It was August 2013, when Zostel’s seeds of travelling were first sown in the soil of the vibrant blue city of Jodhpur. From then to now, we have grown to a family of 95+ stays across India and Nepal. But through all these years, what was happening behind the screens?

Zostel holds the incontestable achievement of opening a first-ever hostel accommodation in 80% of the locations where we’re currently situated. This feat was borne from a collective effort of our Zostel teams, and at its forefront was the quirky quintuplet of the Supply Team.

Humble Beginnings with Zostel Jodhpur

The first ever Zostel was helmed by a close-knit team that consisted of two of our seven founders and a few more Zostel superheroes. Anirudh, who was the foundational member of the Zostel supply team, also played the role of the property manager at Zostel Jodhpur. It was a 4 BHK property on the rooftop of a hotel, but throughout its time, it garnered much love from travellers. It was also a time when, for maintenance and management, the central team was all hands on deck. Two of our co-founders, Chetan Singh Chauhan and Abhishek Bhutra, stayed at the property while the other founders completed their MBAs.

Soon after Jodhpur, we marked our presence in Jaipur, Udaipur, Varanasi, Agra, and Goa, and in 2014, we finally made it to the capital too. It might be news to some, but Zostel made a short debut in international waters with Hanoi & Dalat in Vietnam in 2015. However, due to communication and operational challenges, these plans remained short-lived.

Glimpses from the first ever Zostel in Jodhpur 

2015: Zostel Franchises and Bringing YOU In

Little did we know, the adventures of Zostel had just begun. First to the party, our Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP) kicked off in 2015. Under this program, we called budding entrepreneurs to live an out-of-the-ordinary life by opening a Zostel Franchise. In the first round of EDP, young folks from across the country set their heart on doing something special with their careers, and so we got our first set of 11 iconic franchises in Rishikesh, Goa, Ooty, Mysore, Gokarna, Jaisalmer, and more. Among all the destinations we launched that year, two stood out.

Bir: The Making of A Destination

A place only known among the paragliders back in 2015, Bir now makes a frequent appearance on the bucket lists of most backpackers. “It was our first Zostel launch at an offbeat location, and the entire team went for it. We actually got the welding work for the dorm beds done on the spot, and even carried an 8-ft long Zostel signboard in an HRTC bus all the way from Delhi to Bir.” recalls Akshat, who poured his heart in introducing the destination to an oblivious India.

After Zostel Plus Bir, Zostel made its appearance and brought tourism to umpteen little towns across the country, some of them being Vagamon, Shangarh, Rajgundha, Chitkul, Sangla, and Sissu. Soon after Zostel's arrival, these destinations became all the rage among backpackers, which also led to the development of tourism in the region.

Spiti: From Zostel’s History Books

The next stop was a place so remote that it posed sweet challenges for the team. Spiti, during those days, had no internet connectivity and no vendors. As a result, the supply team found itself hauling all the necessary resources all the way from Delhi to this remote village of Himachal Pradesh.

“To put it into perspective, this was in May, 2016. Zostel Spiti had made history to be Asia’s highest backpacker hostel, and our excitement was through the roof. But operating this property was no cakewalk. The guest list had to be made a day in advance, which we then shared with the on-ground team, who would prepare themselves for operations as per the communication from our Gurgaon headquarters. Due to this, same day bookings were not allowed, and walk-ins were the only exception.”

Today, Spiti ranks as one of the most coveted backpacking destinations in India. And the same hostel that we built in 2016, hosts thousands of travellers in Kaza each year, with a sprawling volleyball court, homely food, and a star-studded front yard each night.

The making of Zostel Manali’s iconic Garden Cafe 

Much of Zostel’s initial presence in Himachal Pradesh can be attributed to a single man, who not only opened his own Zostel Franchise, but inspired many more from the community to do the same. We’re talking about Ajay Negi, who is a proud owner of Zostel Spiti. In more recent years, Rajesh Thakur, another Himachali member in our supply team, followed the same journey to onboard umpteen Zostel Hostels and Homes in the region.

By the end of 2016 and with the help of round 2 of EDP, Zostel went live with 12 of its masterpieces including Udaipur, Kochi, Coorg, Mumbai, Panchgani, to name a few. This is also when we expanded our horizons to international borders with Kathmandu and Pokhara in Nepal. Our award-winning hostels in Nepal brought much traction to the brand, opening the doors for international travellers who had finally found a trusted and well-known hostel chain in the subcontinent.

The making of Zostel Plus Nainital 

Building a Home Away from Home

By 2018, the team had settled in with bringing exciting new hostels to host the world at our doorstep. It was a time when the itch to seek something new, do more, and give the world a whole new way of experiencing India was at its peak.

With the homestay industry budding during the time, Zostel introduced a brand new category of accommodation. This is how Zostel Homes was born with four beautiful homestays, of which Zostel Homes Laida and Zostel Homes Cheog continue to host couples, families, and backpackers to date.

Sapan, who has been a part of Zostel’s Supply Team since its foundation days, recalls, “The idea arose from traveller’s needs. The people who had been staying with us since 2014 and 2015 shared their inability to do so while travelling with their families.”

Some Recent “Additions”

In 2022, Zostel Plus made its debut, catering to travellers seeking premium accommodations. These were specially designed from the ground up to pamper travel needs based on exceptional locations and a top-notch Zosteling experience. Take, for instance, Lonavala.

A Recent Icon: Zostel Plus Lonavala

Now a popular stay among tourists across Maharashtra and beyond, Zostel Plus Lonavala was made with all the care and precision. “We made everything from scratch. Right from the room design to the layout of the campus, the team and the franchise partner created everything on an empty land, which had become our canvas in the few years of the property’s construction”, Sapan recalls.

Dream Team in the Making

In November 2021, Zostel’s Dream Team campaign was initiated under which a group of 20+ passionate individuals from the Northeast and Uttarakhand helped spread the word about Zostel’s franchise busines model and how to open a Zostel. And post the success of the Dream Team, Akash has taken over the role on his own. Our one-man dream team, Akash has been on the road for over a year and half now. And supporting him in his pursuits, Akshat and Geetika have been holding the fort at the HQ.

10 Years of Zostel

Like professional diamond graders, the supply team has poured their days and years into finding the best properties across India that can be carved into stunning gems. From mopping floors in Zostel Plus Wayanad to heavy lifting gravel in Zostel Manali, they have left no stone unturned.

Getting Zostel Plus Rishikesh (Mohanchatti) ready 

Now, with 10 years behind us, Zostel is well on its way to hitting a century with our number of stays across India and Nepal. Most of which is thanks to the passion and effort of these handful of Supply heroes, who have made it possible for each Zostel to feel like a home.

So, here’s to more stays, more travelling, and more adventures in the years to come.