General Terms of Use

Last updated: 30 September 2021

Welcome to Hostelworld.com, the global leader in hostel-focused online booking platforms! Headquartered in Dublin, with offices around the world in London, Shanghai, Sydney and Porto, Hostelworld has over 12 million reviews across 17,400 hostel properties in more than 178 countries.

These terms and conditions ("Terms") govern all bookings made through Our booking services, whether through Our websites, mobile websites, mobile applications or Our booking engine, which is integrated into third party websites (collectively the "Hostelworld Sites") for accommodation, tour, ticket, attraction or other travel experiences made available by third-party suppliers. However, We are not a travel or tour agency, and We do not provide such accommodation, travel or tour experiences ourselves. When you make a booking on the Hostelworld Sites, you will be purchasing accommodation, tours, tickets or other services directly from the third-party supplier.

All references to "We", "Us" or "Our" in these terms refer to Hostelworld.com Limited ("Hostelworld"), the operator of the Hostelworld Sites. When We refer to "you" or “your”, We mean any person that accesses or uses the Hostelworld Sites. Your use of the Hostelworld Sites and any bookings you make via the Hostelworld Sites are subject to these Terms and Our Data Protection Notice, but please note that where you access Our booking engine on a third-party website, these Terms and Our Data Protection Notice only apply to your use of the booking engine, and do not apply to any other use of that third-party website.

Please read these Terms carefully, as they contain important information concerning your legal rights and limitations on these rights, as well as information about applicable law and jurisdiction for any disputes. By accessing or using the Hostelworld Sites and/or Hostelworld’s services, you represent that you have read and understood these Terms and agree to use the Hostelworld Sites in accordance with and subject to these Terms and Our Data Protection Notice without modification. If you do not accept these Terms and Our Data Protection Notice, please do not use the Hostelworld Sites and do not make a booking via the Hostelworld Sites. In all booking arrangements, the person making the booking shall be deemed to have accepted these Terms on behalf of all the persons named in the booking.

About Us

Hostelworld.com Limited is a company incorporated in Ireland, with a registered address at Floor 3, Charlemont Exchange, Charlemont St, Dublin, D02 VN88, Ireland and VAT number 9689072B. If you would like to contact us in relation to your use of the Hostelworld Sites, or in connection with a booking of travel services, please email us at customerservice@hostelworld.com.

The services provided by Hostelworld (“Hostelworld Services”) facilitate the processing and booking by you of accommodation, tours, tickets, activities, attractions and other travel services and experiences (the “travel services”). Hostelworld provides the Hostelworld Services as an agent solely for and on behalf of travel services providers. Our role is to simply facilitate you finding and choosing travel services from travel service providers. Hostelworld is not a travel or tour agency, nor is it a supplier of travel services. When you make a booking, you are using the Hostelworld Sites and Hostelworld Services to contract with third party suppliers.

1. Use of the Hostelworld Sites

1.1 As a condition of your use of the Hostelworld Sites and Hostelworld Services, you agree that: (a) all information supplied by you in the course of your use of the Hostelworld Sites and Hostelworld Services is true, accurate, current and complete, and (b) you are 16 years of age or older in order to use the Hostelworld Sites and Hostelworld Services. Hostelworld does not knowingly collect the information of anyone under the age of 16.

1.2 Your use of the Hostelworld Sites and Hostelworld Services is permitted by Hostelworld only for personal, non-commercial use and/or to make legitimate requests to make a booking for the travel services offered. You agree not to use the Hostelworld Sites and Hostelworld Services to make any speculative, false, or fraudulent requests or bookings.

1.3 You further agree that you: (a) are not currently suspended and have not previously been banned by Hostelworld from using the Hostelworld Sites and Hostelworld Services; (b) are not acting on behalf of a competitor of Hostelworld; (c) will not create more than one Hostelworld account; and (d) have full power and authority to enter into this legally binding agreement and in doing so will not violate any other agreement to which you are a party.

1.4 We reserve the right to deny access to the Hostelworld Sites and Hostelworld Services to anyone at any time and for any reason, including, but not limited to, for violation of these Terms.

1.5 In accessing or using the Hostelworld Sites, you may be exposed to offensive, indecent, inaccurate, objectionable, or otherwise inappropriate content. Hostelworld does not endorse such content and cannot vouch for its accuracy. You therefore access and use the Hostelworld Sites at your own risk.

2. Bookings

2.1 We facilitate the booking and processing of travel services as agents solely for and on behalf of third-party travel services providers. Our role is simply to facilitate you finding and choosing travel services. We do not act as an agent on your behalf in respect of any travel service booking with any travel services provider. We do not provide, own or run any travel services ourselves and in particular, We do not provide, own or run any accommodation. Although We provide the Hostelworld Sites with information about travel services and facilitate bookings, such actions do not in any way constitute Hostelworld's sponsorship or approval of such third party suppliers, or any affiliation between Hostelworld and any third party supplier. Although Hostelworld users may rate and write reviews of particular travel services based on their own experiences, Hostelworld does not endorse or recommend any travel services. You agree that Hostelworld is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of information it obtains from third party suppliers and/or that is displayed on the Hostelworld Sites.

2.2 By accessing, browsing and using the Hostelworld Sites, you confirm that you are of sufficient age to use the Hostelworld Sites lawfully, enter into a contract and to create binding legal obligations for any liability you may incur as a result of the use of the Hostelworld Sites. You understand that you are financially responsible for all uses of the Hostelworld Sites by you and those using your log-in information

2.3 When you make a booking using the Hostelworld Sites, you agree to enter into a contract for travel services and your contract for travel services (including accommodation) is with the travel services provider, not Hostelworld, as We are only acting as agent for the travel services provider. For the avoidance of doubt, We do not act as your agent and have no authority to negotiate or conclude any agreement with a travel services provider on your behalf. You enter into the relevant agreement(s) with the travel services provider and any other agreements relating to the travel services or ancillary services, on your own behalf. It is the travel services provider's responsibility to provide you with the travel services. We are not responsible for the fulfilment of any booking made through the Hostelworld Sites or for the quality of any accommodation or any other travel services that are booked.

