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Hostel Uniforms

General Hostel Operations

Josh started this discussion 15 years 5 months ago

Does your hostel staff wear uniforms?

Do you think hostel staff should wear uniforms?

If yes, what kind of uniforms should they wear?

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Scotch Argus

15 years

ROFL thanks for that pic - perfect!!

I like the idea of a hostel t-shirt from a marketing/branding perspective.

I bought a sweater by a local designer on Skye that had a celtic 'eilean a' cheo' and outline of the island on it. When we started managing a hostel on Skye we went back and bought a couple more of the same in a t-shirt and wore them in the hostel.

Once we started getting other staff through they all wanted the same shirt (even the German girls!) - mostly as a reminder/token of their time in the hostel, and on Skye. If you also sell the shirts to guests (as Macbackpackers do in Scotland) they can work as PR for your hostel.

That pic has reminded me that when I worked for SYHA (in various hostels) I used to 'collect' different coloured shirts in each hostel. Lord knows why because they were hideously oversized and had numerous previous owners...

I think if you have a relatively casual design it could work - what you describe of the Celtic design sounds good.

I had the SYHA polos in hideous red, brilliant blue, and the new one in bottle green. Were there any other colors? I thought they promoted exactly the wrong image. Though of course the SYHA management loved them.

Hahaha, cheers for the picture.

We could fill pages with arguments, but the picture makes the point perfectly.

Pathetic! :D

What do you get when you hit 1000 posts - A gold watch?:D

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Josh Hostels

15 years

What do you get when you hit 1000 posts - A gold watch?:D

I'm not sure yet, I didn't plan that far ahead :)

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Scotch Argus

15 years

I'm not sure yet, I didn't plan that far ahead :)

I think there should be a special forum for those members with over 1000 posts. It'll have a population of 2.:)

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santa klaus

15 years

What do you get when you hit 1000 posts - A gold watch?:D

I already get a drink for every convert.

We made so much propaganda for the forum on the Balkans that Aboriginal & me will probably get delivered into Sicilian hospital with alcohol poisoning next year! :D

Edit: wait, instead of "member 1000+" something along the lines of "His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular" would be really cool.

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Josh Hostels

15 years

I already get a drink for every convert.

We made so much propaganda for the forum on the Balkans that Aboriginal & me will probably get delivered into Sicilian hospital with alcohol poisoning next year! :D

Thanks for mentioning the forum - I'll be sure you're compensated in Sicily :D

Edit: wait, instead of "member 1000+" something along the lines of "His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular" would be really cool.

hmmm... that one is a little long to fit in the forum, but send me a private message with a couple of ideas for something shorter. :)

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Scotch Argus

15 years

Peter Mandelson (Govt minister in UK) has a new title - it's "Baron Mandelson of Foy in the county of Herefordshire and Hartlepool in the county of Durham". and his job title is "First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and Lord President of the Council"

I think you should have a title at least as long as those two combined to show your true stature on the forum.

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santa klaus

15 years

Hm, Ok. I still have only 999 posts so there´s some time left to think about it. :)

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gordo

15 years

and what about those of us who have a life? we dont get a title?

p.s. goddamn this keyboard it sticky, i have to hit every 2nd letter twice!

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saoghalbeag

15 years

I think if you have a relatively casual design it could work - what you describe of the Celtic design sounds good.

I had the SYHA polos in hideous red, brilliant blue, and the new one in bottle green. Were there any other colors? I thought they promoted exactly the wrong image. Though of course the SYHA management loved them.

Carbisdale green :D
Aviemore red :mad: (great for showing off that pasty Scottish tan!)
and Kyleakin blue :rolleyes:

I also had a jaunty sailor cap and sexy checked trousers for my brief period of slavery at Carbisdale, and a green pinny (for reinforcing our status as subordinates) in Aviemore. Not sure if you ever came across the old managers there (Jamie/Derek) but I definitely didn't have the courage to extend my pilfering beyond the polos...

Does anyone know what eventually became of the SYHAs that were closed down on Skye?

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Scotch Argus

15 years

They certainly seemed to specialise in ill fitting shirts. We'd often order a shirt for the new assistants in medium, but all that ever came was XXL. As usual I think the ordering had gone astray. I remember Derek well, though never worked for him. As far as I know he was made redundant last year when they got rid of all the residential managers. Or they tried to ship him off to Kendoon or something. I'm not sure. Pat of course has also gone too now they've sold Kyleakin.

Apparently Kyleakin wasn't sold due to poor visitor numbers but due to the fabric of the building according to the CEO. Or in reality the fact they have no business plan except to sell off 5 or 6 hostels every 4 or 5 years to keep themselves afloat. Gives them about 20 years before they're reduced to a few city hostels.

I believe Kyleakin main building has been sold to the local housing association to be turned into low cost flats. And the annex has been sold to Saucy Mary's to extend the number of beds they have. So much for the building falling down - they obviously see that they can make a go of it. The fact that place was sold was a disgrace - 5 or 6 years ago it was doing 20000 bednights, but due to mismanagement on many levels it was doing less that 13000 before they sold it. Properly run and promoted it should have been a cash cow. Armadale was sold for £220000 (details here.
What is going to happen to it I'm not sure - last I saw of it it was grey cold and empty. Hard to see that place having much use besides a hostel, although you never know.

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