Working as a Hostel receptionist in Lisbon - AMA!

Is it true that on any given night there is always an Australian in every hostel anywhere on earth?

Myth BUSTED we currently have no Australian in the Hostel (but we've had a few), and before you ask: Yes most of them were surfers No they aren't upside down neither have pet kangaroos

What percent are from Adelaide

I think we've had one guest from adelaide!

Hmm. The majority of aussies I meet are from there.

Also I stayed at your hostel in June and will be staying there again for a night or two before making my way to Porto for NOS Primavera!

Just google shiado hostel, stay with us and dinner is on me

Follow up question:

Is it true that on any given night there is always an Austrian in every hostel anywhere on earth?

Sry my friend :C another myth bites the buster

Going to Lisbon in a couple weeks. Any pro tips for a long weekend trip?

1st of all: confortable shoes, it's always either up or downhill in Lisbon (its called the city of the 7 hills for a reason) Check de Lisbon Aquarium! it's so awesome, i'd go there everyday if i could. Get yourself a Pastel de Nata at a place called "Manteigaria", ask for some cinnamon to put on top of it ;) So many things, I'll just list some places i think you really need to visit; - Estufa Fria de Lisboa - Estádio da Luz (my team's football stadium) - Tower of Belém and the Jeronimo's Monastery (they're close to each other and the whole area around is interesting aswell) - The Castle (yup we have a castle in the middle of the capital how awesome is that?) -Miradouro de Santa Catarina, and the "Portas do Sol" -Alfama

IDK i really am in love with this city, there's so much to do and see,

Do you already have a place to stay?

Do you already have a place to stay?

Smooth. r/sales

Well it doesn't hurt does it? guilty though

Pastel de Nata

That's gods gift to people not even liking desserts...

Yes it is... Yes it is...

We stayed in the Alfama... that's not a place to drink heavily and then try to find your room afterwards.

if you like challenges r/MazeRunner

I was worried about the hills in Lisbon - Do you know of another tourist-friendly city / area in Portugal that's not quite as hilly? I've always wanted to visit / live in Portugal, but I have a disability that makes up & down walks difficult.

Figueira da Foz (where i come from) check it out

That whole "city of seven hills" name is so funny. In the past decade, among other places I lived in Istanbul and in San Francisco and both use this nickname, too!

we also have A bridge just like the SF's Golden Gate!

You da real MVP....

No slurp, you're the real MVP

Sweetest conversation/person you've ever encountered?

Oh so so many, but I'd say this one korean girl who came here almost crying cuz she was lost, she stayed with us for a week and gave me a good luck charm that was a gift from her mom. we still talk sometimes. but saying goodbye to the "good" guests is a bit sad sometimes..

Could I get a pepperoni pizza and a beer please? I'm in room 22.

OH johnny i've told you already, your card didn't come through you're lucky i let you stay there

Who was your least favourite guest and why?

yeah... there was these group, two couples they tried to get away without paying and when we confronted them they tried to blame me, luckily my boss trusted me and backed me up, I still remember their names and faces perfectly, I was so mad, I really wanted this job, and this could've ruined my lifeplan...

What is your lifeplan?

right now, stay in lisbon, go back to school, a masters in marketing or something like that and get a Ferret

what will you name the ferret?

Bóris, cuz well, that's my name, and people will get confused

As I was reading this thread I imagined you as a pretty, cheerful girl with a welcoming smile. I will adjust accordingly going forward. I think I'll give you dark, wavy hair and nice abs.

tall blonde-ish guy the abs not so much xD

Some day when I buy my ferret I will name it Bóris in honor of you.

of all this AMA this was the one thing that made me happier

What is your lifeplan?

Have dreams myself of owning/running a hostel or sorts some day.

Also, do you do stay-trades with other hostels around the world and basically sleep free any time you travel?

Back to college next year, geting a pet ferret, conquer the world. I've heard about the stay trades, but not all hostels do that im afraid :C

Where were they from?

Where were they from?

Yeah, where were they from? Their behavior is entirely caused by where they come from!

Only if they are from America and it's a bad trait.

they weren't from America, and that's all i'll say

Strangest story/experience you would like to share?

Well I do have a couple (or more) of funny ones, I think one of my favorite would have to be the one about this Austrian guest who was staying here a while ago (mid octobre i think):

I started my shift at 09:00, and right away a guest asked me to go to our storage room, to put away some luggage of his, while we're going down the hallway i start hearing a weird sound, and then I see the said guest leaning on a door, I thought he was drunk and throwing up or something, but he was actually taking a piss, the poor fella was so lost. I stood there for a sec, confused, and all of the sudden the door opens, a lady comes out of it, sees the guy with his "thing" in his hand still going, and starts screaming, the guys starts screaming, there's pee flying around, meanwhile the 1st guest (the luggage one) was just there laughing, idk felt like I was part of one of those weird renaissance paintings. I had to throw him out of the hostel though, i kinda felt bad, he was a nice guy, just drank a few too many... but i had to. The lady got a total refund btw.

why are hostels in Lisboa so great? I feel like I had my choice of 10+ fantastic, cheap options when I visited - nothing like comparable cities across Europe.

