About A&O Hostels Essen (and vicinity)
A&O Hostels is a hostel chain based in Berlin. Founder Oliver Winter came up with this idea when he had several trips through Europe in the 1990s. In Germany, there were hostels that were mostly located in suburban or rural areas and they only accommodated members of the German Youth Hostel Association. That was obviously not traveler-friendly. In the first year of the 21st century, Winter and his landlord Michael Kluge first opened the A&O Hostel in Berlin Friedrichshain. They started with 164 beds which they doubled the following year. Beginning 2002, they started expanding their operations - new hostels in Berlin and new houses in Prague, Hamburg, and Munich in 2005.
That quick extension of operations paved the way for their yearly subsidiary additions mostly in Germany but also in surrounding countries. Like every idea that was born from the good intention of making something more accommodating, the company had to handle a lawsuit against the DHJ, the German Youth Hostel Association. It was a 5-year lawsuit that constantly placed the company in headlines until they won the case in 2009. Just like the usual ending, of course, the good guys brought home the victory. Until now, the company is establishing more hostels across Europe.
