Mad Monkey in the news
Jul
Mad Monkey Hostels Revamps Loyalty Checkout Experience
Mad Monkey Hostels is rolling out the biggest upgrade yet to its destination-based membership program, Mad Loyalty, giving members the ability to see and claim their perks the moment they book, no separate step required. What is Mad Loyalty? Mad Monkey first launched its revamped Mad Loyalty program this month as a way to reward its most dedicated travelers. Mad Loyalty is designed as a destination-based membership rather than a traditional points-based system, which aims to encourage guests to explore multiple locations within the Mad Monkey network, sort of like a passport for the brand’s expansive footprint. As Mad Monkey describes the program, it is built for “people who love paying less than everyone else.” Members unlock escalating discounts and exclusive perks as they stay at different properties, connecting them to the broader Mad Monkey community while enjoying the benefits of direct booking. Who is Mad Monkey? Mad Monkey is known for affordable accommodations, highly social environments, and community-driven impact. Basically, it’s a brand for young, fast-moving travelers visiting major cities and remote destinations alike. The company opened its first hostel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 2011 with an attention-grabbing focus on social responsibility and community events. The company currently counts over 20 hostels in 7 countries, including locations in Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, and Australia. Among the experiences Mad Monkey offers, locations range from vibrant city centers and remote island retreats to adventure-focused outposts. The chain has plans to continue expanding its footprint, offering even more destinations for Mad Loyalty members to explore. How does the new instant-claim feature work? Mad Loyalty has been fully live across the network for months, with travelers able to sign up for free directly through Mad Monkey and unlock benefits immediately. Now, the program is getting its most member-friendly update since launch: real-time perk eligibility built directly into the booking flow. Previously, members had to already know which perks they’d earned and separately apply them. Under the new system, as soon as a logged-in member selects their dates and room on the booking page, Mad Monkey automatically checks their Mad Loyalty tier against that stay and surfaces any perk they qualify for, whether that’s a free-night stay, a discount, or another benefit tied to their level. Members simply toggle the perk on and it’s applied straight to the total, before they ever reach checkout. That means no promo codes to track down, no digging through account pages, and no missed perks. If a member is eligible, the booking page shows it to them in the moment, and claiming it takes one tap. Mad Monkey has structured the program into four distinct tiers based on the number of properties visited. Creating an account instantly unlocks the Member level and initial perks. Booking a stay at one property elevates the guest to the Mad level. Exploring further and booking three different properties unlocks the Madder level. Finally, guests who book stays at five distinct properties reach the top-tier Maddest level, which grants the most significant discounts and exclusive benefits. Unlike traditional hostel loyalty programs that require thousands of points for a single reward, Mad Loyalty members level up simply by traveling to new destinations. This destination-based progression encourages guests to experience the diverse cultural offerings and signature weekly events across the Mad Monkey portfolio. Existing guests who have previously booked directly will have their past stays recognized, potentially fast-tracking their path to higher tiers. Bottom line Mad Loyalty remains Mad Monkey’s signature rewards program, and its newest update makes it easier than ever to actually use. Guests can sign up for free…
Jul
Why Gen Z Backpackers Are Ditching Summer Travel for Smarter Off-Peak Adventures
New Data Shows Shoulder Season Travel Reaching Historic Highs as Young Adventurers Prioritize Authentic Connection Over Crowds FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SOUTHEAST ASIA — JULY 2026 — For decades, the travel industry has marketed peak season as the only “real” time to visit Southeast Asia. But that narrative is shifting. A significant surge in off-peak bookings at Mad Monkey Hostels, combined with historic highs in search queries for “shoulder season travel” and “off-peak backpacking,” signals a fundamental change in how Gen Z and Millennial travelers plan their trips. The trend reflects a broader cultural shift: young travelers are becoming more intentional, more budget-conscious, and more interested in authentic experience over Instagram moments. They are choosing depth over breadth, community over chaos, and sustainability over excess. “For years, travelers were told that peak season was the only time to visit,” says Kyle Kenny, Commercial Director at Mad Monkey