Generator Hostels

Are you arriving with your family or your lover, or are you a solitary vagabond who likes to connect with other travellers? A backpack-friendly walk from trains and airport buses, Generator caters to anyone who doesn’t want to spend their entire travel budget on lodging. But the informal approach is what really marks Generator out; it’s actually a chain that’s been gradually expanding across Europe since 1997. More hostel than hotel, Generator is certainly young, both literally and figuratively speaking. The entire interior feels freshly made, from the lobby with its miscellany of wing chairs, diner booths and a communal table to eat or work at, to the rooms, which are tastefully simple whether they’re dorms for six strangers or traditional doubles. A surfing aesthetic of sorts pervades the décor: colours are muted, wood and plastic dominate – as in the fantastic red plastic cube modules that contain some of the bathrooms. Rooms have no TVs, but plenty of power points to charge your devices. Some nights there’s a DJ on hand to set the atmosphere in the bar. And around the clock there’s the warmth and unaffected good vibes of the young staff.