7 Incredible Hostels in Rome [2023]: Traveler's Favorites!

As an avid traveler, no city in the world makes my heart beat like Rome. Filled with a rich history, culture, food scene, and astounding sceneries, the city is a place to call home for anyone craving adventure and excitement. Of course, in order to fully enjoy your time there, you need a good place to stay, and that’s exactly what this blog post is about: help you find the perfect accommodation in Rome.

While you’re at it, make sure to check our other guides and recommendations on the Italian capital, including our list of the Rome's most breathtaking museums and our list of things to do in Rome.

Without further ado, let's take a look at all the best hostels to stay in Rome, Italy!

Finding your perfect hostel in Rome: what to expect

One of the many reasons that made me fall in love with Rome is how everything remains incredibly affordable in the city.

Despite being one of the European Union’s most touristic capital cities, you will find that everything, from accommodation to food and even clothes — let’s be honest, this is one of the major perks of traveling to Europe — is surprisingly cheap, and that cheap doesn’t have to mean dirty. 

It is also important to point out that hostels in Rome make it a priority to ensure the safety of their guests while staying on their premises. Almost all the hostels listed below provide on-site free luggage storage areas, and the other ones charge a small additional fee. With lots of international and multilingual staff working to make your time in Rome special, Roman hostels will definitely make you feel as safe as home.

7 Best Rated Hostels in Rome

1. Hostel Trustever (Trastevere)

There’s a reason I’m starting this list with Hostel Trustever (Trastevere): it’s located in the Trastevere district, which is by far my favorite borough in Rome.

While nothing compares to the hustle and bustle of the city center of Rome, the Trastevere combines the city’s unique architecture with the charming Italian dolce vita, providing you with many restaurants, cafes, local shops, and beautiful churches to visit all in one district.

The Trustever is a prime destination for anyone seeking a hipster hostel experience. In addition to its very stylish and spacious rooms, the place offers a beautiful garden for you to walk through and take pictures for your Instagram feed, several common areas, a gym, and even a pool that is open all year long!

For those who might need it, the place also provides several co-working spaces with Wifi access, in case you urgently need to reply to a work email or any other emergency.

Perks: common rooms, Instagram-friendly, lovely neighborhood

Public transit: 2 minutes walk from Trastevere-Pascarella bus & tramway station

Check-in time: from 2 pm

Check-out time: 10 am

Price range: contact the hostel directly to get the most up-to-date fares

2. The Beehive

Opened in 1999 by an American couple who left Los Angeles to follow their Italian dream, the Beehive is a formidable hostel located in the heart of Rome’s city center.

Within less than 10 minutes, you can either walk to the popular Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain) to visit one of Rome’s most renowned architectural sites or walk around the campus of the prestigious Sapienza Università di Roma, the country’s top higher education institution and among the oldest universities in Europe.

In addition to its charming staff and owners, which provide a taste of home for any North American feeling lost in the vast Italian capital, the Beehive is very stylish.

From the elegant communal kitchen to help you socialize with other guests to the cozy indoor lounge as well as the adorable courtyard garden, this hostel is the perfect place to make you feel like staying at your relatives in the charming Italian countryside — all that while being in one of Rome’s most central locations.

The Beehive also has a bagel business that provides fresh handmade bagels every morning with numerous other delicious food options that will cater to everyone in your party (including vegans)! While the Beehive promotes a more calm, communal lifestyle, it remains an ideal destination for anyone traveling alone and looking to make friends during their time in Rome.

Perks: adorable common rooms, Instagram-friendly, communal garden, central locations, a plethora of rooms (shared, single, double, couple, family)

Public transit: 2 minutes walk from Termini train, tramway & subway station, and 2 minutes walk from Castro Pretorio subway station

Check-in time: from 3 pm

Check-out time: 11 am

Price range: $52-93/night

3. Legends

In addition to being one of the most affordable hostels in Rome, Legends offers a large number of amenities that will make you realize that cheap does not necessarily mean bad quality.

A mere 2 minutes walk from some of Rome’s most central and popular landmarks — including the Trevi Fountain — Legends is the perfect place for you to enjoy everything the city has to offer while socializing, all that for the cheapest price.

The warm, lovely experience provided by Legends starts the second you arrive there, with the refreshing welcome drink offered by the hostel. In addition to booking a typical dorm room or a private room, you also have the option of booking a larger room in a separate building if you find yourself traveling with a large group of friends.

If you’re visiting the Italian capital during the summer — trust my experience, the hottest time to be around in Rome — fear not, all rooms come with aircon!

In order to make your experience top-notch, Legends also provides free complimentary breakfast every morning as well as a guest kitchen should you prefer to cook your own meals. Not satisfied with either solution? You will find a few vending machines around the hostel that will undoubtedly provide you with whichever snack or drink you might need to enjoy your time there.

Perks: vending machines, affordable, central location

Public transit: 2 minutes walk from Termini train, tramway & subway station, and 1-minute walk from Castro Pretorio subway station

Check-in time: from 3 pm

Check-out time: 10 am

Price range: $28-85/night depending on room type

4. The Yellow Square

If there is one thing I associate Rome with — well, after its rich history and culture — it’s partying.

In my experience, Rome has some of the most easily accessible and entertaining nightlife, with bars, nightclubs, and cultural events taking place almost any time throughout the year. It then makes sense for you to want to stay at a place where the party doesn’t end when you choose to come home, which is precisely the kind of experience Yellow Square provides!

With a nine-hour long happy hour (yes, you read that number right), The Yellow Square can easily be considered the best party hostel in Rome. The happy hour comes with the hostel’s on-site nightclub, as well as DJ nights, beer pong tournaments, and free iPad rentals.

