Synopsis

Three American art students traveling through Europe are lured from Rome to a picturesque Slovak village after hearing about an exclusive hostel. Their holiday turns into a nightmare when they are captured and sold to wealthy clients seeking the ultimate violent thrill. As the women fight to survive, the film also reveals the business structure and social privilege supporting the torture operation.

Factoids & Trivia

• Principal photography began on September 11, 2006, at Barrandov Studios in Prague. Additional filming took place in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Iceland, and Monaco.

• The village used in the film is represented by Cesky Krumlov, a historic town in the Czech Republic's South Bohemian region.

• Several interior sequences were built as studio sets, including much of the tunnel system inside the torture facility. The factory exteriors were newly constructed from designs inspired by abandoned industrial buildings.

• The spa sequence was filmed at the Blue Lagoon near Reykjavik, Iceland. The Prague brothel known as Big Sister also appears as a filming location.

• Ruggero Deodato, director of the controversial horror film "Cannibal Holocaust," makes a brief cameo as one of the cannibals.

• The film had an estimated budget of $10.2 million and earned approximately $35.7 million worldwide.

• A workprint leaked online before the theatrical release. The widespread piracy was later discussed as one factor that may have contributed to the film's weaker box-office performance compared with the first "Hostel."

• The film was released theatrically in the United States on June 8, 2007, and later received both theatrical and extended home-video versions, with some international releases subject to cuts.