People Person Hostels: HOSCARs Finalists 2022
If there’s one thing we know about travellers, it’s that they LOVE making friends. As we (finally) get back to reality, hostels are on hand to keep us meeting and greeting an endless crew of bubbly backpackers. The panel of HOSCARs‘ judges have selected the following five hostels as finalists for the People Person award and now we are asking YOU to vote for your favourite.
Che Tulum Hostel & Bar – Tulum, Mexico
For good times and tan lines, how could we forget about Tulum? This popular travel spot casts a spell on travellers far and wide. Visitors are both calmed and charged by the Mayan magic flowing through every breath of salty sea air. Che Tulum offers a diverse range of experiences both inside and outside the hostel, allowing travellers to Tulum to connect, interact and have A LOT of fun. From the moment they arrive, guests join an interactive WhatsApp group to stay in the loop.
From Jacuzzi to the pool, the bar to the restaurant, there’s no end of social spaces to strike up a conversation. Within the hostel, the activities offered range from salsa lessons to themed Sunday Fundays. To experience Tulum at its finest, the team takes you from beaches and cenotes, and everywhere in between. As the stars come out, a long table unfolds to hold heaving ‘all you can eat’ feasts. After all, all you ever need in life is good food and great company.
The Spindrift Hostel – Weligama, Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan surfers paradise Weligama offers up a bustling beach town to travellers learning to catch waves. Enter The The Spindrift Hostel. A community-driven accommodation with social experiences at its heart. Since opening, they have run FREE social activities. Every. Single. Night. Think family dinners, pub quizzes, party nights, games nights, cookouts, sunsets, sunrise surfs, day trips and even more than your extroverted minds can handle. Come as a solo traveller, leave with a crew. Their motto says it all.
There is no end to social spaces. With two common areas, two balconies and a huuuge garden packed full of seating areas, beanbags and hanging chairs where you can chat about the meaning of life to your hearts’ content. Since the pandemic, they have taken the initiative to visit many more locally owned places as part of their activities. It’s great to see a hostel mix making memories with supporting local communities. Keep up the good work!
Kokopelli Hostels – Lima/Paracas/Cusco, Peru
From downtown Lima to the middle of a massive sand dune, Peru is paradise for the active traveller. It’s easy to feel lost in this expansive meld of wild country and creative culture. That is, until you reach a Kokopelli Hostel. Scattered around Peru’s travel hotspots, Kokopelli clearly state home is not a place, it’s a feeling. Creating a home away from home should be a hostel’s top priority. And these guys certainly deliver.
Their social areas are designed to be shared by everyone, no matter their differences. Staff are on hand 24 hours a day. Bad dream? They’ll give you a friendly hug. With a range of activities designed to help people connect, travellers can enjoy the beauty of Peru while meeting lifelong friends. Try free walking tours; salsa classes; pisco sour & ceviche lessons; beer pong; foosball & ping pong tournaments; or even a trivia night! The list is endless. With excellent reviews and entertaining stories, Kokopelli is your next sociable stop for a real Peruvian adventure.
Lagarto Na Banana Hostel – Pipa, Brazil
Olá, Brazil! Our next stop is hippie-chic Pipa Beach on Brazil‘s north-eastern coast. Lagarto Na Banana is a 5-year strong hostel family, radiating vibes of love, connection and friendship. Every year, the hostel celebrates its anniversary in a jaw-dropping festival built by the hostel community itself. Ex-guests & volunteers reunite in Pipa, the hostel rents boats, and over 100 crazy travellers party til they drop for 3 days straight. Count us in!
Every morning, the hostel offers free yoga classes. Later in the day, who knows what you could be doing! With dance classes; theatre classes; music & jam sessions; philosophical conversations; astrology; drawing; cooking sessions; even the gym, you’re sure to leave Lagarto a better person than you were before. With a whole lot of new friends.
El Granado Hostel – Granada, Spain
Oh, Granada with its cobbled streets and secret steps that lead to sun-drenched plazas, where musicians play. A city set against the skyline of the magnificent Alhambra Palace. El Granado Hostel is typical of its home, and the laid-back, sociable vibe that you instantly associate with the Spanish region of Andalucía. Travellers are greeted with one of the hostel’s many sangria nights, tapas tours, flamenco shows and family dinners.
Over the past few years, they’ve maximised space to make it as sociable as possible. They built a new bar on a roof terrace, a large common area, a second kitchen and a second roof terrace. Opportunities to meet other travellers are endless. From a gypsy cave dinner to hikes in the mountains (with added social games), this hostel uses every opportunity to immerse you in Granada’s warm hospitality while keeping firm friends forming.
Have you cast your vote? Once you’re done, head back to explore more EXTRAORDINARY HOSCARs finalists, or have a read through their entries in these posts:
Eco Warrior Hostels: HOSCARs Finalists 2022
New Hostel on the Block Hostels: HOSCARs Finalists 2022
Community Champion Hostels: HOSCARs Finalists 2022
Digital Nomad Hostels: HOSCARs Finalists 2022
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