Safestay Holland Park, London

Safestay has a reputation for opening stylish affordable hostels inside interesting buildings, but this new one really raises the bar. Within easy reach of attractions such as the Natural History Museum and Portobello Market, this is a Jacobean mansion dating back to 1605 and has courtyard garden, stone mullions, leaded lights and a squat 1950s annexe – OK, you can’t have everything. But Safestay has even turned this to its advantage: the somewhat unattractive addition is a modernistic home to a lounge, cafe and pool room with views of the Grade I-listed main building. This follows the usual pattern: dorms have bunkbeds with lockers, curtains and reading lights – all very neat and efficient – if there are three of you, take a triple-decker. For the price in this location, it is exceptional.
• Dorm bed from £15, four-bed private room from £80, safestay.com

YHA Boggle Hole, North Yorkshire

The long lane that leads to this hostel drops into an ever-narrower wooded valley. Waves can be heard smashing on rocks, maybe the cries of peregrine falcons swooping overhead, then the old mill appears, a lovely honey stone building far too large for this narrow gorge. Boggle Hole youth hostel is unusual for its position: at low tide you can fossick for miles along the shore – keeping an eye on the tide – as far as the seal colony at Ravenscar to the south, or to Robin Hood’s Bay to the north (for Whitby the cliff path is safer). The recently refurbished hostel mixes original features such as old timbers and brickwork with nautical memorabilia to create a fun look. There’s a cosy cafe bar with log-burner and plenty of board games and books.

• Dorm bed from £20, four-bed family room from £79, yha.org.uk/hostel/boggle-hole

YHA Wasdale Hall, Cumbria

After a hike over the central massif of the Lake District there are worse places to land than this 200-year-old pile in a prime spot on the shores of Wastwater. There’s no Wi-Fi, television or mobile phone coverage, so unexpected social encounters are pretty much guaranteed – perhaps in the lounge, with its log fire and leather chesterfields. There is also a bar, dining room, well-equipped games room and a variety of rooms sleeping four or more. Outside there is the lake, of course, plus attractions like Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway or Grizedale Forest with its Go Ape tree-top adventure park. Challenge the children to climb Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain, and try to see Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man in one magnificent panorama.
• Dorm bed from £18.50, family room for four from £79, yha.org.uk/hostel/wasdale-hall

YHA Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland

With its cafe-bistro, art gallery, live music and comedy nights, this is a hip hostel in a handy location – Northumberland’s border town is less than four hours by train from London and handy for sandy beaches, fishing villages and castles. Take the Arriva bus 418 to visit Bamburgh castle or kipper-scented Craster, or jump on a bike to explore the many coast and countryside routes that start from the town. Some en suite family rooms have double beds.
• Dorm bed from £8, family room for four from £35, yha.org.uk/hostel/berwick

YHA Brighton

A glamorous take on the budget break, this three-storey hostel in a Regency building in central Brighton was once a four-star hotel – so the smart bathrooms, bold decor and licensed cafe-bar far exceed what you’d expect at this price. A couple of family rooms have double beds, others have bunks and all are en suite. The amusements of Brighton pier and eclectic shopping in The Lanes are minutes’ walk away, and the South Downs national park is on the doorstep.
• Dorm bed from £13, family room for four from £95, yha.org.uk/hostel/brighton

YHA Eden Project, Cornwall

Sleeping in a recycled shipping container may not be everyone’s idea of bliss, but these compact heated “snoozeboxes” (with en suite bathroom, aircon and television) are cosy, eco-friendly and a short walk from the biome-enclosed rainforests of the Eden Project. The reception marquee has a licensed cafe, but self-catering facilities are limited to microwaves – though the Eden Kitchen is open lunchtime and some evenings. Book tickets for the Eden Project when you book your room for discounted unlimited entry.
• No dorms, Snoozebox for four from £55, yha.org.uk/hostel/eden-project

YHA Hartington Hall, Derbyshire

This 17th-century manor is family-friendly outside as well as in, with wooden play equipment, spacious grounds and pet goats. Inside, there’s wood panelling, stone floors and cosy wood-burners in the restaurant, bar and library. There’s a games room, drying room and excellent facilities for cyclists: with the Tissington, Manifold and High Peak trails on the doorstep, this is one of the best places in Britain for off-road biking. Chatsworth House and Alton Towers aren’t far away.
• Dorm bed from £17, family room for four from £49, yha.org.uk/hostel/hartington-hall

Lochranza Hostel, Isle of Arran

Arran is known as “Scotland in miniature” for its accessible hills, beaches, woodlands and wildlife – all less than two hours from Glasgow. The hostel lies at its wilder northern end on the banks of Loch Ranza, overlooking a ruined 13th-century castle. Walk the Arran Coastal Way or take the Lochranza ferry to Kintyre (and walk to Skipness Seafood Cabin for lunch). Look out for otters in the bay, red deer in the hills and golden eagles in the sky. Unlike English and Welsh YHAs, this simply furnished hostel accepts dogs.
• Dorm bed from £12, family room from £64, weekends only in winter, 01770 830631, syha.org.uk/where-to-stay/islands/lochranza

YHA Poppit Sands, Pembrokeshire

You won’t believe the view from this hillside hostel near the northern end of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. It overlooks Blue Flag Poppit Sands, a lifeguarded dune-backed beach on the Teifi estuary. Set in five acres of grounds, the hostel is reached via 50 steep steps from the car park. It’s self-catering only, but there are plenty of cafes in nearby Cardigan (including a “pizza tipi” on the quay in summer), where you can also join a boat trip to spot dolphins and porpoises in the bay.
• Dorm beds from £18.50, family room for five from £78.50, March-October only, yha.org.uk/hostel/poppit-sands

YHA Snowdon Pen y Pass, Gwynedd

A former Victorian hotel frequented by climbers (George Mallory stayed here while training for his doomed 1924 Everest attempt) has been transformed by a £1.3m refurbishment into a bright and modern hub. You don’t have to be a serious walker to enjoy the scenery: even young hikers can manage the lower part of the Miners’ Track up Snowdon, which starts outside the door. You’ll need six hours to do the summit (see eryri-npa.gov.uk), but the less active can catch the Snowdon Sherpa bus to Llanberis (in season) to ride the Snowdon Mountain Railway.
• Dorm bed from £16, family room for four from £65, yha.org.uk/hostel/snowdon-pen-y-pass

For all YHA hostels listed here, phone 01629 592700