About us

Our properties

We own, operate and partner with a diverse range of properties across Australia offering private and co-living accommodation with facilities like on-site pools, kitchens and open-air rooftops. We create unique, sustainable spaces with just the right amount of modern comfort in safe, welcoming environments - giving you the freedom to explore.

We don’t believe in ‘one size fits all’, and from thriving city destinations to off-the-beaten-path locations, there is something for everyone - whether you live here or are just visiting. Imagine enjoying Opera House views on the YHA Sydney Harbour rooftop or sleeping in a prison cell in the historic Fremantle Prison or hiking back to eco-friendly lodging in the heart of a National Park. 

Our property staff are hosts, guides, and most importantly, local mates, helping to connect you to our destinations, cultures and experiences - ensuring that you feel part of the local community and make the most of your trip.

Currently, we have a network of 40 properties across the country and are part of the global organisation Hostelling International (HI) – a network of over 3,000 unique places to stay in more than 70 countries. 

Our origins

Over a hundred years ago, the origins of the global youth hostel movement were founded in rural Germany, when schoolteacher Richard Schirrmann took some students on an excursion to the countryside. The first permanent hostel (which is still operating today, at Altena Castle) was established soon after, in 1912. 

In 1932, the global network of not-for-profit youth hostel associations, Hostelling International (HI), was formed. Momentum grew, and the first YHA hostel in Australia opened in 1939 in Warrandyte, Victoria. It wasn’t long before budget accommodation was being provided across the country to bring young people together in the great outdoors. Over the decades hostels began springing up in the city as well as the bush transforming humble beginnings into Australia’s largest, most loved accommodation network for independent travellers.

Today, YHA Australia provides a variety of accommodation options to students, digital nomads, work & holiday makers, families and the young at heart - anyone with a spirit of adventure - to keep exploring and sharing the joy of travel with a like-minded community.  

Our governance

YHA Ltd, trading as YHA Australia, is not-for-profit that has a Board of Directors and holds an Annual General Meeting. The Board is the governing body of the organisation and is made up of ordinary members usually serving for three-year terms.

The primary focus of the Board is the long-term sustainability of YHA, including setting strategic direction, overseeing development of the network, ensuring that appropriate risk management and people management systems are in place, and enshrining YHA’s mission and core values in all aspects of the organisation’s activities.