We are in fact known for haveing some of the best Hostels :D

Are people banging like all the time? I noticed in some of the hostels I've stayed in in Europe, it's treated like a seminary but others were basically swingers clubs. What's your experience in this respect?

In this hostel i haven't seen (or heard) nothing like that, at least not in the dorms, we do have 4 private rooms, and there, boys and girls, there is where the magic happens ;)

How do the private rooms work? I was in a hostel in Zagreb where it was a "private room" but that just meant small. As in, it was co-ed, like all the large dorms, but there were only 4 reasonably private beds. They were freaking awesome.

Well the privates are in fact a bit more expensive, basically we have to types of private bedrooms: with two single beds, or with a double bed, basically is much more similar to what you'd get in an hotel, I don't think they're small at all

Have you ever let out a fart so nasty people from adjacent tables had to leave?

I fucking remember, Bóris.

I actually have to behave here :C

How is the Portuguese economy doing? I recall it was lumped in with the PIIGS debt crisis a few years ago. Many tourists and occupancy?

The economy is just starting to get back to its feet, slowly, but we're hoping for the best.

We have high expectations for 2017, Lisbon is getting really trendy as a travel destination, (cheap prices while being a European capital).

Last year Lisbon had more than 12 million visitors, that's more than the country's entire population!

I'm actually moving to Lisbon in February! Greetings from the U.S!

come by the hostel and say hi

Will do! I just have to remember to write the name of the hostel down...and learn decent Portuguese haha.

whenever you want : [email protected]

Can I come visit?

Of course you can!!!

What's the most common thing people ask that you hate?

I'd say its mostly two things: People all the time ask me to do stuff that aren't really part of my job, like doing their dishes and carrying their luggage,just minor stuff like that, they even get upset when i tell them i can't help with that,i think this mostly happens because they're used to Hotels and don't really understand the difference between those and a Hostel. The other thing is when they ask me where to buy drugs xD and that leaves me in a really unconfortable situation

If someone asks for drugs, just say "look for the orange cross" and watch people get confused and look for an orange cross

That's brilliant and I promise that I'll do it from now on thanks !

Do you plan on working in hostels in other countries?

I stayed in the G Spot hostel in Lisbon about a year ago and it was easily the craziest and most fun hostel from my trip.

Nope, unless if I go there as a workaway, meaning i could stay for free for a short time as long as I helped by working a couple of shifts or doing some chores.

How great is working at a hostel for your sex life? I worked at a hostel in the States for a year, and for whatever reason the guy working front desk at the hostel is apparently a great choice for sex over vacation because I had a new hook up every couple of weeks.

I don't think it has helped at all, maybe my "game" isn't that good, i'm a bit shy tbh, idk

How do you feel about Lisbon's status as a mere City-State in Civilizatuon VI? I've conquered it so many times, made it part of my empires, but I was worried about the effect on its people. :P

We actually like you a lot cosmos, you're a great leader! \o/

Hey, thanks for doing the AMA! For people interested in traveling and are worried about staying in a hostel for the first time, what advice would you give them to help them feel more comfortable with the experience? (Like sharing a sleeping space with others for example)

You're welcome and sorry it took me so long to answer you, I just got you lost ( i didn't think i'd have so many questions) Personal tip: try to figure out if you're staying in a quiet hostel or a party hostel. The one I work in is really really quiet. Just be friendly with everyone, people will feel bad with being asses to someone who's been friendly to them, don't hesitate if there's something going on that you dislike, (ie: lights on in the middle of the night, noise in the bedroom,..) just talk nicely and 99% of the times people will be comprehensive.

Do you ever worry that Portugese Man O' War jellyfish will somehow get in your hostel?

Every single day, i can barely sleep, everyday we hustle

Out of all of international travelers you come across, what group seems to be the worst nationality to deal with? And Why?

I was waiting for this question since the i started the AMA - And I'm sorry to disappoint, but there isn't one, portuguese guests are a bit awkward though.

Asked by a portuguese: what makes you say that?

Answered by a portuguese (in english so that the others here understand) the portuguses guests are way more demanding and usually think we're working FOR them, and everything is waaay more formal, But even saying so it doesn't mean they're (we´re?) that bad, its mostly just awkward i guess

I am coming to Portugal in Summer and would love a simple city list to follow. I am currently thinking North to South as my cousin lives in Faro, but what is the best way to experience your lovely country?

Vila-Real->Porto->Serra Da Estreal-> Coimbra->Lisboa+Sintra-> Alentejo in general, just pick some random places, the food is great->Faro You could totally stay in this hostel wink

• You hang out with those crazy drunk Australians over at the G-Spot?
  
• How tight are those buns/quads with those ridiculous hills?

HAHA no, no, but I've heard the parties there go a bit crazy.

Tight af wink

North American here who recently had the pleasure of traveling to Lisbon over the summer, question: How is it that literally every single piece of barbecue pork I had in Lisbon tasted phenomenal?

You'd die if you tasted my grandma's food then XD

How much to torture and kill an American, and how do you cover it up?

