Hostelworld: who owns it, who runs it and what the accounts show
Hostelworld Group PLC is owned by its shareholders: as a listed company it has no single person with significant control on the register. In the year to December 2025 it reported turnover of €94m (about £80m).
Hostelworld files its accounts in euros. Figures are shown as filed, with the pound equivalent after them: income and costs at the average Bank of England rate over the year to 31 December 2025 (€1.1673 to the pound), net assets and cash at the rate on that date (€1.1454 to the pound); the year before at €1.1815 to the pound and €1.2099 to the pound. Comparisons with other companies on Spark Intel use the pound figures. Growth is measured in euros, so exchange-rate moves don't count as growth.
- In the year to December 2025, Hostelworld had turnover of €94m (about £80m), up 2.0% on the year before.
- It made a pre-tax profit of €8m (about £7m), keeping £8.96 of every £100 of sales.
- It employed an average of 260 people, with staff costs of €25m (about £21m).
- Hostelworld Group PLC is listed on the stock market, so it is owned by its shareholders.
- These figures are from Hostelworld Group PLC's group accounts for the year to December 2025, filed at Companies House on 9 July 2026.
- Registered name
- HOSTELWORLD GROUP PLC
- Company number
- 09818705
- Status
- Active
- Incorporated
- 9 October 2015
- Registered office area
- Birmingham
- Industry code on the register
- 64209: Financial service activities (excl insurance and pension)
- Accounts
- Group accounts, covering the companies it owns
- Accounts type
- Full group accounts
- Latest accounts
- Year to December 2025, filed 9 July 2026
What does Hostelworld do?
Hostelworld is an online booking platform for hostels and other budget accommodation, used mainly by young and solo travellers. It earns commission on the bookings made through its website and app, with hostels paying for the reservations they receive. Its social features let guests see who else is staying and chat before they arrive. The business began in Ireland and is listed on the London Stock Exchange and Euronext Dublin.
In brief: hostel booking platform · commission on bookings · social travel features · listed
Source: Spark Intel editorial, checked 24 September 2026. Official website: hostelworld.com.
Who owns Hostelworld?
Hostelworld Group PLC, company number 09818705, has no person with significant control on the register. That is normal for a company whose shares trade on a regulated market: ownership sits with the shareholders who hold the shares at any given time.
The full ownership record is on the Companies House register. Control is given in the bands the register uses, not as exact shareholdings.
Who runs Hostelworld?
The Companies House register lists 8 current officers for Hostelworld Group PLC.
All 8 current officers
| Officer | Appointed |
|---|---|
| John Duggan | 11 June 2018 |
| Gary Magnus Morrison | 11 June 2018 |
| Evan Cohen | 14 August 2019 |
| Caroline Sherry | 1 December 2020 |
| Paul Duffy | 2 May 2024 |
| Marieke Bax | 30 January 2026 |
| Wais Shaifta | 24 July 2026 |
| Karen Ruth Myers | 24 July 2026 |
Every current officer, with appointment dates, is on the Companies House register.
What did Hostelworld file?
Hostelworld Group PLC reported turnover of €94m (about £80m) in the year to December 2025. That was up 2.0% on €92m (about £78m) the year before.
It reported 260 employees. The year before it reported 228.
It filed a pre-tax profit of €8m (about £7m) for the year, against a pre-tax profit of €11m (about £9m) the year before.
Staff costs came to €25m (about £21m). That is an average of £81,000 a head. It ended the year with €12m (about £11m) at the bank and net assets of €73m (about £64m). It paid dividends of €1.0m (about £0.9m).
| Measure | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover | €94m (about £80m) | €92m (about £78m) |
| Pre-tax profit | €8m (about £7m) (filed) | €11m (about £9m) (filed) |
| Employees | 260 | 228 |
| Staff costs | €25m (about £21m) | €23m (about £19m) |
| Average staff cost per head | £81,000 | £84,000 |
| Bank and cash | €12m (about £11m) | €8m (about £7m) |
| Net assets | €73m (about £64m) | €70m (about £58m) |
| Dividends paid | €1.0m (about £0.9m) | |
| Interest paid | €0.1m (about £86k) | |
| Interest received | €0.1m (about £86k) |
Read the accounts to December 2025 (PDF, Companies House) · every accounts filing
What do these figures mean? Turnover vs profit · Profit per £100 · Cash vs profit · Net assets · Group accounts
Are there any charges against Hostelworld?
Hostelworld Group PLC has registered 6 charges at Companies House, of which 2 are still outstanding. A charge is security a lender takes over a company's assets; one is satisfied when the lending behind it is repaid or released.
Both outstanding charges
| Charge holder | Created |
|---|---|
| Allied Irish Banks, P.L.C. | 30 October 2025 |
| Allied Irish Banks, P.L.C. | 27 October 2025 |
Each charge, with its holder and dates, is on the Companies House register.
How Hostelworld compares
Of the 4 online travel, Hostelworld is 4th on turnover, 2nd on profit margin and 3rd on growth. On the Beach keeps the most of every £100 of sales: £22.98.
| Rank | Online travel | Turnover | Profit per £100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | easyJet | £10,106m | £6.51 |
| 4th | Hostelworld | £80m | £8.96 |
| + 2 more online travel ranked |
Ranked by turnover. Profit per £100 is pre-tax profit for every £100 of turnover, shown only where the profit is filed.
Hostelworld files as Hostelworld Group PLC, with turnover of €94m (about £80m) in its latest filed year.
Questions about Hostelworld
What does Hostelworld do?
Hostelworld is an online booking platform for hostels and other budget accommodation, used mainly by young and solo travellers. It earns commission on the bookings made through its website and app, with hostels paying for the reservations they receive. Its social features let guests see who else is staying and chat before they arrive. The business began in Ireland and is listed on the London Stock Exchange and Euronext Dublin.
How does Hostelworld compare with its rivals?
By turnover, Hostelworld is 4th of the 4 companies in our battle of online travel, behind easyJet. The battle ranks them on turnover, pre-tax profit, margin, growth and net assets. The battle of online travel →
Who owns Hostelworld?
Hostelworld Group PLC is owned by its shareholders. As a listed company it is exempt from the register of people with significant control, so no single owner appears at Companies House.
How much does Hostelworld make?
Hostelworld Group PLC reported turnover of €94m (about £80m) in the year to December 2025. It filed a pre-tax profit of €8m (about £7m).
How many people work at Hostelworld?
Hostelworld Group PLC reported 260 employees in the year to December 2025.
Who runs Hostelworld?
The Companies House register lists 8 current officers for Hostelworld Group PLC. The full list, with appointment dates, is on the Companies House register.
- Figures come from Hostelworld Group PLC's filings at Companies House, company number 09818705, for the period shown at the top of the page.
- These are group accounts: they include the companies it owns.
- Pre-tax profit is the figure the company filed, for both years.
- A figure the filing does not disclose is shown as n/d. A zero in the filing is treated as not disclosed, never as nil.
- Rounding: below £0.1m in thousands, from £0.1m to £2m to one decimal place, from £2m to the nearest million.
- Ownership is shown in the control bands the register of people with significant control uses, not as exact shareholdings.
- Officers' names and appointment dates come from the Companies House register. Job titles come from the company's own website. The description of what the company does comes from its website, or is marked Spark Intel editorial where it is written from stable, checked facts, with the date either way.
Spark Intel, “Hostelworld: who owns it, who runs it and what the accounts show”, updated 6 November 2026. https://www.spark-intel.co.uk/companies/hostelworld/. Figures from Companies House filings for HOSTELWORLD GROUP PLC (09818705).
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