2.4 Please note that all bookings are strictly subject to the Hostelworld booking terms and conditions that will be displayed to you prior to you confirming your booking.

3. Making, Amending and Cancelling a Booking

3.1 On making an accommodation booking, you will be required to pay:

(a) where you select a Non-Refundable Booking rate or Flexible Non-Refundable Booking rate, the total price of your accommodation which We collect (in full or in part) for and on behalf of the travel services provider. This amount will always be non-refundable unless the travel services provider agrees or allows otherwise under its (pre)payment and cancellation policy; or

(b) a deposit (being a part payment towards the total value of your booking) which We collect for and on behalf of the travel services provider. This amount will always be non-refundable unless the travel services provider agrees or allows otherwise under its (pre)payment and cancellation policy unless:

(i) the Standard Flexible Booking option is available and you choose to select it, in which case the deposit will be added back to your Hostelworld account in the form of a voucher if you cancel your booking in certain circumstances (see below for more details); or

(ii) the Free Cancellation Booking option is available and you choose to select it, in which case the deposit will be refunded back to your chosen method of payment within a commercially reasonable period of time from the date of cancellation if you cancel your booking within the specified time period on the Hostelworld Sites at the time of booking.

3.2 Where you select a Non-Refundable Booking rate or Flexible Non-Refundable Booking rate, the total cost of your booking will be charged any time after your booking has been confirmed. Upon confirming your booking, a deposit of the total amount will be charged onto your card straight away. The outstanding balance due for your booking will be charged on your card by the travel service provider any time from the moment of booking. If for some reason the travel service provider is unable to charge your card for the outstanding balance due for your booking, they may reach out to you directly and give you, at their discretion, a period of time during which you can provide an alternative payment method to charge the balance. If you do not provide an alternative payment method to the travel service provider within the time period given to you, the travel service provider reserves the right to cancel your booking and the deposit amount will be non-refundable.

3.3 Where you make an accommodation booking on a Flexible Non-Refundable Booking rate, you will be able to make one (1) change to your booking directly with the property before your original arrival date. Such changes may be to (i) change your booking dates; (ii) change the number of nights; (iii) change the number of guests; or (iv) change your room type. Any proposed change to be made to your booking will be strictly subject to the property’s availability. Where the booking price for the proposed new dates is higher than the original dates, the property will arrange directly with you to pay the difference. If the booking price for the new date is less than the original date, no refund shall be given. Once your amended booking is confirmed, the property will send you a confirmation email setting out the above information.

3.4 On making a booking for a tour or experience, you will always be required to pay the total price of your tour or experience at the time of booking which We collect (in full or in part) for and on behalf of the travel services provider. Certain tours and experiences can only be booked on the non-refundable payment of the total price of your tour or experience at the time of booking (“Non-Refundable Tour”). Non-Refundable Tours will always be non-refundable unless the travel services provider agrees or allows otherwise under its (pre)payment and cancellation policy. It will be made clear in the terms and conditions applicable to Non-Refundable Tours that they are Non-Refundable Tours. Any cancellation of tours or experiences that are not Non-Refundable Tours will be refundable only if cancelled within the cancellation period stated in the terms and conditions applicable to such tour or experience.

3.5 You may also be required to pay a flat booking fee for use of the Hostelworld Sites when a booking is made with a travel services provider. Where We charge a booking fee, it is non-refundable in all circumstances. We do not act as your agent and the booking fee is payable for use of the Hostelworld Sites and is separate from any deposit payable to the travel services provider.

3.6 Unless either the Hostelworld booking terms and conditions displayed to you before you confirm your booking or the travel service provider’s terms and conditions state otherwise, you will be responsible for paying of the balance of the cost of the booking made by you to the travel services provider on arrival, together with any other payments for any additional goods or services subsequently agreed with the travel services provider. You will also be responsible for the payment of the travel services provider's service charges and taxes, pursuant to the terms and conditions of trade applied by such travel services provider, where applicable.

3.7 You must use a credit card or debit card to guarantee a booking. By making a booking with your credit card or debit card, you agree to accept the relevant cancellation and no-show policy of the travel services provider as set out in its terms and conditions. In the event that you cancel your booking: (a) outside the permitted timeframe specified in the travel service provider’s terms and conditions; or (b) in the case of Free Cancellation Bookings, the timeframe specified on the Hostelworld Site at the time of booking; or (c) you fail to arrive by your agreed accommodation check-in time (“no-show”), you authorise the travel services provider to charge to your credit card or debit card, without further reference to you, an amount not exceeding the charge for one night's stay (in the case of accommodation) or such other amount as may be set out in the travel service provider's terms and conditions. Please note that there will be no additional charges for cancellations or no-shows in respect of Non-Refundable Bookings, but you will not be refunded the cost of any part of your booking in such circumstances.

3.8 Your no-show may result in the cancellation of your entire booking. Any amendments to your booking must be notified to and agreed with the travel services provider directly (but no refund of all or any part of the deposit will be made). Please note it is not possible to amend Non-Refundable Bookings and you will not be refunded the cost of your Non-Refundable Booking if you cancel your booking or do not use the related accommodation booked. In making a booking, it shall be your sole responsibility to disclose to the travel services provider any requirements or special facilities that you or a member of your party may need as a result of any medical conditions.