Hostels. “But the modern backpacker is smarter. They realize that traveling off-peak means your budget goes twice as far, the locals have more time for genuine connection, and you aren’t fighting crowds for an authentic experience. This isn’t a compromise—it’s the smarter way to travel.” The Data Behind the Shift The numbers tell a compelling story. Search queries for “shoulder season travel,” “off-peak backpacking,” and “cheapest time to visit Southeast Asia” have reached historic highs. At Mad Monkey Hostels, year-over-year off-peak bookings have surged significantly, signaling a permanent shift in how young adventurers plan their trips. The reasons are straightforward: Cost Savings: Flights and accommodations are typically 30% to 50% cheaper during shoulder season, allowing backpackers to extend their trips or travel to more destinations on the same budget. For budget-conscious travelers, this is a game-changer. Authentic Local Connection: Without the overwhelming crush of peak-season tourism, local communities are more relaxed and open to genuine interaction. Travelers experience a less commercialized, more authentic look at local life. Flexibility and Spontaneity: Off-peak travel removes the pressure to book everything months in advance. Backpackers can travel day-to-day, make spontaneous decisions, and stay longer in places they fall in love with. Addressing the Solo Traveler’s Biggest Fear Historically, the biggest hesitation for solo travelers considering off-peak travel has been the fear of empty hostels. The concern is understandable: what good is cheaper accommodation if there is no one to meet? Mad Monkey has directly addressed this concern by maintaining a vibrant social calendar year-round. Nightly events keep the energy alive regardless of season, while curated tours and experiences give travelers authentic ways to connect with each other and with local communities. “Solo travelers choose Mad Monkey because they know there will be people to meet and things to do, whether it’s peak season or not,” explains Kenny. “Our nightly events and tours create natural gathering points where guests connect organically. That’s what sets us apart during off-peak months—we maintain the social fabric that makes hostels special.” Three Rules for Nailing a Shoulder-Season Trip Mad Monkey’s destination experts share essential guidance for travelers planning an off-peak escape: Embrace the Rhythm of the Region. In tropical Southeast Asia, the off-peak “rainy season” is often misunderstood. Afternoon showers typically last an hour, leaving the rest of the day cool, lush, and refreshing. Pack a light raincoat and enjoy lower temperatures and fewer crowds. Many travelers find the landscape at its most beautiful during this time. Choose Community-First Accommodations. When traveling off-peak, the hostel you choose matters more than ever. Prioritize accommodations known for structured social events, active community managers, and a reputation for bringing guests together. This ensures that even if the destination is quiet, your hostel becomes your social…
Jul
Mad Monkey Launches ALL IN Group Trips across Southeast Asia
For years, the same story has played out in Mad Monkey common areas across Southeast Asia. Someone arrives solo, bonds instantly with a crew over a pool game, and quietly rearranges their whole itinerary to stay together. The alternative has always been the group chat that never becomes a booking — friends who don’t commit, dates that never align, trips that die in the planning stage. Mad Monkey was already sitting on the fix. Fifteen years of building social infrastructure — from a single hostel in Phnom Penh to 25+ properties across seven countries — gave the brand a working knowledge of how to build collective energy among strangers. ALL IN Trips is the next step: handle the logistics, let travelers focus on the social pulse. “ALL IN exists because there was a gap between what young travelers wanted and what the industry offered,” says Kyle Kenny, Commercial Director at Mad Monkey. “The 60-person coach-bus tour is over. People want intentional, small-scale adventures rooted in real local subculture, without giving up the freedom of independent travel.” What Makes It Distinct No coach buses, no mega-groups — departures run in small, capped cohorts. Every route is built around must-see stops with a twist, plus experiences guests can’t book solo — access that comes from fifteen years of local relationships, not a tour-operator markup. It’s real culture and real places, not plastic tourist stops. Free time is built into every itinerary, so the trip never feels over-programmed. Most guests arrive without knowing a single other person on the trip; most leave with a group chat that’s still active months later. Three Routes, a Mad Monkey Hostel Every Night Indonesia Island Hopping — 12 days, from $700. Sunset at Panorama Point in Uluwatu, a pre-dawn Mt Batur trek, island hopping through Nusa Penida, a bike tour on Gili T, and four nights at surf camp in Kuta Lombok. Cambodia Coast to Coast — 14 days, from $650. Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, Koh Rong, and Koh Sdach, closing with a community BBQ of locally caught fish, hosted alongside Mad Monkey’s local team. Vietnam North to Central — 14 days, from $850. Hanoi’s Old Quarter, an overnight cruise through Lan Ha Bay, motorbikes on the Ha Giang Loop, and the lantern-lit streets of Hoi An. How It Works A $99 deposit holds a spot. Every route stays in real Mad Monkey beds every single night — no mystery dorms, no third-party swaps. Daily breakfast is included, along with a free night at the property the day before departure, so travelers arrive rested rather than racing the first stop. Evenings are built in too: games nights, pool hangs, and the kind of social pulse Mad Monkey common areas are known for. Domestic transport and 24/7 local crew support run throughout the trip. Bring Your Own Crew: The Squad Leader Program Not everyone waits for the group chat to fall apart before doing something about it. For the ones who’d rather build the crew themselves, Mad Monkey launched Squad Leader alongside ALL IN. Apply, get a unique referral code, and share it with the people already asking “wait, are you actually going?” Bring enough of your crew along and the rewards scale with you — full tiers and terms are available on application. It’s less an affiliate scheme than a bet on the person every friend group already has — the one who sends the flights, picks the dates, and gets everyone to actually commit. ALL IN isn’t a booking package. It’s a bet that the best trips still start the same way they always have…
Jun
Mad Monkey Hostels and KrapMaps Forge Strategic Partnership to Advance Sustainable Youth Tourism in Southeast Asia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Mad Monkey Hostels, a leader in social and sustainable youth accommodation across Southeast Asia and Australia, has partnered with KrapMaps. KrapMaps is an innovative crowdsourced platform for waste management. This collaboration begins with pilot programs in two key destinations: Uluwatu, Indonesia, and Chiang Mai, Thailand. This initiative tackles a critical issue: waste management in popular tourist areas. It empowers travelers with a practical, community-driven solution. The KrapMaps app helps users find and map public waste disposal points, including recycling facilities. This promotes responsible waste practices and helps create cleaner local environments. “At Mad Monkey, our commitment goes beyond great social experiences. We also foster positive community and environmental impact,” stated Lexie Hadley, Head of Marketing at Mad Monkey. “Our partnership with KrapMaps aligns perfectly with our values. It turns environmental responsibility from a passive idea into an active, engaging experience for our guests. This directly helps preserve the vibrant places where we operate. Ultimately, our community becomes part of the solution, ensuring these cherished locations remain sustainable long-term.” Strategic Imperative: Empowering Responsible Travel Tourism brings economic benefits, but it often creates significant waste challenges. KrapMaps offers a scalable, tech-driven solution. It uses collective action. By gamifying the process of finding waste disposal locations, the platform encourages active participation from backpackers. This turns a common frustration into a constructive contribution. Pilot Program: Uluwatu, Indonesia and Chiang Mai, Thailand The pilot programs are currently operational at Mad Monkey Uluwatu and Mad Monkey Chiang Mai. Guests are actively encouraged to download the KrapMaps application and contribute to the mapping efforts within their local surroundings. This engagement is incentivized through a gamified system where top contributors at Mad Monkey properties can earn exclusive rewards, including complimentary stays and recognition on the global KrapMaps leaderboard. “We are immensely pleased to collaborate with Mad Monkey, a brand that deeply understands and champions community engagement,” commented Harley Treagust, Founder & CEO at KrapMaps. “Our shared vision is to cultivate a global network of environmentally conscious travelers who are proactive in preserving the beauty of their visited destinations. Launching this initiative in Uluwatu and Chiang Mai with Mad Monkey provides an ideal foundation for broader adoption and impact.” About Mad Monkey Hostels Mad Monkey is a leading hostel operator in Southeast Asia, known for experience-driven stays that blend affordable accommodation with community, adventure, and unforgettable social energy. With locations across Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, and Australia, Mad Monkey is more than a place to stay – it’s a place to belong. About KrapMaps KrapMaps is a pioneering sustainable travel application developed by and for backpackers. As the world’s first crowdsourced platform for locating waste disposal points, KrapMaps leverages gamification and community participation to empower travelers in reducing their environmental footprint and promoting cleaner travel habits.
