Who we are

a&o educare e. V. is the non-profit organisation of a&o Hostels.

Founded on the initiative of Oliver Winter and supported by Ralf Olk (Chairman), a&o educare e. V. has been recognised as a charitable non-profit organisation and has since been active in a variety of projects.

a&o educare e. V. sees itself as a driving force in promoting education and participation for children, young people and their families.

One focus is on "ESD – Education for Sustainable Development" in line with the "17 Goals", the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

An exciting web project that enables participation through the solidarity-based, community-funded financing of school trips. Further projects of a&o educare include partnerships, for example with SOS Children's Villages on the "Christmas Wish Tree" campaign, and the promotion of biodiversity at the city-centre locations of a&o Hostels.

a&o was founded in 2000 by Oliver Winter and currently operates more than 45 hostels with around 30,000 beds. True to its motto "Everyone can travel", a&o makes travel affordable. Backpackers, solo travellers, families, school groups and clubs all form part of a&o's core guest segment.

The number of business travellers and older guests also continues to grow. With around three million guests (2024: 2.8 million), 6.6 million overnight stays (6.2 million), a room occupancy rate of 76 per cent and revenue of 245 million euros (232.4 million), 2025 has been the most successful year in the company's history so far. As part of its sustainability strategy, a&o is driving forward measures to further reduce CO2e emissions per overnight stay. StepStone Group and Proprium Capital Partners have owned a&o since the end of 2023. New locations 2025/26: Manchester, London, Milan, Florence, Brussels.

More information at https://www.aohostels.com/en 

Overview of all a&o locations at https://www.aohostels.com/en/all-locations/