If you had asked me last year if I would want to stay in a hostel, I might have laughed and laughed. But financing a start-up means priorities change. I didn’t set out to stay in a hostel, but I was looking for some budget-friendly accommodations. And how bad could it be?
PoshTel Bilbao was much better than I expected. The food was great and wifi outstanding! Coffee and a Spanish omelette for breakfast was only €2.60!
I expected to be the oldest person in the hostel by far. Turns out I wasn’t even close. A lovely woman Rose Marie, from Long Island, stayed for 3 nights and is 86 years young! I can only hope that when I’m that age I am able to keep wandering!
I would say about 30% of the guests were retirees, although not quite as old as Rose Marie. 30% were gap year travelers and the final 30% a mix of professionals, artists, and families with small children.
My dormitorio roommates included a 20 something student from Barcelona, who was traveling to avoid the violence surrounding the Catalan referendum. A 20 something graduate student from China. A 20 something Korean artist in residence.
It is a challenge to work in public spaces. And to have no privacy. My sarong made a great curtain to give me the illusion of privacy and to keep the light from my laptop from disturbing the others in my ‘dormitorio’. It was surprisingly quieter in the room than I was expecting (minus the snoring).
