Souvenir tattoos: Gen Z perfect travel memoir isn’t a magnet anymore

YellowSquare is a place with a lot of space, and as soon as one becomes empty, we start looking for ways to fill it back up again. For us, every corner of our hostel needs to breathe life, energy, culture, and human connections. So, when a space recently opened up at YellowSquare Rome, we knew we didn’t want to fill it randomly; we wanted to give it a purpose. Driven by our desire to offer something truly meaningful to our community, we set out to find a concept that shared our DNA. 

Well, it didn’t take long to find it: welcoming Scrimshaw Tattoo into our house was the perfect match from day one.

Scrimshaw Tattoo brings its history to YellowSquare

Founded in Frosinone in 2014 and based in Rome’s creative Pigneto neighborhood since 2018, Scrimshaw Tattoo is far more than a standard tattoo shop. This is a collective of resident tattooers, illustrators, and artists with diverse backgrounds, techniques, and visual languages. Rather than sharing a single specific aesthetic, the studio thrives on the individual vision of each creator, bringing together different artistic references under one roof. Bringing this collective into YellowSquare Rome naturally fuses two philosophies rooted in openness and cultural exchange. Just as our hostel is much more than a place to sleep, Scrimshaw is much more than a place to get inked: together, we’ve created a genuine creative hub right in the heart of our beloved Eternal City.

Opening hours, custom designs and Walk-In Flashes

The studio inside YellowSquare is a chill lounge where first-timers and covered-in-ink tattoo heads hang out together. Got a specific idea stuck in your head? The artists will sketch it out with you until it’s perfect. No plan at all? Browse through the fresh daily flashes and pick what speaks to you on the spot. Doors are open daily from 11 AM to 8 PM for walk-ins. Because let’s be honest: the best travel stories usually start with an unplanned choice at 4 PM on a Tuesday.

High Standards? You deserve the best, always!

Beneath the fun and creative atmosphere lies a rigorous, uncompromising approach to the craft. Getting inked in a foreign city requires a high level of trust, which is why safety and hygiene are treated with absolute respect. Scrimshaw follows strict health standards, using single-use sterile equipment, medical-grade sanitization procedures, and professional-grade materials for every single session. From the moment an idea is discussed to the final step of the aftercare routine, the focus remains entirely on creating a safe, comfortable, and flawless experience for everyone.

Souvenir 2.0: A permanent memory of Rome

What works the best for us is that the benefits of this partnership go both ways.  Both SWT and YellowSquare get in touch with different culture and perspectives, fusing hostel guests and guests artists together, in a place where everyone belongs. 

Travelers often leave Rome with a postcard, a miniature Colosseum, or a magnet for their fridge. But we think the stories worth taking home are rarely made of plastic. Having Scrimshaw Tattoo right inside YellowSquare is changing how our guests memories are preserved. A tattoo can turn an emotional core memory or the energy of an unexpected night in the city into something deeply personal. Whether someone comes in with a sketch scribbled in a notebook, a clear idea developed over months, or simply falls in love with an original flash on the wall, the experience becomes part of the journey itself.

Feeling inspired? Check the dedicated section of our website, or book an appointment directly here. SWT Tattoo might have the right souvenir for you, one that stays long after the bags are unpacked.