Anyone who likes to a party knows that the pre-drinks need to be at least as exciting as the rest of the night out, which is guaranteed with the hostel’s common rooms and game rooms equipped with pool tables and free Wifi.

Anyone needing to cure their hard-earned hangover the next morning should check out the hostel’s breakfast, which comes for €2.50 and can be reserved while booking your room, and relax while taking the free yoga classes dispensed on-site.

On top of that, all rooms are provided with aircon, and you will have a large range of options on which type of room you want to book. If all of this wasn’t enough for you to make your booking already, the hostel is located a mere 2-minute walk from Rome’s central train station!

Perks: onsite nightclub, central location, common rooms, free yoga classes

Public transit: 2 minutes walk from Termini train, tramway & subway station, and 1-minute walk from Castro Pretorio subway station

Check-in time: from 3 pm

Check-out time: 10 am

Price range: $43-101/night depending on room type

5. Comics Guesthouse

A themed hostel in the heart of Rome’s city center? It’s more likely than you think!

As you might have figured out based on its name, Comics Guesthouse is a colorful place to stay for anyone looking for a more funky, unusual kind of hostel experience. With rooms decorated by the most famous superheroes straight out of your favorite comic books, this hostel will make your childhood dreams come true!

This guest house boasts an incredibly international staff which will make your time in Rome all the more special. In addition to its signature comics-inspired decorations, this hostel also provides free city maps, free wifi, and a spacious TV lounge for you to relax after a long day spent exploring the Italian capital.

Regular parties are planned at the property throughout the year, including comics-themed trivia nights which will allow you to have a great time with your friends, or a great time making new friends!

Free linen and towels are also provided with each room, freeing you from the burden and stress of having to bring your own, and vending machines are available around the premises to make sure you can get a snack or refreshment at any time of the day or night. The guest house’s ideal location in the immediate vicinity of the Villa Borghese and near Vatican City will also help you make the most of the city while you’re staying there.

Perks: comics-themed, TV lounge, central location, affordable

Public transit: 2 minutes walk from Piazza Cinque Giornate bus & tramway station

Check-in time: between 2-7 pm

Check-out time: 10:30 am

Price range: $43-101/night depending on room type

6. Dreaming Rome Hostel

Located a mere 5-minute walk from Rome’s iconic Colosseum and right across the street from the gorgeous Piazza dei Re di Roma, Dreaming Rome is one of the city’s most popular hostels.

Particularly, Dreaming Rome Hostel has repeatedly been voted best hostel for solo travelers looking to make connections in Rome. With many on-site events organized around the clock throughout the year, you are guaranteed to meet your new friend group while staying there! 

In addition to its secure luggage storage area, Dreaming Rome also provides complimentary breakfast, and you will get to sleep in stylish rooms that range from traditional dorms to double or single private rooms. Private rooms also come with free towels — an additional €2 if you are staying in a dormitory-style room — and all guests have access to on-site laundry facilities as well as vending machines. 

The hostel staff is also here to help you navigate the vast Italian capital, offering free city maps, wifi, and personal computer time to help you make the best of your time in the city.

Make friends in the hostel’s spacious common rooms and guest kitchen, then go out to explore everything that Rome has to offer, with Vatican City and the Colosseum within walking distance. If there’s one place you shouldn’t be afraid of staying while traveling solo, it’s Dreaming Rome!

Perks: ideal to socialize, stylish rooms, central location, laundry facilities

Public transit: 2 minutes walk from Soana bus station, 3 minutes walk from Faleria bus station, 5 minutes walk from Re di Roma subway station

Check-in time: between 2-11 pm (additional €10 to be charged if checking in after 11 pm)

Check-out time: 11 am

Price range: contact the hostel directly to get the most up-to-date fares

7. Freedom Traveller

Located within walking distance of Rome’s central train station (Termini), Freedom Traveller is a prime choice for digital nomads seeking to balance work, leisure, and social life while exploring the vast city of Rome.

With free wifi accessible basically everywhere throughout the premises, and free complimentary coffee every morning, you are guaranteed to start your day on a productive note before going out to explore what Rome has to offer!

It is also worth noting breakfast isn’t the only free meal provided: every evening, you will have the opportunity to enjoy wine and snacks with the other guests in the hostel’s spacious common areas, ideal to mix and mingle with fellow travelers! On top of that, you get to enjoy cable TV, a fully equipped guest kitchen, a backyard garden, and a book exchange library.

If safety is your main concern, worry not: Freedom Traveller provides security lockers in all shared dormitory-style rooms, and security staff is present on the premises 24/7.

Should you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to turn to the international, multilingual staff to assist you. If you’d prefer to stay in a private room, you will get to enjoy free towels and a flat-screen TV. If this hasn’t convinced you already: every room comes with both aircon and heating to make sure you have the greatest stay regardless of which season you are visiting.

Perks: ideal to socialize, extra secure, central location, complimentary coffee/wine/snacks

Public transit: 2 minutes walk from Castro Pretorio subway station, Repubblica subway station, and Termini train, tramway & subway station

Check-in time: from 3 pm

Check-out time: 10 am

Price range: $27-100 (depending on room type)

La dolce vita in Roma

Regardless of where you are staying, I can guarantee your time in Rome will be special, and I hope to see you fall in love with this city the way I did. Socializing is at the heart of the Italian lifestyle, and you will undoubtedly make lifelong friends and memories while staying in Rome.

 While planning for your escapade in Rome, make sure to check out Pilot!