The Yard Hostel
The 9.0-rated design hostel where vintage Sicilian palazzo meets self-catered backpacker base
A 9.0-rated design hostel a five-minute walk from Catania Centrale station and the ALIBUS airport stop, in a converted historic palazzo with a vintage retro aesthetic that has become its signature. Big shared kitchen, garden, terrace, and a small bar with a happy-hour-priced spritz at 19h.
The Yard Hostel sits on Viale XX Settembre, a tree-lined boulevard between Catania Centrale station and the Villa Bellini gardens. The building is a 1920s palazzo with high ceilings, mosaic floors, and the kind of curved Liberty-style ironwork balcony you stop to photograph. Inside, the owners have committed to a vintage-retro aesthetic: 1970s armchairs in the lounge, brass desk lamps, mismatched ceramic plates in the kitchen, and walls of black-and-white Etna photography. The look is intentional and consistent — Federico's Booking review calls it 'beautifully curated, with a stunning vintage retro aesthetic that makes every corner feel intentional'.
Dorms are 4-, 6-, and 8-bed configurations, each with privacy curtains, individual lockers, reading lights, and USB sockets. Bathrooms are shared but well-multiplied (one per ~4 beds) and stay clean — Marcus from Germany flagged 'exceptionally clean bathrooms' which is rare praise for a 540-review hostel. Private twins and doubles are available too at €60-70 in shoulder season.
The location is half the value: 5 minutes' walk to the ALIBUS airport bus stop, 10 minutes to Piazza Stesicoro and Via Etnea, 12 to Piazza del Duomo. Day-trips to Etna, Taormina, and Syracuse all leave from within 5 minutes' walk. The Plaja beach is 20 minutes by the 538 bus.
The shared kitchen is huge — gas stove, two ovens, full pots-and-pans drawer, espresso moka included. The bar opens at 19h with a happy-hour spritz, and the staff often run an informal walking-tour in the morning that ends at La Pescheria fish market. Garden and terrace upstairs catch the late-afternoon sun and have Etna views on clear days.
- 01The Liberty-style ironwork on the front balcony makes the building one of the few you stop to photograph on Viale XX Settembre
- 02Privacy curtains, individual lockers, USB sockets, and reading lights in every dorm bunk — small things that quietly raise the rating to 9.0
- 03The kitchen is genuinely usable for cooking (not just reheating) — gas hob, two ovens, properly stocked drawer with knives that cut
- 04Happy-hour spritz at 19h is €4 instead of €7-8 in the Via Etnea bars three blocks away
- 05Federico's Booking review nails it: 'beautifully curated, with a vintage retro aesthetic that makes every corner feel intentional'
- 9.0 rating across 540 reviews — the highest of Catania's true backpacker hostels
- 1920s palazzo with curated vintage-retro aesthetic
- 5-minute walk to ALIBUS airport stop and Catania Centrale (Etna, Taormina, Syracuse trains)
- Big shared kitchen with gas stove, ovens, espresso moka, and a stocked pots-and-pans drawer
“The best hostel I have ever stayed in. Spacious, beautifully curated, clean, with a stunning vintage retro aesthetic that makes every corner feel intentional and full of character. The staff are incredibly warm and helpful — they recommended Pasticceria Spinella for granita, which was perfect.”
“Exceptionally clean bathrooms, very spacious dorm with lockers available. Good location for both the city and the railway station — important for daily excursions to Etna and Taormina. Nice social area downstairs (still quiet enough to work in the morning).”
“Great location — about a 5min walk to the ALIBUS bus stop for the airport, and an easy stroll into the city centre. The bed was big and really comfy, even though it's a dorm. Both the room and shared bathroom were spotless when I arrived.”
- Catania Centrale station (Taormina/Syracuse trains)400 m
- ALIBUS airport stop (Piazza della Repubblica)350 m
- Piazza Stesicoro + Roman amphitheatre650 m
- Via Etnea (main shopping & aperitivo strip)500 m
- Piazza del Duomo + La Pescheria fish market1.1 km
- Villa Bellini gardens300 m
