How To Cancel Your Hostelworld Booking

Cancelling a Hostelworld booking is quick and easy.

But first, you should know Hostelworld allows date changes on “Free Cancellation bookings” (once) and “Standard Flexible bookings” (multiple times). If you booked one of those, consider changing dates rather than cancelling. For exactly how to change your booking on Hostelworld, use this guide.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to cancel an existing booking/reservation.

We’ll also cover Hostelworld’s cancellation policy, how “Free Cancellation”, “Standard Flexible” and “Non-Refundable” bookings work, how cancellation and no-show fees work, plus other things to know regarding booking cancellations on Hostelworld.

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How Hostelworld’s Cancellation Policy And Booking Fees Work

First off, let’s establish the differences between Free Cancellation, Standard Flexible and Non-Refundable bookings. Each offer varying degrees of flexibility in regards to fees and cancellations.

Free Cancellation Bookings

If you book a Free Cancellation booking, the booking deposit can be refunded to you as long as the booking is cancelled prior to the “cancel by” date (usually 24 hours prior to check-in time). The deposit is refunded as a voucher, applicable to future booking deposits. Vouchers are valid for 6 months from their issuance.

Standard Flexible Bookings

If you select “Flexible Booking” when booking, you’ll pay a slightly higher booking deposit for the ability to change your dates at a later date (multiple times). To learn about changing bookings, read this guide.

If you cancel a Standard Flexible booking prior to the “cancel by” date (usually 24 hours prior to check-in), the deposit is refunded as a voucher that’s applicable towards future booking deposits. No cancellation fee will be incurred.

Non-Refundable Bookings

Non-Refundable bookings are the least flexible, least forgiving, but lowest-priced option. By cancelling a Non-Refundable booking, you’ll lose the deposit and be charged for your booking’s remaining balance. If you think your cancellation warrants a refund, you can attempt to explain the situation to Hostelworld. You may receive a full or partial refund, but do not expect it!

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Who Determines A Hostel’s Cancellation Policy?

Hostelworld.com lets hosts set their own cancellation policy (within reason). A “cancel by” date is typically 24 hours prior to check-in time, and cancellation/no-show fees typically equal the first night’s stay. Some hosts are stricter though - by moving the “cancel by” date forward, or increasing their cancellation fee.

Strict cancellation policies are more common during busy seasons. Read a hostel’s cancellation policy prior to booking. To find it, just click “View House Rules” under the Property Description section of the listing.

As you can see, this cancellation policy differentiates Free Cancellation and Non-Refundable rates. The “cancel by” date and time are also set.

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How To Cancel Your Booking (Step-By-Step)

After logging in to your account, click your Account icon in the upper-right corner of the home page, then select “Bookings” from the drop-down menu.

Then click on the booking you want to cancel, under “All Bookings” or “Future Bookings”.

Next, click “Cancel Booking” under the booking’s reservation number.

In this example, this Free Cancellation booking can be cancelled before Jan 5th, penalty-free. Select your reason for cancelling and click “Cancel this booking”.

You’ll receive a Booking Cancellation email within 10 minutes, which will look like this (screenshot below).

If you had a Free Cancellation or Standard Flexible booking, the email will also display refund amount and timeframe.

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Are Booking Deposits Refundable?

Deposits are refundable for Free Cancellation and Standard Flexible bookings, if you cancel at least 24 hours prior to check-in. The deposit is refunded as a voucher, applicable towards future bookings.

Booking deposits are not refundable for Non-Refundable bookings, no matter when you cancel. If you cancel a Non-Refundable booking, you’ll still be charged for your booking’s remaining balance.

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How To Cancel Your Booking With No Account

If you originally booked without creating an account, enter the email address you booked with on the log in page, then click “Forgot password?”.

You’ll receive an email with your sign in details. Then, follow the cancellation process demonstrated above. You can only access a refund voucher after signing in.

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Hostelworld’s No-Show Fee Policy Explained

If a customer doesn’t cancel their booking, but also doesn’t show up for their stay, they’re charged a “no-show fee”. No-show fees prevent hostels from losing revenue if a customer decides not to show up for their booking.

A no-show fee is typically worth the first night’s stay, but can be more depending on the host’s policy. You’ll find a property’s no-show policy in its “House Rules” section. A “no-show fee” and “cancellation fee” are often worth the same amount (the first night’s stay).

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Conclusion

Hopefully you found this guide helpful.

We went through Hostelworld’s cancellation process, and covered the three types of bookings and how no-show fees work. To learn more about Hostelworld or hostels, explore our other guides below.

Enjoy your travels!

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Learn More About Hostelworld

Common Questions & Concerns

Get Started With Hostelworld

Post-Booking Questions

Learn About Hostels

Introduction To Hostels

Know Before You Go

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Taz Zaidi [Author]

Taz Zaidi is an American travel writer and the founder/creator of TRVLGUIDES.com. Connect with him on Instagram (@tazzaidi) or on his personal website, at tazzaidi.com.

How To Cancel Your Hostelworld Booking [Plus What You Need To Know]

How To Cancel Your Hostelworld Booking

*Agoda.com sells quality, discounted hostel dorms (UP TO $50 OFF!). To see today’s hostel deals, click here.

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