3.9 When a booking is confirmed, We will issue the booking confirmation on behalf of the travel services provider for each booking, but We will not provide information about any charges for additional services. We will endeavour to ensure that the booking confirmation includes details of all taxes charged by the travel services provider, in relation to which please see clause 12.9 below. Where you make permissible changes to a Flexible Non-Refundable Booking, the travel services provider will issue the revised booking confirmation directly to you. We strongly recommend you check and confirm with the travel services provider the precise terms and conditions upon which the travel services provider makes the reserved service available to you upon receipt of the booking confirmation. The reference numbers included on the booking confirmation should be quoted in all enquiries, cancellation or modification of the booking.

3.10 You do not have an automatic right to cancel any booking you make unless such rights are provided to you by the travel services provider under their specific terms and conditions as disclosed on the booking confirmation and detailed property description page at the time of booking. Deadlines for cancellation under a travel service provider’s cancellation policy are normally at least 24 hours before your agreed check-in date, unless otherwise stated by the travel service provider. Please cancel by accessing the cancellation function available on the Hostelworld Sites. For details regarding the cancellation of Free Cancellation Bookings, please see below.

3.11 If you choose the Standard Flexible Booking option when making your booking (where it is available), you will be charged a small fee and, in return, if you later decide to cancel your booking, your deposit will be added back as a voucher to your Hostelworld account in Euro (provided you have given the period of notice required by the travel services provider, for which please see its terms) and you will be able to re-use that voucher amount for future bookings on the Hostelworld Sites for a period of 6 months from the cancellation date. Where you originally paid your deposit in a currency other than Euro, We will convert the booking deposit amount into Euro using Hostelworld’s standard exchange rates for the purpose of adding the voucher to your Hostelworld account. Your booking fee is always non-refundable.

3.12 If you make a Non-Refundable Booking or Flexible Non-Refundable Booking and you cancel your booking then, regardless of how much notice you give, deposits and booking fees will be non-refundable. Non-Flexible Booking and Flexible Non-Refundable Booking customers should note that, even though your deposit and booking fee will be non-refundable in any event, you must give the amount of notice stipulated by the travel services provider in its cancellation policy, in order to avoid being charged an additional payment for a "no show" (see clause 3.7 above).

3.13 Where you select Standard Flexible Booking (where it is available) for your booking, the following provisions will apply: (a) Your deposit will only be added back as a voucher where (i) you have given the amount of notice for your cancellation that is required by the travel services provider in its terms and conditions and, in any event, you have given no less than 24 hours' notice prior to the scheduled check-in date; (ii) you have processed your cancellation online through the cancellation function available on the Hostelworld Sites; and (iii) you have cancelled your full booking (partial cancellations, such as cancellations of 1 night of a 2-night stay, are not protected by cancellation protection). (b) Your voucher will be applied to the account which is linked in Our records to the email address that was used to process the initial booking. Vouchers cannot be applied to an account that does not relate to the booking email address. (c) Vouchers must be used within 6 months of the cancellation date, after which it is forfeited. Credit will not be applied to your account in respect of cancellations made by telephone or email. (d) In order to use your voucher, simply go to www.hostelworld.com and make a booking using the same email address. Your voucher will be automatically applied to your booking once you confirm the reservation. (e) Vouchers may only be used once. Where you cancel any subsequent bookings, you must have selected the Standard Flexible Booking option for those bookings in order for your deposit(s) to be protected and added back to your Hostelworld account as a voucher. (f) Vouchers only apply to deposits for accommodation bookings; it cannot be used in respect of other charges levied via the Hostelworld Sites - e.g. booking fees or other purchases. (g) In the event of a no-show without cancellation (or where insufficient notice is given of a cancellation in accordance with these and/or the travel services provider's terms and conditions), all deposits, including deposits paid through the Standard Flexible Booking option, will be non-refundable and the travel services provider will have the right to charge your credit card on the basis set out in clause 3.7. (above).

3.14 Where you make a Free Cancellation Booking, the following provisions will apply: (a) If you cancel your booking prior to the time and date notified to you as part of the booking process, and as set out in your booking confirmation, your deposit payment will be refunded to the payment method you used to make your booking within a commercially reasonable period of time from the date of the cancellation. (b) Your refund will be processed in the original currency that you used to pay the deposit. For example, if you paid the deposit in Euro the deposit will be refunded in Euro. The travel services provider and Hostelworld are not responsible for the exchange rate imposed by your payment service provider, or any charges that they may apply to convert the refunded amount into your local currency. (c) In order to claim the refund, you must process your cancellation online through the cancellation function available on the Hostelworld Sites. (d) If it is not possible to refund your deposit using the payment method you used at the time of booking (e.g. because your card has expired), Hostelworld’s customer services department will contact you to arrange a refund by alternative means. If you do not provide details of a valid bank account within 30 days of the request to provide such details, you will forfeit your right to receive a refund of your deposit. (e) It is only possible to receive a refund of your deposit if you cancel your full booking (partial cancellations, such as cancellations of 1 night of a 2 night stay, will not result in a refund of any portion of your deposit). (f) For the avoidance of doubt, We refund your deposit on behalf of the relevant travel services provider as their agent. We do not act on your behalf when processing refunds.

