Almost 2,500 Forum Members: Introduce Yourself!

Hi there forum members.
My name is Narut and I'm from Bangkok, Thailand. My Family and I is planning to open our own Hostel in Bangkok. We have a very good location, my mother own it in the center of the city. I love traveling around the world and my first experience staying in a hostel was in Japan when I first backpack by myself after graduated.

[*]Do you work at a hostel?
Hopefully, we could build and open by the end of next year (2011)

[*]How did you become interested in hostels?
As I mentioned that I have a good experience staying in Hostel and I think the land that my mother owned is a good location for tourist to stay.

[*]Where are your favorite travel destinations?
I've traveled to many countries around the world but my fav is Japan. There are so many reasons. It's beautiful. People are very friendly.

[*]Do you know of any good places where you think new hostels should be opened up?
Oh come'on! Here in Bangkok!!
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I've been to many cities in Japan.
I've been to Tokyo, Yokohama, Kamakura, Kyoto, Hakonne, Nara, Himeji, Osaka, Takayama. (and just a night for the last day in Nagata)

All of these, I've spent only 10 days travelling around.

Hey

My name is Jerome. I grew up in Belgium where I graduated as a Physical Education and Dutch Teacher. The past 3 years I have been travelling over the world.

While travelling I was always interested how it fell to live in a holiday destination and make guest feel at home. I started working in hostels in exchange for accommodation and really liked the hostel life.

At the moment I am managing a hostel in the Catlins, down South in New Zealand. I `m having a blast doing this. For the first time I really enjoy a job :).

Through this website I`m hoping to learn more about managing a hostel and find help if needed.

As I`m only going to manage this hostel until March 2011, I`m also hoping to find a next hostel manager job. I like to gain lots of experience and grow professionally in this job.

Thanks for reading my post

Jerome

So glad I found this site! I was looking online to start a forum like this (because the new anti-hostel legislation in NYC is so draconian, we have to organize or be wiped out). Well, I'm excited to see that it already exists, that it's growing, and that hostels (whether legal or otherwise) have realized we need to band together to learn from each other, rather than hide behind walls, afraid "they" will spot us.

Thank you Josh, for doing such a superb job with this site, and providing a valuable resource to the hostel community, & those aspiring to eventually be in it. Would love to see you at the "World Hostel Conference" in NYC if it were a tad more affordable.

I'm also looking to CREATE A REGULAR MEET-UP OF HOSTELIERS IN NY to address the issues of utmost concern to our continued existence, especially as impacted by the new legislation, Bill S6873 passed by Patterson. If any hostel operator in NY would like to join these meetings (anonymous, you don't have to give your name or the address of your operation), pls e-mail me directly to find out the time/location.

# Do you work at a hostel? -Yes, I help run one, together w/ my best-friend and brother from another mother.

# How did you become interested in hostels? -I was born w/ the travel bug. As a student I never really had money, but that didn't stop me: I hitch-hiked, used scholarship money to travel, stayed w/ random ppl met in squares & city ctrs... and my life is all the better for taking the chance. I fell in love w/ the "Backpacker's Guesthouse" in Budapest b/c it was so homey it even had a garlic press (yes, I'm a garlic addict), and this helped me realize how important it is to provide a "homey" atmosphere, & that something as small as a garlic press can make all the difference.

# Where are your favorite travel destinations? (and why) -Anyone who's traveled knows that it's not really about the architecture, about the places, buildings, museums...these are the excuses of why we go... it's all about the ppl we meet along the way, the human interactions, these are the things that fill the space between our skin. As such, I'll tell you abt my favorite places, but you'd go there and perhaps be disappointed not having the serendipitous occasion to meet the same ppl I met, as our paths briefly crossed: -Budapest, Istanbul, Sevilla, Cinqueterre, Cesky Krumlov (b/c of Morten & "John"), NY (still my favorite city to live in), most places in Rmania, esp. the mountains I love to climb (but I'm biased, it's my home country)

# Do you know of any good places where you think new hostels should be opened up? -Yes, quite a few, & they have all the necessary ingredients for a prime spot. Contact me & I'll tell you

Again Josh, Thank you, THANK YOU for putting this together.