Hostel awards honor best budget lodging

— -- Given their low level on the lodging ladder, you won't find hostels reaping stars, diamonds or other mainstream hotel accolades. But Hostelworld.com, a booking website listing 20,000 of the budget accommodations, bestows its own awards based on customers' ratings.

In its seventh annual HOSCARS (Hostelworld Customers' Annual Ratings) issued this week, hostels in Lisbon, Portugal, garnered the top three spots among international winners. Within North America, the top five rankings went to Hostel Seattle; the Pacific Tradewinds Backpacker Hostel in San Francisco; the Hostelling International Baltimore; the Green Tortoise Seattle Hostel; and the Times Square West Hostel in New York.

Maybe it's the economy, but Hostelworld.com reports a 20% bookings increase between September 2007 and 2008. Similarly, Hostelling International, a consortium of hostel associations, reports a 14% rise in bookings in 2008.

For a complete list of HOSCAR winners: hostelworld.com.