Tour Bookings

3.15 Where you make a tour or experience booking, the following provisions apply: (a) Your booking cannot be changed by you or cancelled with a refund, unless otherwise stated in the terms and conditions applicable to such tour or experience as set by the travel service provider and/or the tour/experience aggregator. In all circumstances, you must check the cancellation policy contained in the applicable tour/experience operator listing at the time of your booking, which is the policy that will apply to and govern the terms of your cancellation and any refunds. (b) The tour/experience aggregator’s (e.g. Viator) standard cancellation policy may allow you to request a change to and/or cancel a tour/experience booking up until 24 hours before the start time of the tour/experience; or if the tour/experience does not have an explicit start time, the deadline to request a change or to cancel will generally be 11:59pm, two days before the start date. Timings are calculated in accordance with the time zone of the tour/experience. (c) Notwithstanding clauses 3.15(a) and (b), requests for cancellations to a tour/experience booking can only be made through Our customer service team at customerservice@hostelworld.com. Please note that a travel service provider or tour/experience aggregator (e.g. Viator) may charge a fee to cancel a booking; in such circumstances, you will be required to pay such fee in order that Hostelworld may successfully process your cancellation. All cancellations will be communicated by Us to the tour/experience aggregator (e.g. Viator) who will process the cancellation subject to the availability and agreement of the applicable travel service provider. Hostelworld does not guarantee the success of any cancellation. Your right to a refund (if any) shall be governed by the cancellation terms of your booking. All requests for modifications and amendments to your booking, including date change requests, must be made directly to the travel service provider. Hostelworld does not process any requests to modify or amend a booking.

3.16 The deposit and the booking fee that you pay will be payable in the currency that you select as your "settlement currency" when making your booking. Where the accommodation or tour/experience price was uploaded by the travel services provider in a different currency, the deposit amount that you will be charged in your settlement currency will be calculated by converting the deposit price into your settlement currency using Hostelworld’s standard exchange rates.

Payment Platforms

3.17 From time to time, We may make available an online payment platform (“OPP”), giving you the ability to make online payments to travel service providers via Worldpay, Stripe, credit card, debit card, or other payment options. We may change or withdraw such OPP at any time without notice and at Our sole discretion. We will provide you as much notice as possible about such changes but We are not required to do so. If you are directed to a third-party payment processor or payment provider such as Worldpay or Stripe, you may be subject to terms and conditions governing use of that third party's service, including applicable fees, as well as that third party's personal information collection practices. Please review such terms and conditions and Our Data Protection Notice before using such services.

3.18 We are not responsible for the payment solutions enabled on Our OPP or for any decision taken by a payment provider to decline your payment, based on its risk assessment of you or that transaction. You agree that We are not liable for any losses you suffer as a result of making a payment to travel services provider via the OPP. If you need customer support in relation to an online payment, you should contact the payment provider or Your bank or payment card provider.

Chargebacks

3.19 Chargebacks occur when your payment card provider makes a demand to Us to return monies on a transaction which you claim is fraudulent or otherwise disputed. Chargebacks may happen for a variety of valid reasons but if you make a payment-card payment to Us in respect of a booking, and you later dispute this legitimate charge by raising a chargeback without merit, whether fraudulently or otherwise, then We may take steps to recover any charges resulting from such an unmerited chargeback from you directly. We take a zero-tolerance approach to chargeback fraud. Unmerited chargebacks in Our view include, but are not limited to: (i) disputing a charge made in accordance with the travel services providers cancellation policy; (ii) disputing a charge made by a travel services providers where you fail to make reasonable efforts to work with the travel services providers or Us to resolve any issues; (iii) disputing a charge made in respect of a booking which was modified by you and the travel services providers in breach of these Terms; or (iv) requesting a chargeback without a legitimate reason and/or failing to provide any supporting information in respect of the chargeback to allow the travel services providers or Us to assess the basis of the chargeback request.

3.20 Currency rates are based on various publicly available sources and should be used as guidelines only. Rates are not verified as accurate, and actual rates may vary. Currency quotes may not be updated daily. The information supplied is believed to be accurate, but Hostelworld do not warrant or guarantee such accuracy. When using this information for any financial purpose, We advise you to consult a qualified professional to verify the accuracy of the currency rates. We do not authorise the use of this information for any purpose other than your personal use and you are expressly prohibited from the resale, redistribution and use of this information for commercial purposes.

4. Booking with Third Party Suppliers through Hostelworld

4.1 Hostelworld offers you the ability to search for, select, and book travel services with third-party suppliers without leaving the Hostelworld Sites. By booking via the Hostelworld Sites, you acknowledge that you accept the practices described in Our Data Protection Notice and these Terms. In addition, you warrant that you are 18 years of age or older, that you possess the legal authority to enter into these Terms and use the Hostelworld Services in accordance with these Terms, and that all information you supply is true and accurate. You further agree that you will use the Hostelworld Services only to make legitimate reservations for you or others for whom you are legally authorised to act.

4.2 As a user of the Hostelworld Services, you understand and agree that: (a) neither Hostelworld or its affiliates will have any responsibility to you or other for any unauthorised transactions made using your account or account password; and (b) the unauthorised use of your account or account password could cause you to incur liability to Hostelworld or its affiliates.

4.3 When you book a travel service facilitated by Hostelworld, your payment information will be collected and transmitted to the supplier of that travel service to complete the transaction, as described in Our Data Protection Notice. Please note that the travel service provider, not Hostelworld, is responsible for processing your payment and fulfilling your reservation.

4.4 Hostelworld will not interfere with travel service bookings, but reserve the right to withdraw the Hostelworld Services, including Our travel service booking facilitation services because of certain extenuating circumstances, such as when a travel service is no longer available or when We have reasonable cause to suspect that a travel service booking request may be fraudulent. Hostelworld also reserve the right to take steps to verify your identity to process any booking request. In the unlikely event that a reservation is available when you place an order but becomes unavailable prior to check-in, your sole remedy will be to contact the travel service supplier to make alternative arrangements or to cancel your booking.

