If you are interested in operating a Hostel you are required to follow the registration process outlined below.
Planning your development
If you are interested in operating a Hostel you are required to follow the registration process outlined below. Visit Isle of Man commissioned a ‘Non-Serviced Accommodation Study’ in 2017 to understand where there is potential for non-serviced accommodation growth and development. We would be happy to share a copy of this Study with you to help inform your planning.
You may also wish to familiarise yourself with the ‘Policy on the development of Non-Serviced Accommodation’ approved in 2019.
From 1 January 2025 you will no longer be able to install fossil fuel heating systems in new developments. Further information can be found here: https://www.netzero.im/heatingsystems or by contacting the Net Zero team on climatechange@gov.im.
Grants for new hostel developments
The Department for Enterprise currently offers financial assistance in the form of a grant towards the creation of new hostel accommodation. If your new business idea meets the criteria below, contact the Enterprise Support Team to find out if you are eligible for a grant by clicking here.
What do I need to do first?
Call the Visit Isle of Man Business Support team for an initial discussion and to arrange an advisory visit. The team will be happy to help you to understand the registration process and can answer any questions you may have.
Telephone: +44 (0) 1624 695700
Email: tourismquality@gov.im
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Visit Isle of Man Advisory Visit - the team will take an initial look at your property or development and provide guidance.
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Planning Permission to be sought to use your property for 'tourist use'
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Building Control - regulation application to authorise the property to operate as a tourist premises
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Fire Safety Advice - to be followed, please see the link below in the Useful Links and Documents
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Fire Risk Assessment - to be completed
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Insurance - prior to registration confirmation of public liability insurance is required (minimum £2 million)
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Access Statement - to be created
You will then:
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Complete the Registration Form and submit along with the Registration Fee. At this stage you can choose to take part in a number of marketing initiatives:
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Display the Registration Certificate provided in the accommodation
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Create your accommodation profile on visitisleofman.com
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Advertise your property and welcome your first visitors!
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Your details will be passed to our independent assessment team to organise your Star Rating Assessment visit
There is a registration fee of £25 to register a Hostel. You are required to complete a registration form and submit payment for your accommodation every year, by February.
What next?
Once the hostel is registered and you have received your certificate which is to be displayed in the hostel for visitors to see, you can advertise your property on your choice of platforms (Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb, websites, social media, magazines). You will receive a log in for the official tourism website visitisleofman.com to advertise your hostel free of charge. This is the ‘shop window’ to the Isle of Man and we would encourage you to create your profile. Please remember to use high quality images and include all of the information you can to showcase your accommodation.
The Visit Isle of Man team sends a list of all registered accommodation to the independent accommodation assessors (a company Quality in Tourism (QiT)). The assessors will contact you to arrange a visit to your hotel and will provide you with a star rating. You will also receive a report from the assessors. This visit will be repeated every 2 years to ensure the quality levels and standard of the accommodation is operating at the correct star level.
