Media and collaborations

Want to talk about us or collaborate with us? It’s up to you.

To talk about us

View from the Festif cottage at the Sea Shack

We are a collective of youth hostels

We are a group of travel enthusiasts who share a common goal: to offer social accommodation.

We want to create memorable meetups between people from here and abroad and help them discover the country like a local. From the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula to the Great Lakes of Ontario, we welcome people who are open to all cultures, adventures and spontaneous get-togethers.

A media kit to make life easy

All the information you need is in this practical little zip file.

In under seven minutes, discover who we are and what makes our hostels and our team stand out on the tourism landscape.

You will also find our logos, descriptions of our hostels, and gorgeous photos to inspire travel and adventure. If there’s anything else you need, just hit us up!

Fresh off the press

Youth Hostels 2.0

La PresseJanuary 13, 2024

A wind of change is blowing through Quebec’s youth hostels. The Saintlo collective aims to capitalize on the charm of the youth hostel experience, while raising its quality standards and modernizing its brand image. A look at a refreshing initiative.

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Would you dare sleep in a former prison?

Radio-CanadaOctober 26, 2023

This is the experience that Auberge Saintlo, in Ottawa, has been offering for 50 years.

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The Saintlo Ottawa Jail Hostel, in the heart of downtown Ottawa

Radio-Canada OhdioOctober 19, 2023

As Halloween approaches, the Saintlo Ottawa Jail Hostel is a popular spot.

Listen to the excerpt starting at 5:10 p.m.

(Article in French)

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Ottawa Jail Hostel celebrates 50th anniversary

City NewsOctober 5, 2023

The Ottawa Jail Hostel is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a birthday party.

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Saintlo Ottawa Jail Hostel in its 50th year housing travellers

CBC ListenSeptember 18, 2023

Greg Brockman & Michael Tarnowski tell Amanda Putz about the unique spirits of the old jail.

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Saintlo hostels: I tested the Griffon Aventure hostel in Gaspésie

La Grande DérouteSeptember 8, 2023

I arrived at the Griffon Aventure hostel in Gaspésie with no particular expectations, and left with the firm idea that 2 days was far too short. I’ll tell you about it!

(Article in French)

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The unlikely charm of a night in prison

Le DroitAugust 19, 2023

The beautiful limestone building served as a prison between 1862 and 1972, before being converted into a youth hostel in 1973. The inauguration took place in the presence of Prince Philip.

Fifty years later, the hostel has just passed into the hands of Saintlo, a non-profit organization that operates youth hostels in Quebec and Ontario.

(Article in French)

Read

Unique hostel experience in former jail

Ottawa CitizenAugust 14, 2023

You don’t need to commit a crime to go to prison – just book your stay at the Saintlo Ottawa Jail hostel. The historic prison is more than 150 years old and has been operating as a hostel since 1973.

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You Can Spend A Night In This Converted Jail Hostel & Here’s A First Look

Narcity OttawaJuly 20, 2023

If you’re looking for a one-of-a kind experience, then look no further! The newly renovated Saintlo Ottawa Jail Hostel has just re-opened their doors and are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. You don’t have to commit a crime to go to prison, just book a room in a real cell block at the hostel!

Read

Renewed youth hostels

Ohdio de Radio-CanadaJuly 7, 2023

On the Pénélope show, we talk about new developments in the youth hostel industry as well as the travel experiences we have there.

10:24 / Marie-Julie Gagnon: Renewed youth hostels

Read

A brief history of 75 Nicholas Street

UrbaniaJune 13, 2023

In 1972, the prison was closed due to inhumane conditions. The building remained vacant until it was converted into a youth hostel in 1973. Today, Saintlo Ottawa Jail Hostel is a unique retreat renowned by visitors from all over the world, being the very first prison to be converted in this way.

(Article in French)

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Montreal in a youth hostel

le SoleilMay 10, 2023

I have never been impressed by a youth hostel in Canada. Often too big, too impersonal, the ones I visited seemed frozen in an outdated version of themselves. Faced with this observation, Auberge Saintlo in Montreal took on the challenge of changing my perception in one weekend. Challenge accepted!

(Article in French)

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Youth Hostels: the river as a connecting link

Le DevoirApril 22, 2023

The world of youth hostels is undergoing a major transformation. In Quebec and Ontario, a new collective was born of a common desire: to dust off the formula while bringing sociability back to the forefront.

(Article in French)

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Plan a cool "workation" in Montreal with Aire Commune and Saintlo

Nomad JunkiesAugust 30, 2022

If you’re looking to feel like you’re traveling without taking days off, you’ll love the Workations concept: a combination of remote work and vacation!

(Article in French)

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You can visit this haunted hostel only 2 hours away from Montreal

NarcitySeptember 1, 2022

The supposedly haunted places often have a strange energy. The atmosphere is heavy, the silence so heavy that at every creak, shivers run through our bodies.

(Article in French)

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A trip to Charlevoix!

Mila TailleferJune 30, 2022

The ideal itinerary for a stay in Charlevoix!

(Article in French)

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Sociable accomodation in Rivière-du-Loup

L'HorizonJune 28, 2022

Hostels are increasingly popular for exploring and discovering the territory! 🌎

(Article in French)

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Backpacker in my own city

Urbania August 31, 2021

Stories of a trip to a youth hostel… in Montreal.

(Article in French)

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12 best places to camp in a van this winter in Quebec

Silo 57February 13, 2022

In the winter, the famous Sea Shack is transformed into a Ski Shack and offers various mountain ski packages.

(Article in French)

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8 of the best hostels in Quebec to discover this summer

Journal de Montréal April 10, 2022

Discover hostels around the province of Quebec.

(Article in French)

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A return to the roots for the Malbaie hostel

CIHO FM CharlevoixApril 28, 2022

A renewal for La Malbaie hostel.

(Article in French)

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Youth hostels in Quebec and Ontario form a collective

HRImagJune 6, 2022

Saintlo offers sociable accommodation that follows the tourist route of the St. Lawrence River. 🌊

(Article in French)

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If you like to create content, you’ll like the Saintlo collective

We have two choices for you.

Tell your stories
on the blog

Traveler working on her laptop

Like to write and explore Québec or Ontario?

We’re always on the look-out for people with ideas for activities, tips and stories to share. If you’ve got a gift for engaging storytelling, we’d like to get to know you.

Write for the blog

Share your adventures
with your followers

Group at the water's edge in a canyon

You know your Stories, your TikTok and your Likes.

You tell your travel adventures in your one-of-a-kind voice, and your followers adore this. If you recognize yourself and you’d like to discover new places in Québec and Ontario, we’d like to talk to you.

Discover the possibilities

Explore our destinations

We have a vast range of choices! Like the Saint Lawrence River, our territory stretches from the Gaspé Peninsula to the Great Lakes of Ontario. It’s an epic playground of big cities and truly wild nature.

Discover our destinations