4.5 Hostelworld is not a travel agency and do not provide or own the travel services. accommodations, restaurants, tours, activities or experiences. Although We provide the Hostelworld Sites with information about travel services and facilitate bookings, such actions do not in any way constitute Hostelworld's sponsorship or approval of such third party suppliers, or any affiliation between Hostelworld and any third party supplier. Although Hostelworld users may rate and write reviews of particular travel services based on their own experiences, Hostelworld does not endorse or recommend any travel services. You agree that Hostelworld is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of information it obtains from third party suppliers and/or that is displayed on the Hostelworld Sites. Hostelworld does not endorse any content posted, submitted or otherwise provided by any user or business, or any opinion, recommendation or advice expressed therein, and Hostelworld expressly disclaims any and all liability in connection with such content. You agree that Hostelworld is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of information it obtains from third-party suppliers and display on the Hostelworld Services.

4.6 If you make a booking with a travel service provider, then in addition to these Terms, you agree to review and be bound by the travel service provider’s terms and conditions of purchase and website use, privacy policy and any other rules or policies related to the supplier’s site or property. Your interactions with third-party suppliers are at your own risk. Occasionally a travel service provider may make a change to their product after your purchase, including but not limited to the date, price, inclusions, coverage, age requirements, and/or any other features and/or requirements. As a result, Hostelworld reserves the right to cancel, change or substitute any booking you have, at any time, for any reason. If the change proposed by the travel service provider is material (for example, a change in dates and/or a significant change to the itinerary), and you are dissatisfied with the alternative that is offered, you will be entitled to a full refund of the original purchase price.

4.7 Hostelworld will have no liability with respect to the acts, omissions, errors, representations, warranties, breaches or negligence of any third-party suppliers or for any personal injuries, death, property damage or other damages or expenses resulting from your interactions with third-party suppliers. The Hostelworld Services may link you to supplier sites or other sites that Hostelworld does not operate or control. For further information, please refer to the “Intellectual Property Rights and Web-links” section below.

5. Liability and Disclaimers

5.1 In the event of a problem arising with your accommodation or other travel services, you should contact the travel services provider. If you have a problem with the booking that you have made via the Hostelworld Sites please contact us directly via customerservice@hostelworld.com.

5.2 We are acting solely as agent on behalf of the travel service provider (and not as your agent) when processing bookings. As such, We are not a party to the contract between you and the travel services provider for the provision of travel services (including accommodation and cancellations) and We have no responsibility or liability to you in respect of the terms of that contract. For example, We are not responsible for: (a) the accuracy or completeness of the descriptions of accommodation and other travel services (including rates, availability and ratings) that are displayed on the Hostelworld Sites, or the quality or fitness for purpose of the accommodation and other travel services that are or may be booked through the Hostelworld Sites; (b) the fulfilment of a booking made through the Hostelworld Sites, including any acts or omissions of travel services providers, any cancellation of a booking by a travel services provider for any reason whatsoever or any failure to provide all or any part of the booked service by that provider; or (c) any error or failure in the making or recording of a booking which is due to any circumstances that are outside Our control (such as a power failure).

5.3 Neither We nor any of Our directors, employees, affiliates or other representatives will be liable to you (or any member of your corporate group, your affiliates or any other person or party who has an interest in the booking) for: (i) indirect, punitive, special or consequential loss or damages, (ii) loss of data, income, profits, business, opportunity, reputation, goodwill or (iii) loss of or damage to property, in each case arising out of or in connection with the use of any information, products, services, facilities and/or the materials offered through the Hostelworld Sites, even if We have been advised of the possibility of such loss or damage, or such loss or damages were reasonably foreseeable.

5.4 Our maximum aggregate liability to you (and any other party that has an interest in the booking) in relation to any booking made through us (whether in contract, tort or otherwise) shall be limited solely to the value of the booking fee that has been paid for that booking. Prior to making a booking, you should ensure that you have reviewed the travel services provider's terms and conditions and that they are acceptable to you.

5.5 We have not visited all the accommodation listed on the Hostelworld Sites and We do not carry out routine checks of the accommodation. The listing of any travel services (including accommodation) on the Hostelworld Sites is not and should not be taken as a specific recommendation from us or a representation that the travel services will be suitable for your purpose or that the travel services will be of any particular quality.

5.6 Save as otherwise set out in these Terms, and to the greatest extent permitted by applicable law, all representations, warranties and conditions, including those implied by statute or otherwise, are hereby excluded, including without limitation representations, warranties or undertakings about any of the services, facilities, information and/or materials on the Hostelworld Sites, including without limitation, their accuracy, their completeness or their merchantability, quality or fitness for a particular purpose. The Hostelworld Sites are provided strictly on an "as is" basis and, in particular, We do not warrant that the information published on the Hostelworld Sites will be error-free or that the Hostelworld Sites will be virus or bug-free.

5.7 Nothing in these Terms shall operate to exclude or limit liability arising out of: (a) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or (b) death or personal injury.

6. Credit and Debit Card Security

6.1 We make reasonable efforts to ensure that all credit card and debit card transactions carried out via the Hostelworld Sites are secure. HOWEVER, if unauthorised charges appear on your credit card or debit card statement for any card used on the Hostelworld Sites at any time during or after you make your booking, conduct your transaction or disclose your card details on the Hostelworld Sites, Hostelworld shall not be liable or responsible in any way in respect of any damage or loss of whatsoever nature suffered by you arising from or in any way connected with said use, transaction or disclosure, save where such unauthorised charges appear as a direct result of Our negligence and subject to any statutory rights which you may have.