Jun
Mad Monkey Gives Back: Over $11,000 Invested in Local Communities for Q1 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SOUTHEAST ASIA, MAY 2026 — We are incredibly proud to announce the significant achievements of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives for the first quarter of 2026, covering January through April. Our collective efforts completely surpassed targets, raising a total of $11,489 USD. We have channeled these funds directly into diverse grassroots projects, reflecting our deep commitment to empowering local populations and enhancing the well-being of the host destinations we call home. Spotlight on Impact: Education, Infrastructure, and Community Empowerment Bangkok, Thailand: Empowering Future Generations with AI Learning Our team at Mad Monkey Bangkok walked down the street to Wat Sungwej School to deliver our Q1 partner CSR donation, marking a massive milestone for our property. We made a substantial donation of 50,000 THB (approximately $1,531 USD) directly into our local community! Many students at Wat Sungwej live in lower-income areas and lack tech access at home as well as basic supplies. Our investment directly funds the school’s new air-conditioned AI learning hub—purchasing computing hardware, setting up English-learning software, and creating a comfortable, stimulating space for kids to study and connect together. To ensure complete transparency, we have even launched a physical Mad Love Board directly in our Bangkok hostel lobby, allowing our travelers to visually track the real-world, human impact of their stay and learn how to get involved firsthand! Hoi An, Vietnam: Providing Essential Support to Children Over in Vietnam, we have been contributing 70,000 VND (around $2.30 USD) per guest from our weekly Free Flow event every Friday. From February 27th to March 31st, our teams and guests successfully raised a total of 7,046,000 VND ($271 USD). We converted these funds into 20 comprehensive gift sets packed with essential items such as rice, cooking oil, and basic seasonings. We delivered these directly to Children’s Heritages to provide vital food security to local families in need. Mad Monkey Panglao: Tattoo for a Cause On the island of Panglao, we hosted an innovative “Tattoo Competition for a Cause” in March, with 32 local tattoo artists participating. We raised 3,200 PHP from a portion of the artists’ registration fees and an additional 5,100 PHP from walk-in ticket sales at the entrance. Together with our regular weekly Beer Pong for a Cause and Bingo for a Cause events, we raised a grand total of 27,443.00 PHP (approximately $445 USD). These funds flow directly into our Level 2 sustainability and community interventions on the island. Mad Monkey Phuket: Phuket Community Kick-Off: Colouring + Playgrounds Our team at Mad Monkey Phuket handed over 22,800 THB (approximately $700 USD) from our Q1 CSR initiatives. We brought food and supplies, and spent a genuinely heartwarming morning running art activities and coloring workshops with the kids—seeing exactly where the money goes makes everything we do feel even more worthwhile. The funds we have donated so far have completely transformed the neighborhood by helping build a cool new play area for them. Last time we visited, this plot was just an empty space; now, it is amazing to see the transformation into a vibrant playground where the children can play safely. Ultimately, none of this would be possible without the incredible synergy between our local community partners, our fiercely dedicated property teams, and most importantly, our guests. At Mad Monkey, we have always believed that travel should be a force for good. Our travelers are proving every single day that you don’t have to choose between having the unforgettable, time-of-your-life adventure and being a conscious global citizen. By simply showing up, engaging, and sharing in our journey, you are helping us leave a lasting,…