I'd play any football, european football, not handegg "football", then i'd throw him .... jk we don't do that in this hostel

Do have any advice for someone that is looking to travel alone for the first time? I really want to go traveling in Europe for a few weeks by myself but I've never traveled internationally before so I'm a little scared to commit to it.

travel light, no valualbles just in case, do your research first! and stay at Shiado HosteL XD

How did you get this job? That sounds really cool. Could a foreigner come in and work at a hostel?

So, i wanted a job in Lisbon, i stayed in another hostel for 2 days, i printed like 100+ CV and went asking for a job door to door, and everytime someone would talk to me i made sure they listened to everything I had to say, then I just got call a couple of days later asking me to come to lisbon again for an interview, and BAM Got It!

There's a thing you can do besides this, we only have up to 4 workaways, people who work just 2 night shifts a week and in exchange they get to live here "for Free" google "Workaway Hostels" ;)

People in the industry are saying that OTA's (Airbnb/Expedia/Booking.com/etc) are hurting businesses. Are you for/against them and do you guys try to get direct bookings or leave it up to the OTAs?

BEST QUESTION NO DOUBTS

Ok so here's what's going on, we work with booking.com, expedia and a couple more booking companies, the airbnb hurt the busines, yeah, and there reason why, is that there was no legislation regarding airbnbs and stuff like that, that meaning they didn't have to obey safety features, they pay insanely low taxes, and so on and so on, the thing is Portugal is now solving that and it will for sure make it less worthy for people to go to airbnbs, their price will rise, and they wont be able to secure as many properties, as the rules will change.

thank you so much for the questiom

Hello from Terceira Azores!~ How does one go about getting a job as a receptionist? brigado

So what I did: I really wanted to work in Lisbon, part of my plan for the next few years, so i just printed like 100 copies of my CV and went door to door asking for a job, first intervew I got after that, and i was hired right away. just go for it

Do you have advice for how an American could get a job working at a hostel in Europe (or at your hostel)?

You could easily try to stay as a workaway i think :)

Você é português?

Sim, Fgueirense e Benfiquista

Is it in Lisbon the same as in the Hostel movies?

God no thank god xDnot because that would be bad its's just that the movies are terrible

Do you ever have problems with drug use in the hostel?

Nope, we're running a really quiet hostel here, just some drunk people now and then, but we manage it

Have you hosted Andres Nocioni?

I don't think so sorry xD you should stay with us next time

Right then. Can I make a booking please? There are two of us and we'd like to stay for 5 days - maybe a week at the beginning of April. How much would that cost us? You are in Chiado, yes?

Oh, and what can you tell me about Lua da Bica?

Do you really want to make a booking? :O I'm in Chiado yes, i'll had an edit so that you can check the hostel i work in!!!

Can we get some proof besides a couple pictures of walls ?

Like you behind a desk in uniform or SOMETHING !

The thing is we don't wear uniforms it would be just a random guy behind a desk, i'd really show more proof if I knew how, believe me...

Hi, thanks for the AMA! My question isn't about Lisbon, but the Azores. Do you have any thoughts about best hostels there? I'll be visiting this month. I'm hoping to maybe get to the mainland too.

I've heard great things about the Marina Lounge Hostel, haven't been there yet though, but some of our guests here were.

Do you offer ready made meals? And whether the answer is yes or no can your kitchen acomodate special diets?

we offer breakfast, but we do have a full functioning kitchen where you can cook your specual dishes, :D

Guys, since we're here check out the hostel I work at: Shiado Hostel

So. You're an actual Innkeeper?
I assume you are portuguese, do you have latent passion for masonry? Did you do any construction work before that? Btw I gotta say that proof: not sure how it proves you work in an hostel.

I guess I am Yup, I am portuguese, no construction work, sorry to disappoint, I am quite confortable around tools and doing some minor home improvement, but that's all.

About the proof, yeah i get what you're saying I just couldn't really come up with a better idea for it, (that's our living room btw) if you have any other viable idea i would provide extra proof

I have a couple of questions:

1. I am staying in a hostel called lookout Lisbon. Any idea how is it like?

2. Is theft s problem in Lisbon? Should I be worried?

3. Is Nazare worth s day trip?

1. sorry but i don't know that one ( boo the competiotion boo, (honestly i don't)) 2.Theft imo isn't a problem in lisbon, at least not in the areas where tourist usually go
2. Nazare is nice but Sintra is better (IMO) and alot easier to go to.

Do you have age restrictions? I stayed in hostels in the UK when I was 40, and am interested in touring Europe some more.

Nope not at all :)

Are any big Celebrity were in your Hotel?

not really, I thought that by this time at least a couple of them would show up :C

Do you have any other proof you can supply? It looks like a regular house.

I just added a picture of our entrance it has the hostelworld sticker i thought that'd do it, I honestly am not sure of what else i could come up with as evidence,

Best and worst guests by nationality?

i really don't know: MY top three were: A korean girl who tought me how to cook korean food and gave me a lucky charm her mom had given her. A north-american old couple who stayed here a couple of times, we had really nice and long talks. Three brazilian friends who invited me to go to the aquarium with them and came back to the hostel one week later, (actually changed they travel plans, just to be with us again!)