7. Intellectual Property Rights and Web-links

7.1 The information, content, software, graphics, text, sounds, images, buttons, trademarks, service marks, trade names, logos and the software required for Our services used by or contained in the Hostelworld Sites (“Materials”) are owned by Hostelworld and protected by copyright, trademarks, database rights, and any other intellectual property rights. You agree that We or Our licensors (as the case may be) exclusively retain all right, title, interest and intellectual property rights in and to the Materials (including the guest reviews, translated content and the look and feel of the Hostelworld Sites). We grant you a limited, revocable, non-transferable, non-sublicenseable, license to use the Hostelworld Sites for your personal non-commercial purposes to access the Hostelworld Sites and make bookings in accordance with these Terms (the "Limited Licence"). Save in respect of exercising your Limited Licence, you may not modify, copy, distribute, scrape, (hyper-/deep) link to, transmit, display, perform, reproduce, publish, license, promote, market, integrate, combine, create derivative works from, transfer, or otherwise use or sell any Materials (including any translations thereof and guest reviews). Other than the Limited Licence, nothing in these Terms shall be construed as transferring or granting (by implication or otherwise) to you any licence or right in or to the Materials. To the extent that you would (wholly or partly) use or combine Our (translated) content (including guest reviews) or would otherwise own any intellectual property rights in the Materials or the Hostelworld Sites or any (translated) content or guest reviews, you hereby assign, transfer and set over all such intellectual property rights to Hostelworld. Any unlawful use or any of the aforementioned actions or behaviour will constitute a material infringement of Our intellectual property rights (including copyright and database rights).

7.2 The Hostelworld Sites may contain hyperlinks to websites operated by parties other than us. Such hyperlinks are provided for your reference only. We do not control such websites and are not responsible for their contents. The inclusion of hyperlinks on the Hostelworld Sites to such other websites does not imply any endorsement of the material on such websites or any association with their operators.

7.3 The content, information and software displayed or made available on and through the Hostelworld Sites (including, but not limited to the Content), as well as the infrastructure used to provide such content, software and information, is proprietary to Hostelworld or licensed to Hostelworld by third parties and are made available for personal use only. For all content, information and software other than your Content, you agree not to otherwise modify, copy, distribute, transmit, display, perform, reproduce, publish, license, create derivative works from, transfer or sell or re-sell any information, software, products or services obtained from or through the Hostelworld Sites and/or the Hostelworld Services for any commercial or competitive purpose.

7.4 Additionally, you agree not to: (a) access, monitor, reproduce, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, sell, license, copy or otherwise exploit any content, information and software of the Hostelworld Sites and/or Hostelworld Services, including but not limited to, user profiles and photos, using any robot, spider, scraper or other automated means or any manual process for any purpose not in accordance with these Terms or without Our express written permission; (b) violate the restrictions in any robot exclusion headers on the Hostelworld Sites and/or Hostelworld Services or bypass or circumvent other measures employed to prevent or limit access to the Hostelworld Sites and/or Hostelworld Services; (c) take any action that imposes, or may impose, in Our discretion, an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on Our infrastructure; (d) deep-link to any portion of the Hostelworld Sites and/or Hostelworld Services for any purpose without Our express written permission; (e) "frame", "mirror" or otherwise incorporate any part of the Hostelworld Sites and/or Hostelworld Services into any other websites or service without Our prior written authorisation; (f) attempt to modify, translate, adapt, edit, decompile, disassemble or reverse engineer any software programs used by Hostelworld in connection with the Hostelworld Sites and/or Hostelworld Services; (g) circumvent, disable or otherwise interfere with security-related features of the Hostelworld Sites and/or Hostelworld Services or features that prevent or restrict use or copying of any Content; or (h) download any Content unless it’s expressly made available for download by Hostelworld.

8. User Generated Content

8.1 Certain parts of the Hostelworld Sites may allow you or third parties to post content, reviews, messages, photos, videos, ratings, materials or other items (these being "User Generated Content"). You are solely responsible for any User Generated Content that you post or use and use them at your own risk. By using any User Generated Content, you expressly that you will not and will not assist or enable others to post, upload to, transmit, distribute, store, create or otherwise publish through the Hostelworld Sites any of the following: (a) any message, data, information, text, music, sound, photos, graphics, code or other material ("Content") that is unlawful, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, indecent, lewd, offensive, harassing, threatening, abusive, inflammatory, fraudulent, invasive of privacy or publicity rights or otherwise objectionable or inappropriate; (b) content that may infringe any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other intellectual or proprietary right of any party; (c) content that impersonates any person or entity or otherwise misrepresents your affiliation with a person or entity; (d) content that may infringe a third party's privacy or data protection rights; (e) viruses, corrupted data or other harmful, disruptive or destructive files; or (f) content that, in Our sole judgment, is objectionable or which restricts or inhibits any other person from using or enjoying the Hostelworld Sites, or which may expose us or Our users to any harm or liability of any type.

8.2 We accept no responsibility and are not liable for any Content of any kind that is posted, stored or uploaded by you or any third party on the Hostelworld Sites, or for any loss or damage caused as a result thereof. As a provider of interactive services, We are not liable for any statements, representations or Content provided by users of the User Generated Content or other public forum. Although We have no obligation to screen, edit or monitor any of the Content posted to or distributed through the User Generated Content, We reserve the right, and have absolute discretion, to remove, screen or edit without notice any Content posted or stored on the Hostelworld Sites at any time and for any reason, and you are solely responsible for creating backup copies of and replacing any Content you post or store on the Hostelworld Sites at your sole cost and expense.

8.3 Any use of the User Generated Content or other portions of the Hostelworld Sites otherwise than in accordance with these Terms may result in, among other things, termination or suspension of your access to the User Generated Content , the Hostelworld Services and/or the Hostelworld Sites. In order to comply with an order of a court of competent jurisdiction or to protect Our systems or users of the Hostelworld Sites and/or Hostelworld Services, We may process and disclose any information held by us in relation to a user of the Hostelworld Sites who posts or uploads inappropriate or objectionable Content including, without limitation, their name, email address, IP address, usage history, and posted Content.

8.4 Hostelworld and its affiliates may display advertisements and other information adjacent to or included with your Content on the Hostelworld Sites. You are not entitled to any compensation for such advertisements. The manner, mode and extent of such advertising are subject to change without notice to you.

