Re-Generator: Hostel given boutique hotel makeover

Originally opened in 1995, the Generator Hostel London was a hostel by name and by nature – with metal bunks and dingy showers – the typical European backpacker hostel experience. But as the company has opened more locations across Europe, it has re-invented itself as a purveyor of hip hospitality. Design is now at the forefront in the refurbished London flagship hostel, which has small but stylised bedrooms, a large bar and a separate lounge area with a piano as well as a café. The communal spaces all have individual quirks and offer guests plenty of variety and increase the opportunities for socialising inside the hostel. 

The rise of the Designer Bunks trend means that hostels can no longer consider design as an after-thought. Generator London’s refurbishment shows that even budget consumers want an illusion of affluence, and style and design add a lot of product value to an otherwise basic offer.