FreeGuides for hostels
Give every guest a private group chat with the people staying with you, a What’s On full of pub crawls and day trips, walking tours that start at your door and a receptionist that answers at 3am. All from one QR code, in their language.
From A$36/month for 60 beds · Never more than A$400 · See plans →Used by over 100 hostels, including St Christopher’s Inns, Ostello Bello, Yellow Square and Flying Pig.
Trusted by leading hotel groups and hostels worldwide
Sound familiar?
Solo travellers want to meet people but don’t know where to start.
Posters on the wall and a shout at reception don’t reach everyone.
The same questions at 3am, in a dozen languages.
Backpackers skip paid tours and miss the city you know.
A stay with FreeGuides
Checked in online before they arrived, then door codes, lockers, kitchen hours and Wi-Fi on their phone, in their language.
They see who else is staying and tonight’s plan pinned at the top.
A self-guided tour of your neighbourhood that finishes at your bar.
Bought on their phone, checked in at the door with RSVP scanning.
Removed at midnight on check-out day, with your guide still in their browser as a souvenir.
What you get
Only current guests can join, and they’re removed automatically at midnight on their check-out date. Phone numbers are never shared, and any guest can report a message, which blurs it for everyone until staff review it.
How guest group chat works →
Pub crawls, cooking classes and BBQs sit alongside free walking tours, day trips and shows that fill the free time automatically, with commission on partner bookings. Sell tickets to your own events through Stripe and check guests in with a browser-based RSVP scanner.
How events and excursions works →
We build three self-guided tours from your door. Use a real staff photo and voice for the guide, and finish the route at the bar for a social end to the day.
How self-guided walking tours works →
Eli answers door codes, kitchen hours and “where’s the nearest supermarket?” 24/7 in the guest’s language, and hands real problems to staff.
How Eli works →
Guests send their details and arrival time before they arrive, buy breakfast or a late check-out, and add nights from their phone, all written into your PMS. Beds and keys stay with your team. Rolling out now on Mews, with Cloudbeds next.
How the PMS integration works →
Plans and pricing
Plans start at A$36 a month for a 60-bed hostel. Your price depends on your number of beds and your location, and is never more than A$400 a month.
FromA$36 / month
for 60 beds
Get your priceFromA$73 / month
for 60 beds
FromA$145 / month
for 60 beds
Contact us
For groups and chains, priced together
Free to set up, and your 10-day free trial starts once guests are scanning your QR codes. Save up to 30% with a longer term paid up front, and pay in your own currency.
Door codes, kitchen rules, lockers and check-out, answered before guests reach the desk.
Pub crawls, free walking tours and day trips on one What’s On, with commission on partner bookings.
See which events, tours and tips guests actually use.
A guest-only chat that empties itself at check-out. Replaces the WhatsApp group.
Your team’s cheap eats, bars and viewpoints on one map.
Walking tours that start at your door and end at your bar.
Online check-in and extra nights from the guest’s phone, written into your PMS.
Promote tonight’s happy hour, breakfast and late check-out at the right time.
A night receptionist that answers in every language.
What it could earn you
Estimated value every month with Premium
A$1,874
Plan price for 60 beds at Australia’s bed rates; your location can move it. Not counted: upgrades, late check-outs and extra nights sold through your PMS, which depend on your own prices.
Every figure comes from our deliberately conservative model. Partner commission on excursions, tours and activities is 5%, about A$3 a booking.