8.5 We may use User Generated Content in a number of different ways, including but not limited to displaying it on the Hostelworld Sites, reformatting it, translating it into other languages, editing it for clarity and grammar, incorporating it into advertisements and other works, creating derivative works from it, promoting it, distributing it, and allowing others to do the same in connection with their own websites, mobile properties, applications, and media platforms. By posting or distributing Content to or through the Hostelworld Sites, unless We indicate otherwise, you: (a) grant us a nonexclusive, royalty-free, fully paid-up, perpetual, transferable, irrevocable and fully sub-licensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, translate, distribute, publish, create derivative works from and publicly display and perform such Content throughout the world in any media whatsoever, now known or hereafter devised, for any purpose; (b) acknowledge and agree that the Content is non-confidential and non-proprietary; and (c) represent and warrant that the Content that you post or otherwise distribute,(i) complies with these Terms; (ii) is accurate and not misleading; and (iii) shall not expose us to any civil or criminal liability or otherwise materially adversely affect Our business or reputation.

8.6 You assume all risks associated with your Content, including anyone's reliance on its accuracy, completeness or usefulness, or any disclosure by you of information in such Content that makes you personally identifiable. You represent that you own, or have the necessary permissions to use, and authorise the use of, such Content as described herein. You may not imply that such Content is in any way sponsored or endorsed by Hostelworld.

9. Prohibited Activities

9.1 The content and information available on and through the Hostelworld Sites, as well as the infrastructure used to provide such content and information (“HW Content”) is proprietary to Hostelworld or licensed to Hostelworld by third parties. For all HW Content, you agree not to otherwise modify, copy, distribute, transmit, display, perform, reproduce, publish, license, create derivative works from, transfer or sell or re-sell any information, software, products or services obtained from or through the Hostelworld Sites and/or the Hostelworld Services. Additionally, you agree not to:

(a) use the Hostelworld Sites, Hostelworld Services or HW Content for any commercial purpose, outside the scope of those commercial purposes explicitly permitted under these Terms and related guidelines as made available by Hostelworld;

(b) access, monitor, reproduce, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, sell, license, copy or otherwise exploit any HW Content, including but not limited to, user profiles and photos, using any robot, spider, scraper or other automated means or any manual process for any purpose not in accordance with these Terms;

(c) violate the restrictions in any robot exclusion headers or bypass or circumvent other measures employed to prevent or limit access to the Hostelworld Sites and/or the Hostelworld Services;

(d) take any action that imposes, or may impose, in Our discretion, an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on Our infrastructure;

(e) deep-link to any portion of the Hostelworld Sites or Hostelworld Services for any purpose without Our express written permission;

(f) "frame", "mirror" or otherwise incorporate any part of the Hostelworld Sites or Hostelworld Services into any other websites or service without Our prior written authorisation;

(g) attempt to modify, translate, adapt, edit, decompile, disassemble or reverse engineer any software programs used by Hostelworld in connection with the Hostelworld Sites or Hostelworld Services;

(h) circumvent, disable or otherwise interfere with security-related features of the Hostelworld Sites or Hostelworld Services or features that prevent or restrict use or copying of any HW Content; or

(i) download any HW Content unless it is expressly made available for download by Hostelworld.

10. Reviews and Comments

10.1 The Hostelworld Sites may contain forms, discussion forums, boards or other review services where you may be asked to review the travel services that you have received. We appreciate all feedback, but please note that the travel services provider in question will have access to your review so that they can act on your feedback and make any necessary improvements. We may contact you using your contact details provided to us in order to follow up on your review(s). The travel services providers will also have your contact details and may contact you to ask further questions about your experiences in order to help them to make further improvements.

10.2 By posting a review, comment, suggestion, idea, question, photograph, video or the like (“Review”) you expressly agree not to post, upload to, transmit, distribute, store, create or otherwise publish through the Hostelworld Sites, anything that comprises or includes: (a) content that is unlawful, libellous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, indecent, lewd, suggestive, harassing, threatening, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, abusive, inflammatory, fraudulent or otherwise objectionable; (b) content that would constitute, encourage or provide instructions for a criminal offense, violate the rights of any party, or that would otherwise create liability or violate any local, state, national or international law; (c) content that may infringe any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other intellectual or proprietary right of any party; (d) content that impersonates any person or entity or otherwise misrepresents your affiliation with a person or entity, including Hostelworld; (e) promotions, political campaigning, advertising, contests, raffles, or solicitations; (f) private information of any third party, including, without limitation, surname (family name) address, telephone number, e-mail address, social security number and credit card number; (g) viruses, corrupted data or other harmful, disruptive or destructive files; (h) content or links to content that, in the sole judgment of Hostelworld, (i) violates the previous subsections herein, (ii) is objectionable, (iii) restricts or inhibits any other person from using or enjoying the Hostelworld Sites, and/or (iv) may expose Hostelworld or its affiliates or Hostelworld Sites users to any harm or liability of any type.

10.3 By providing a Review, be it via email, posting via any Hostelworld Site, via the services and applications of others, or otherwise, you grant Hostelworld and its affiliates a nonexclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, transferable, irrevocable and fully sublicensable right to: (a) host, use, reproduce, modify, run, adapt, translate, distribute, publish, create derivative works from and publicly display and perform such Review throughout the world in any media, now known or hereafter devised; (b) make your Review available to the rest of the world and to let others do the same; (c) to provide, promote, and improve the Hostelworld Services and to make your Review shared on the Hostelworld Sites available to other companies, organisations or individuals for the syndication, broadcast, distribution, promotion or publication of such Review of yours on other media and services, subject to Our Data Protection Notice and these Terms; and (d) use the name and/or trademark that you submit in connection with such Review. You acknowledge and agree that your Review is non-proprietary and that We are under no obligation to keep it confidential. You affirm, represent and warrant that you own or have the necessary licences, rights (including copyright and other proprietary rights), consents and permissions to publish and otherwise use (and for Hostelworld and its affiliates to publish and otherwise use) your Review as authorised under these Terms.

