinner most nights
✘ No kitchen if you want to cook yourself
Cats Madrid offers unrivalled value for money. Located in a 17th century palace that has been converted in to a fun and friendly hostel that all centres around a courtyard and fountain.
I stayed here during my first solo trip to Madird and found the onsite bar to be a great place for meeting other solo travellers to hang out with. There were cheap drinks and the bartenders were a little crazy.
There are also plenty of opportunities to meet people through the free walking tour, free shared dinners 4 nights a week and the drinking games and pub crawl.
There is a party hostel vibe but there are noise curfews so you should still get a decent sleep (if you have good roommates). The staff here will make sure you have the best stay in Madrid.
Facilities include large lockers that use the door key, laundry facilities and a some limited access to kitchen equipment. As part of Europe’s Famous Hostels, you also get a discount if you’re interrailing in Spain.
2060 The Newton Hostel – Best Facilities
✔ Privacy curtains on each bed
✔ Trips to Segovia, Toledo, and flamenco nights
✔ Terrace for watching the sunset and meeting other travellers
✔ Sauna and jacuzzi
✘ The jacuzzi isn’t always working so don’t get your hopes up for this
2060 Newton hostel has the best facilities out of all the hostels in Madrid and is sure to exceed your expectations.
Starting with the dorm rooms, the beds are in a pod style, each with a privacy curtain and plugs/light so you can keep yourself to yourself.
There’s a nice terrace to meet people and watch the sunset which is great with a beer or wine and it even has a spa with a jacuzzi and a sauna which can be booked at reception.
It caters well to solo travellers with organised trips such as the nearby Toledo and Segovia as well as a bar crawl and flamenco nights.
But if you’d prefer a night in, downstairs in ‘the bunker’ you’ll find a neat cinema room with a projector so you can sit back and enjoy a movie night.
If you’re looking for that shared hostel experience in Madrid but don’t want to forego any of the luxuries, then 2060 The Newton Hostel in for you.
Bastardo – Best for DIGITAL NOMADS
✔ Very trendy + upmarket hostel
✔ Coworking space in the loft area
✔ Terrace for hanging out with ping pong table
✘ Very basic kitchen with no oven
✘ Few toilets between lots of dorms
Bastardo is a very trendy and modern hostel. It has a café and bar area downstairs that serves food and rink and has big screens showing sports matches too.
Whilst you could easily work downstairs in the café area, in the loft is a dedicated coworking space with big tables and plugs.
Although there is no curtain, the beds are still in a pod style so offer more privacy than regular bunks
Very relaxed atmosphere, events include free walking tour and some concerts
What’s the Best Party Hostel in Madrid if You’re a Solo Traveller?
If you are younger and enjoy a part scene, then I’d recommend Sungate One.
This hostel runs plenty of activities to mingle, but they often involve drinking games and there’s a wild bar and nightclub crawl.
The hostel is in a safe area of town so you should be safe at night if you find yourself alone (although I always recommend avoiding this at night).
What’s the Best Luxury Hostel in Madrid for Solo Travellers?
For those who prefer an upscale hostel with a relaxed setting, Bastardo is a great option for solo travellers.
This hostel has a trendy boutique style with a café and bar downstairs that attracts both locals and backpackers.
Bastardo is well suited to digital nomads as the loft area contains a coworking space too.
6 More Great Hostels in Madrid
I’ve shares my view of the best hostels in Madrid, but it’s a city bursting to the seams with excellent hostels so you‘ve plenty of choice. Here are a few more that you might like to check out:
Mola Hostel – Great for flashpackers
A self-proclaimed ‘posh-hostel’, you can expect top class faculties here including comfy beds and great showers. It’s in an excellent location as well right in the heart of Madrid.
There is a calm atmosphere here so it’s best suited to those happy to chill out in the common areas rather than the party animals.
Safestay Madrid – Great for getting away from the city
This is a clean, modern hostel with very new facilities and all at a great price. The social scene isn’t too lively, but they do have a roof terrace, a cinema room and a bar so the choice is yours.
This hostel is located outside of the city centre which is why you get such a good price. However, it’s just a few minutes from Alonso Martinez metro station so you can get to the city in no time at all.
OK Hostel – Great social scene
They have an epic common lounge area with games consoles, instruments and the comfiest bean bags going. This hostel has a great social scene.
They have a shared dinner which costs €10 but includes an open bar so you can take full advantage before heading on the nightly pub crawl. They also have privacy curtains on the beds which is a feature I always like to see.
Way Hostel – Great for tango dancing
This is a great chilled out hostel that’s in an excellent location. They hold lots of events such as free walking tours and flamenco shows so that you can mingle with others.
My favourite part about this hostel is that they host free tango dancing every Saturday night, so you’ll be dancing the night away.
Generator Madrid – Great for Jacuzzi lovers
The party is always pumping at Generator hostels and Madrid is no different. This hostel has a rooftop terrace which even features Jacuzzi’s!
The facilities here are very modern and always super clean, not to mention the staff members that will make sure you have a good time. The only downside is that they are strict about you bringing your own food in which is an odd position for a hostel.
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