a&o Hostels

About a&o Hostels

We’re a bit different! a&o hostels is known for its unconventional and innovative approach. We don’t care how well you fit in – we value individuality and the strengths, ideas and perspectives that different people bring to our teams. We place the utmost importance on treating one another fairly, with respect and responsibility. We want both our guests and our staff to feel this. Because working together not only makes the job much more enjoyable, but also makes success all the sweeter. How do we achieve this? We foster an open corporate culture with flat hierarchies, open doors and a friendly, informal ‘you’. Our teams are as colourful as the rainbow – this not only makes our day-to-day work more varied, but often marks the start of long-lasting friendships. Since our foundation in 2000 by Oliver Winter, we have grown to over 40 hostels across most of Europe’s major cities – and we’re far from finished! New a&o locations are already in the pipeline. Our guests are just as diverse as our teams – from school groups and families to backpackers, business travellers and the over-50s, we welcome a wide variety of people. But how does it work? As a combination of hostel and hotel, we make travel accessible to everyone. This, coupled with fair prices and city-centre locations, helps us fulfil our mission: Everyone can travel. With meeting rooms, a breakfast buffet, a lobby, bars and, of course, clean rooms and excellent service, there’s something for everyone. a&o hostels as an employer: Since our foundation, everyone has been welcome at a&o – no matter where you’re from, your gender, your sexual orientation, your beliefs or your cultural background. On the one hand, a&o offers many students the opportunity to earn some money through a part-time job whilst studying; this often leads to subsequent full-time employment. However, it’s also possible to join us directly in a full-time role, both at individual locations and at our head office in Berlin. At many locations, we’re a reliable partner for work-study programmes (BA in Tourism Management). We also regularly offer talented young people the chance to take part in management training, which prepares them for future leadership roles. Our corporate culture is characterised by flat hierarchies, an open-door policy, a friendly, informal atmosphere and great benefits: ranging from generous staff discounts, through travel passes and a loyalty bonus, to support for mental wellbeing. Our staff enjoy a high degree of personal responsibility and trust. We have been awarded 4 stars by the BundesForum Kinder- und Jugendreisen e.V., meet the TÜV quality standard for youth hostels and have been awarded the quality seal for youth travel by the Deutsches Reisenetz; furthermore, a&o hostels is ISO 9001 certified. For several years running, the a&o Group has received the Double A Rating from the TREUGAST Solutions Group. a&o hostels is actively committed to sport and education and has been supporting SOS Children’s Villages since 2004, the youth teams of 1. FC Union Berlin since 2010, and the youth teams of SK Sturm Graz since 2014. We’re also big fans of ice hockey – we support Eisbären Berlin as well.