| Feature | What it does for you | How we got the number | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital compendium | SavesPrinting and reprinting compendiums | Binders, in-room cards and menu reprints, ~A$45 a month | A$45 |
| SavesFront-desk time on repeat questions | 6 hours a month of "what time is checkout, where is the laundry" | A$180 | |
| Bookable activities | EarnsCommission on tours and experiences | 4% of guests book, ~A$3 commission a booking (5%) | A$54 |
| Events & excursions | EarnsCommission on excursions, tours and shows | 8% of guests book one from your What’s On, ~A$3 commission a booking (5%) | A$108 |
| SavesThird-party ticketing fees | Stripe-ticketed in platform instead of an events platform’s cut | A$25 | |
| SavesSign-up sheets, reminders and door lists | 3 hours a month of manual RSVP wrangling | A$90 | |
| Guest group chat | EarnsBar and event spend from guests who met each other | Guests who connect stay in and spend in-house | A$113 |
| SavesRunning and cleaning up WhatsApp groups | 4 hours a month adding, removing and moderating | A$120 | |
| Local recommendations | SavesWriting and reprinting local tips | 2 hours a month keeping the local list current | A$60 |
| Self-guided walking tours | SavesStaff walking guests around the neighbourhood | 3 hours a month of staff-led orientation | A$90 |
| Upsell pop-ups & offers | EarnsUpsells: late checkout, breakfast, transfers | 3% of guests take an offer, ~A$22 margin each | A$297 |
| SavesA separate guest-messaging tool | Replaces a A$70/month campaign or messaging subscription | A$70 | |
| Eli | EarnsUpsells Eli closes out of hours | Answers and sells at 2am, when the desk is closed | A$203 |
| SavesFront-desk and night-shift questions answered for you | 14 hours a month of questions Eli handles in the guest’s language | A$420 |
Guest bookings a month = beds × occupancy × 30 ÷ average stay. Estimates, not a promise: your numbers depend on your guests, your city and how you use the platform. All figures in Australian dollars.
Why FreeGuides
The group chat and pinned daily schedule get guests talking before they reach the bar.
Guest-only, auto-removal at check-out, private phone numbers and one-tap reporting.
Ticketed events, excursion commission, extra nights and a busier bar.
Built with hostel groups across Europe and Australia, with member rates for Europe’s Famous Hostels and NAHA.
How it compares
| Capability | FreeGuides | WhatsApp group | Noticeboard | Front desk only |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Only current guests can join, removed at check-out | Yes | PartlyBy hand | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Guest phone numbers stay private | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Sell tickets and check guests in | Yes | No | No | Partly |
| Answers questions 24/7 in the guest’s language | Yes | No | No | PartlyNight shift |
| Self-guided walking tours | Yes | No | No | No |
| Excursions and day trips that earn you commission | Yes | No | Partly | Partly |
| Online check-in, straight into your PMS | Yes | No | No | No |
| See what guests engage with | Yes | No | No | No |
YesPartlyNoNot applicable
Getting started
Two minutes: your property’s name, address and website.
Your compendium, local map, activities and first three walking tours.
Check it over, add your photos and tone of voice, and switch on what you need.
200 QR stickers are free; stands and key cards if you want them.
Guests scan; you see scans, clicks and revenue in your dashboard and a monthly report.
They scan the QR code and tap the chat button. They can read messages straight away and join to reply.
Guests are removed automatically at midnight on their check-out date, so the chat is always the people staying with you now.
Yes. Set a price, connect Stripe, and guests buy from their phone. Recurring events and RSVP check-in are built in.
Yes. Staff can join in staff mode, schedule announcements and pin the day’s plan.
Yes. It’s rolling out now on Mews: online check-in, breakfast and late check-out sales and extra nights, all written into Mews. Cloudbeds is next.
Yes. Members get their association’s rate on every plan, applied to the account by our team.
Hostel plans depend on your number of beds and your location, so a small hostel pays little. A 60-bed hostel in Australia pays A$36 for Basic, A$73 for Standard and A$145 for Premium a month, and no hostel pays more than A$400. Create your own demo or book a meeting for your exact price.
Basic: digital compendium, events & excursions and analytics dashboard. Standard adds guest group chat. Premium adds local recommendations map, self-guided walking tours, PMS integration & online check-in (rolling out now), upsell pop-ups & offers and the AI receptionist Eli. Group: everything in Premium, plus shared branding, brand compliance, group analytics, shared ESG goals, shared loyalty, group billing and group insights across your properties, priced together.
Prices follow your number of beds and your location, with a monthly cap, so a large hostel never pays more than A$400 a month.
Yes. Setting up is free, and your 10-day free trial starts once guests are scanning your QR codes. You choose a plan after that.
No. Pay month to month and cancel any time, or commit for 6 months to 3 years for 5% to 20% off. Paying a year up front takes off another 10%.
Yes. 200 QR stickers are free. Wooden stands and key cards are available if you want them.
Tell us about your property in two minutes and we’ll build your own demo: your compendium, local map, AI receptionist and first walking tours. Prefer to talk it through? Book a meeting with the team.