10.4 Hostelworld and its affiliates take no responsibility and assume no liability for any Review posted, stored, transmitted or uploaded to the Hostelworld Sites by you or any third party, or for any loss or damage thereto, nor are Hostelworld or its affiliates liable for any mistakes, defamation, slander, libel, omissions, falsehoods, obscenity, pornography or profanity you may encounter. Hostelworld and its affiliates are not liable for any statements, representations or any other content provided by its users (including you as to your Content) in the websites or any other forum.

10.5 Although We have no obligation to screen, edit or monitor any Review posted to or distributed through the Hostelworld Sites, We reserve the right to adjust, refuse, screen, translate, edit or remove Reviews at Our sole discretion without notice at any time and for any reason. Hostelworld does not compensate or otherwise reward a customer for completing a Review. The guest review form should be regarded as a survey and does not include any (further commercial) offers, invitations, or incentives whatsoever. Hostelworld undertakes to use its best efforts to monitor and remove Reviews that include obscenities or the mention of an individual’s name or reference to stolen goods.

11. Passports, Visas and Insurance

11.1 When you make a booking, you are responsible for ensuring that you meet all foreign entry requirements and that your travel documents, including passports and visas, are in order.

11.2 For applicable passport and visa requirements, you should consult the relevant embassy or consulate for information. Such requirements may change at any time, and it is your responsibility to check for up-to-date information before making a booking and before your departure. Hostelworld accepts no liability in connection with any person who is refused entry onto a flight or into any country, including countries such person may just be passing through en route to their destination.

11.3 As visa and health requirements are subject to change without notice, Hostelworld recommends that you verify health and visa requirements with the appropriate consulate prior to departure. It is also your responsibility to consult your physician for current recommendations on inoculations before you travel internationally, and to ensure that you meet all health entry requirements and follow all medical guidance related to your trip.

11.4 Hostelworld strongly recommends that you purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy prior to departure. If you cancel your booking or significantly alter travel dates, your travel insurance policy may reimburse the cost of cancellation fees and related expenses. Please review your travel insurance policy carefully for related terms and conditions.

11.5 Although most travel, including travel to international destinations, is completed without incident, travel to certain destinations may involve greater risk than others. Hostelworld urges customers to investigate and review travel prohibitions, warnings, announcements and advisories issued by the Irish Government and destination country governments prior to booking travel to international destinations. Information on conditions in various countries and the level of risk associated with travel to particular international destinations can be found www.dfa.ie/travel. Hostelworld does not warrant or represent that travel to any destination is advisable or without risk, and Hostelworld is not liable for any damages or losses that may result from travel to such destinations.

12. General

12.1 These Terms are drafted in the English language. If these Terms are translated into any other language, the English language version shall prevail

12.2 Our failure to enforce at any time or for any period any one or more of the Terms shall not be construed as a waiver of them or the rights attaching to any of them.

12.3 These Terms and the Data Protection Notice constitute the entire agreement between you and Hostelworld in relation to the subject matter of these Terms and the Data Protection Notice and supersede any previous agreements or representations between the parties relating to the subject matter of this agreement.

12.4 We reserve the right to update or otherwise modify these Terms as well as the contents of the Hostelworld Sites at any time and for any reason and without liability to you, any other user or any third party. You understand and agree that your continued access or use of the Hostelworld Sites after such change signifies your acceptance of the updated Terms. This right shall not affect the Terms accepted by you upon making a legitimate booking or purchase using the Hostelworld Sites. We will note the date that updates were last made to the Terms at the top of this page, and the updated Terms will take effect upon posting. It is your responsibility to check these Terms each time you access the Hostelworld Sites to review the most current version of these Terms.

12.5 These Terms and your use of the Hostelworld Sites are governed by the laws of Ireland. You hereby consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Irish courts in all disputes arising out of or relating to the use of the Hostelworld Sites each time you access the Hostelworld Sites. Use of the Hostelworld Sites is not authorised in any jurisdiction that does not give effect to all provisions of these Terms including, without limitation, this clause.

12.6 Our performance of these Terms is subject to existing laws and legal process and nothing contained in this agreement is in derogation of Our right to comply with law enforcement requests or requirements relating to your use of the Hostelworld Sites or information provided to or gathered by us with respect to such use.

12.7 If any part of these Terms is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, then the invalid or unenforceable provision shall be deemed to be superseded by any such valid, enforceable provision that most closely matches the intent of the original provision and the remainder of these Terms shall continue in effect.

12.8 Although We cannot monitor the conduct of Our users offsite, it shall be a breach of these Terms to use any information obtained from the Hostelworld Sites in order to harass, abuse or harm other persons, or in order to contact, advertise to, solicit or sell to any user or person without their prior express consent.

12.9 While Our terms require that travel services providers display prices which are inclusive of all value added and other additional taxes, the price displayed is ultimately the responsibility of the travel services provider rather than ours. You acknowledge that We shall not have liability to you in respect of any attempt by travel services provider to levy additional value added or other taxes on you at the point of payment as a supplement to the price displayed and your sole recourse in this regard will be against the travel services provider.

12.10 The Hostelworld Sites may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, express or implied, including any warranties or accuracy, reliability and any implied warranties or merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement.

13. Data Protection Notice

13.1 Full details of Our Data Protection Notice can be found here, which is hereby incorporated into and forms part of these Terms.

14. Online Dispute Resolution

14.1 The European Commission Online Dispute Resolution Platform is available at the following link https://ec.europa.eu/odr. Please note that we do not currently engage in alternative dispute resolution in connection with customer complaints.