Since 1931, YHA’s network has included hostels run by private owners. Today, franchises are an important part of our network make up, as they are in the international hostelling movement. For many years, YHA has achieved growth in income and impact through a mix of YHA-owned and franchised hostels.
Here we celebrate some of the franchise hostels already on the map.
YHA Youlgreave
One of the newest members of the franchise network is YHA Youlgreave in the beautiful Peak District National Park.
Owner Colin Trigg shares his experience with us.
“Two years ago I bought the YHA at Youlgreave. When I bought the youth hostel it was obviously to continue running it under the YHA franchise scheme. The support I’ve had is fantastic. YHA will take all the bookings for me and tell me who is coming and on what days. I’m able to do the bits that I’m good at and YHA do all the bits that I wouldn’t know how to do. I can’t praise YHA enough for the support they’ve given me.”
The hostel, based in an old Co-op store, runs an independent bakery with fantastic freshly baked sourdough bread, ciabatta and delicious cakes, with wonderful coffee to boot. There is a super communal area, second-hand books are available to read during your stay and if you don’t quite finish them, you can take them home for a couple of pounds. Breakfast and lunch are available in the café but as expected in a YHA hostel, there is also a great self-catering kitchen for guests who’d like to make their own meals. You’ll also find a drying room, packed lunches and friendly hosts plus fabulous recommendations for local walks and pubs.
YHA Skiddaw Bunkhouse
Britain’s highest hostel YHA Skiddaw Bunkhouse is on the Cumbria Way, surrounded by mountains and only accessible by mountain bike or foot. As you walk through the door, a warm, friendly welcome awaits, from Sue, the hostel owner. It’s back to basics with no mains electricity, phone signal, TV or internet. Solar panels provide light and hot water, while wood-burning stoves provide the only heating. A proper off-grid experience.
YHA Ingleton
At YHA Ingleton you’ll find a large Victorian house situated on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, in the pretty village of Ingleton. Surrounded by magnificent countryside and mountains, the area is known for its walking routes and striking caves, with a famous waterfall trail that begins in the village. Run by a small, friendly team with a love of the outdoors and full of knowledge and recommendations for great walking and biking routes in the area.
YHA Alnwick
Once the town’s Victorian Court House, YHA Alnwick, is located in the medieval town of Alnwick. The grade ll listed building was formerly the town’s court, gaol and police station and full of historical interest. It’s an ideal base for a visit to Alnwick Castle, which is a short walk away and featured in the early Harry Potter films as Hogwarts. The hostel is just four miles from the fabulous Northumberland coast and its glorious unspoilt beaches. Staff will be more than happy to help with information about attractions, days out, walks and transport links.
YHA Cotswolds
Right in the heart of Roman market town Cirencester, the ‘capital’ of the Cotswolds, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is where you’ll find YHA Cotswolds. Part of New Brewery Arts next door, there is a wonderful cafe serving delicious breakfasts, lunches, coffee and homemade cakes. New Brewery Arts also runs a programme of exhibitions and workshops throughout the year.
YHA Hawes
Another great franchise hostel is YHA Hawes. Just a couple of minutes’ walk from the centre of Hawes, England’s highest market town, it boasts the most wonderful views across the Dales. The hostel also has a fantastic reputation for its Wensleydale cooked breakfasts, a great communal area with board games and a guitar for those interested in a sing-along, plus a great self-catering kitchen. Set in a stunning location in a lovely old Dales village, there’s Wensleydale creamery and Hardraw Force Waterfall close by, which are a must-visit when staying. A great base for cyclists with its on-site cycle store and with lots of walks from the front door for hikers, there is no surprise it won a Tripadvisor Travellers Choice Award in 2023.
Hostel owner, David Miller, a headteacher of a special educational needs school, is passionate about work experience placements for young people with learning disabilities and becoming a hostel owner means he can put into place opportunities for young people with learning difficulties. He told The Yorkshire Post,
“I know from my work as a head teacher that workplace opportunities for young people with learning difficulties are nowhere near as widely available as they should be. At YHA Hawes we hope to be one of the few businesses linking up with SEND schools and colleges nationally to provide short and long-term placements for 18-25-year-olds in areas such as housekeeping, catering and grounds maintenance. This kind of opportunity can be transformational for the lives of these young people, and I see this as my chance to create something really positive.”
YHA Okehampton
Based on the edge of Dartmoor is YHA Okehampton, an old railway goods shed converted into a modern hostel. It’s a fantastic base for exploring the wilds of the moors, great for cyclists and you can take a walk along The Tarka Trail right from the front door. The staff at Okehampton offer over 20 activities for family adventure breaks, so you know you’ll have fun whilst you’re there!
YHA Wooler
Set on the outskirts of the Northumberland National Park in the picturesque market town of Wooler, this youth hostel is the ideal location for exploring the delights of Northumberland and the Borders. YHA Wooler has operated as a franchise hostel since 2018. You can stay in the homely hostel or try one of the unique and fully-equipped Shepherd’s Huts — painstakingly created by local craftsmen. Built as a former Land Army Girls’ hostel during WWII, the Land Girls who stayed here are not forgotten, their names, pictures and stories live on through interpretation boards in the hostel.
Interested in running a hostel with us?
All the above-mentioned hostels are run as part of YHA’s franchise model, where owners have successfully balanced local independence and entrepreneurialism with the support, strengths and reputation of a nationally recognised charity — bringing the best of both worlds together. Building on the success of this approach, we’re looking for new partners to take over the running of sites we’ve identified as best suited to a renewed franchise model.
This is an exciting opportunity for local people, communities, partners and enterprising individuals to acquire the sites and, working with YHA, provide brilliant accommodation under the youth hostelling umbrella.
The current list of properties available are on the Sidney Phillips website.
Discover more about YHA.
