a&o Hostels expands UK presence with new location in Brighton – English

The hostel is housed in a historic Regency-era building from 1819, which was once used as a hotel. a&o Brighton offers 50 rooms with a total of 186 beds, with a Victorian-style lobby bar and restaurant. As part of its commitment to sustainability, a&o Hostels focuses on repurposing existing buildings, and the Brighton location was most recently used as a youth hostel. The company aims to be Europe’s first net-zero hostel chain by 2025.

“The property is a true gem and we are extremely excited about this special new addition to our European portfolio.” “The building has an incredible history, great architecture, great accessibility and of course a great location with lots to explore”. – Oliver Winter, founder of a&o Hostels.

The Brighton hostel is now open to guests and is set to undergo further €1.45 million of renovations over the winter months. This opening follows recent expansions including the a&o Rotterdam in 2022 and the a&o Edinburgh City in 2021, with the a&o Firenze Campo di Marte in Florence set to open later this year.

“We want to grow sustainably with locations and properties that will work for the long term and be attractive destinations for our guests for years to come. We don’t have a set criteria for the size of properties we open, but we have the potential to open locations that have heart and soul.” – Oliver Winter, founder of a&o Hostels.

a&o Hostels operates under the motto “Everyone can travel”, providing affordable accommodation in central locations across Europe. In 2023, the chain hosted 2.7 million guests and recorded 6.1 million overnight stays. Its hostels are designed to suit a diverse range of travellers, including families, solo travellers, couples, school groups and business travellers, offering amenities such as a bar, guest kitchen, workspaces and WiFi, as well as easy access to public transport.

The a&o Hostels portfolio currently includes 39 properties across nine European countries, with nearly three million overnight stays recorded in the first half of 2024. The company is planning further expansion with potential new locations in cities including London, Manchester, Dublin, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona and Lisbon.