In a hostel, the sums aren’t done by room but by bed, and that changes everything: a six-bed dormitory in a 24 square metre space costs between 1,100 and 1,900 euros per bed, including a compliant bunk, a personal locker, and a dedicated socket and light. We design in-house and manufacture through selected Italian workshops, with a single point of contact from site survey to sign-off, because in these properties sign-off covers bed compliance as well as looks.
Bunk beds and the standard that governs them
Bunk beds for shared use fall under UNI EN 747, which sets the parameters a bed either meets or fails: a top-bunk guard rail that rises at least 16 centimetres above the mattress, access gaps no more than 30 centimetres clear in height, gaps between elements calculated to prevent head and limb entrapment, and a ladder with non-slip rungs and a handrail. The mattress affects the measurement: fit a 20 cm one on a frame designed for a 14 cm mattress and the guard rail loses 6 useful centimetres, taking the bed out of compliance without anyone noticing until there’s an accident.
The frames we use are 40×40 tubular steel, 1.5 mm thick, powder-coated, with a stated load capacity of 200 kilograms per level and at least 100 centimetres of clear height between the lower bunk and the upper crossbar, so an adult can sit on the lower bed without hitting their head. There are more models, dimensions and checkpoints than you’d think, and bunk beds for hotels and hostels should always be chosen together with the mattress, never separately.
The bed as the unit of design
A dormitory guest sleeps in one square metre and lives in that square metre. What each person needs is small and non-negotiable: a Schuko socket and a USB-C outlet rated at least 20 watts, both reachable while lying down, an adjustable reading light that won’t wake the neighbour, a shelf for a phone and glasses, a towel hook, and a curtain to close off the bunk. Properties that cut corners on these details end up with multi-socket extension leads brought from home, cables running across the floor and reviews complaining about lack of privacy.
We decide socket positions at design stage, 20 centimetres above the mattress and on the pillow side: any lower and the cable is stretched taut, any higher and it’s visible, and the conduit runs inside the bunk’s upright. On how to size sockets and connectivity in a room, we’ve set out the criteria in USB and wifi sockets in rooms, which apply equally to dormitories with loads multiplied by six.
Lockers, locks and the question of luggage
The personal locker is the first thing a hostel guest looks for. The size that works is 30 cm wide, 50 cm deep and 180 cm tall, enough to stand a 60-litre backpack upright; below 45 cm of depth the backpack won’t fit and people leave luggage on the floor, which is exactly the problem the locker was meant to solve.
There are three lock options and we work with all of them: the guest’s own padlock through a reinforced eyelet, a mechanical combination lock, or an electronic lock with a badge or code synced to the PMS. Mechanical combination locks are the most common because they need no power, but they should always come with a service key for the manager, otherwise every forgotten code ends in a drill. Inside, we fit a high shelf and a socket, so a phone can charge securely.
What we build
Dormitories
UNI EN 747-compliant bunks in steel or timber, single and double, with curtains, a shelf, light, socket and integrated storage for every bed. Dormitories with 4, 6, 8 and 12 beds, with island layouts where the floor plan allows.
Pods and micro-living
Enclosed pods with a dividing wall, front or side access, dedicated ventilation and dimmable lighting. They take up more space per bed but raise the average rate enough to pay for themselves within two seasons in cities with strong demand.
Lockers and storage
Lockers in painted metal or HPL panel, from 30 to 45 centimetres wide, with mechanical or electronic locks, plus shelved luggage storage for early check-in. Luggage storage is a service that carries as much weight in reviews as breakfast does.
Shared kitchen and dining room
Equipped kitchens with steel worktops, cabinets for crockery, large tables with benches, lounge seating, low tables and floor sockets. A shared kitchen needs designing for the 7pm peak, not for average use.
Rooms and studios for student housing
A single 90×200 bed with storage, a 120×60 centimetre desk with cable management, a task chair, a bookcase and a wardrobe with a mirrored door. The desk is the piece students actually judge a room by, and below 120 centimetres of width, rooms let less easily.
Materials built for 300 nights a year
At 85% occupancy, a locker gets opened and closed around two thousand times in a season, and a shared table top takes knocks no hotel ever sees. We use panels with a class 3A textured melamine surface for abrasion resistance, 2 mm ABS edging on all sides, 10 or 12 mm compact HPL on worktops and shared kitchen splashbacks, and rounded edges on anything standing in a corridor.
Light, open-pore finishes don’t last in a hostel, and neither do glossy lacquers, which show every fingerprint and backpack scuff within six months. The surfaces that hold up best are deep-textured with an anti-fingerprint effect, because they hide micro-scratches instead of showing them off, and scratch-resistant finishes for hotel furniture differ precisely on abrasion class and how they behave with alcohol-based cleaning products.
Before you order: density, walkways, noise
How many beds fit in a dormitory isn’t decided by floor area alone but by local regulations, which typically require between 4 and 6 square metres per bed on top of a minimum ceiling height. Then there’s the night-time walkway: two facing bunks need at least 90 centimetres of clear space between them, and a ladder should never open out in front of the bathroom door. Noise is tackled with felt pads under the feet, gaskets on locker doors and heavy fabric curtains, not with signs asking for quiet.
Decisions about dormitories and shared spaces follow a precise logic, and furnishing a hostel across dormitories and communal areas shows where it pays to remove beds in exchange for a higher rate. Anyone working on university residences, by contrast, is thinking in terms of annual contracts, and furnishing student housing brings different requirements around desks, storage and specifications.
Send us the floor plans showing the number of beds per room: you’ll get back a quote for furnishing the hostel with cost per bed, specification and timings.
Frequently asked questions
Are the bunk beds compliant for shared use?
Yes, they meet UNI EN 747 for collective use, with verified guard rails, gaps between elements, ladder and load capacity. Compliance also depends on mattress thickness: we supply the bed and mattress as a matched combination and hand over the technical documentation for sign-off.
How much does it cost to furnish a hostel per bed?
Between 1,100 and 1,900 euros per bed in a dormitory, including the bunk, mattress, locker, and dedicated light and socket. Enclosed pods start at around 2,600 euros per bed. Communal areas are quoted separately and typically account for 20 to 25% of the project.
What lockers do you recommend for a hostel?
30 cm wide, 50 cm deep and 180 cm tall, so a large backpack fits upright. A mechanical combination lock with a service key for the manager is the most practical option; electronic locks make sense when linked to the property management system, avoiding the need to hand out keys at the desk.
How long does furniture last at this turnover?
With 2 mm edging, class 3A surfaces and contract-grade hardware, bunks and lockers last ten years with routine maintenance. Mattresses need replacing sooner, after five or six seasons, along with the bunk curtains.
Do you also supply communal areas and the shared kitchen?
Yes, kitchens with worktops and splashbacks in steel or HPL, large tables, benches, lounge seating and reception. We design them for the evening peak, allowing for at least one seat for every three guests present and two cooking stations for every twenty beds.