Sustainability Stories: Twentytu – Redefining responsible travel in Barcelona and beyond…

“Our dream is for sustainable travel to be the norm, not the exception”, says the director, Josep Aguilar, from Twentytu Hostel in Barcelona’s busy and modern 22nd district.  

Twentytu is the perfect base for any curious traveller looking to explore Barcelona and stay in one of their private or shared dorm rooms. Beyond the best spot for watching a sunset from their rooftop terrace, Twentytu is surrounded by emblematic monuments such as the vintage market of Els Encants, the Glorias Tower, the Design Museum and the National Theatre. The Sagrada Familia is just a 20-minute walk away. 

How is Twentytu contributing to positive change? 

“For us, sustainability means caring about the planet and taking positive action for it,” Josep explains. “It’s putting ourselves in the place of nature and people to make the world a healthier and more respectful place.” 

Twentytu was the first hostel in the world to achieve sustainable building certification, implementing energy efficiency measures, recycling, and responsible use of water from the network from the very beginning. “But what makes us most proud is that sustainability is not just a label: it’s part of our way of living and managing every day,” Josep tells.  

As a framework for their approach to sustainability, Twentytu has joined the Sustainable Development Goals initiative of the United Nations, which aims to address the main sustainability issues facing humanity. Twentytu is contributing towards 15 of these 17 goals.  

Check out the impressive list of how sustainability is embedded in all aspects of Twentytu: 

1. End of poverty – Collaborating with Barcelona City Council, Twentytu hosts refugee families and political exiles. 
2. Zero Hunger – The hostel donates unused food from our events and caterings to a nearby parish. 
3. Health and well-being – To promote health and wellbeing, they offer bike rentals and sports activities. 
4. Quality education – They organise educational initiatives for student groups to visit tech, engineering and design companies. 
5. Gender equality – Offering equal employment opportunities for our entire team. 
6. Clean water and sanitation – The hostel’s grey water system (used water from showers and sinks) recovers 470,000 litres of water per year to be treated and reused in flushing toilets. 
7. Affordable and non-polluting energy – Their air-conditioning and water heating systems operate in a sustainable and non-polluting way. 
8. Decent work and economic growth – They’ve doubled the number of workers compared to when they first opened. 
9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure – The hostel has a ventilated façade that optimises air-conditioning and an automated system for controlling temperature. 
10. Reduction of inequalities – Twentytu collaborates with IRES Foundation offering training and work to people at the risk of exclusion and contributes to their scholarship programme. 
11. Sustainable cities and communities – This is a long one: they’re committed to recycling, participating in cultural events in the Poblenou neighbourhood, commissioning merchandise from a 3rd sector actor Icaria Graficas, collaborating with the Sant Tomas Foundation to decorate their parking, offering double rooms and their dining room, offering free accommodation to volunteer doctors doing internships in a nearby foundation and donating annually to different foundations that help vulnerable people and the environment. 
12. Responsible production and consumption – The hostel has light presence detectors and timers for both lights and water and have replaced plastics with either reusable or biodegradable materials.  
13. Climate action – The energy they use is environmentally friendly, and the detectors reduce the amount of energy used, reducing the hostel’s CO2 impact.  
14. Underwater Life – They collaborate with Surfrider to clean Barcelona’s beaches to protect the natural habitat of marine animals and reduce CO2 emissions. 
15. Partnerships to achieve the objectives – They offer free accommodation and transport to a refugee football team, Lampedusa Hamburg FC, in collaboration with City-to-City Barcelona FAD Award. 

Huh, a huge list indeed! 

Working towards sustainable travel & learning from Twentytu’s experience: 

“Sustainability is not a trend, but an opportunity to improve guest experience and care for the environment,” Josep says. Every small change, from reducing plastics and measuring energy consumption to offering local information, is a step in the right direction.  

The biggest challenge for Twentytu has been proving that sustainability and profitability can go hand in hand. “At first, investing in efficient technology and sustainable materials was an economic challenge, but over time, we saw that we not only reduced CO₂ emissions, but also attracted a more committed audience. The key was staying true to our vision, even when the path seemed harder,” Josep says.  

Hostels have a great opportunity to be spaces of learning and connection, where guests understand the impact of their decisions.  

Josep’s local top tips for Barcelona 

“We love places with soul,” Josep says. Check out his favourites:  

• The Clot Park, perfect for a local break 

• The Carmel Bunker at sunset 

• The small streets of Poblenou, full of street art and cafés with local products 

• Twentytu’s rooftop terrace – the best spot to see the skyline without leaving the hostel 

• Architecturally, any monument or building by Gaudí is a unique beauty