The Best Hostels in Montreal, Canada

This hip hostel has a choice of bunk dorms and private rooms, all with a classy look with dark-wood floors and headboards resembling Japanese shoji screens. The wooden roof deck is a great place to hang with fellow travelers, whether in the open-air hot tub or a table over some drinks, while indoor communal areas include a pool table and a bar where regular happy hours and cocktail classes are held.

Nestled between the Latin Quarter, Old Town and Gay Village, the Alexandrie features homey, traditional dorms and private rooms, with metal bunks or wooden beds, desks and cozy armchairs. There’s a large kitchen where you can cook and chat with your fellow guests; communal dinners are a sociable affair, and are normally followed by drinks before group nights out in the epic Montreal nightlife.

Perched on the Old Port, overlooking the St Lawrence River, Auberge Saint-Paul combines the vibe of a modern hostel with period architectural touches – rough-hewn stone walls can be found in the basic but comfortable dorms, and in the common areas, where pizza nights and drinks evenings are great ways to make friends. Famous sights within easy reach include Bonsecours Market and the Notre Dame Basilica.

A meeting point for backpackers from across the world, this vibrant place has everything you’d want from a hostel. Six- to eight-bed dorms have individual lockers and reading lights, while private rooms come with ensuite bathrooms and kitchens. From guided tours of the Old Town to barbecue nights and concerts on the roof terrace, there’s no end of activities at this friendly hostel.

The unpretentious, comfortable dorms at Auberge L’Apéro, set in an old greystone building dating from the 1880s, make the perfect base from which to explore the historic and cultural sights and vibrant nightlife of downtown Montreal. The Old Port and Notre Dame Basilica are both nearby, and also not to be missed is Mount Royal, the grassy hill after which Montreal is named.

This stylish hostel has a rugged, rustic feel to it, with wooden floors and rough-hewn furniture in the private rooms – an aesthetic which extends to the dorms, with four- and six-bed options available. The onsite café is a great place to kick back with a coffee during the day or a local craft beer with fellow travelers in the evening, while the Museum of Fine Arts is among the attractions within easy reach.

Run by travelers for travelers, the backpacker spirit abounds at Samesun, from the sociable kitchen where you can prepare dinner with your new friends to the garden bar, where coffee and drinks are served in booths beside trellises crawling with ivy. Private rooms and dorms are available; walls are decorated with the fleur-de-lis symbol that adorns the Montreal flag.

Housed in a historic warehouse dating to 1875, this property is rich in character, and wears its heritage well in exposed, rough stone walls, rugged, wood floors and industrial pillars. Owing to the unique nature of the building, the private rooms and dormitories are all different, but all share a cheerful color scheme and are comfortable. Musical performances are held regularly in the common area.