During our journey in Chile we made a stop in Valparaiso and could stay in the most interessting Hostel of the city: Hostel Voyage. It´s much nicer to stay at a friends´ place than in a hotel room. A lot of people prefer therefore couchsurfing, it´s a cheaper and as well much more personal way to travel. And at the doors of Hostel Voyage we were welcomed exactly that way. After riding the whole night in a horrible bus through half of the country and searching for over two hours for a place to stay – out of 20 hostels really nobody opened – we finally have been greeted at this nice lodge.
Concurrent with the beginning of the year a new and a different type of hostel like you are used to know opened at Cerro Alegre in Valparaiso in Chile. The landlords live as well in the house and you share as a guest their huge house with the backyard and the roof terrace. A kind of big couchsurfing. And that´s how it is. The whole stay you don´t have the feeling that you are in a hostel, it´s more like staying at a friends´ house. Hostel Voyage takes as well part at the Work Away Program and hosts some travelers who work in the hostel, help with the renovation and therefore they get the accommodation and meals. There is still a lot to do and a lot to build. There are a lot of artists, painter and constructors around who do creative work or are just there for a visit. While we spent some time there they painted a enormous masked face on the buildings front wall.
The three owners Ingeborg Holz Bustamante, Aymeric Pinel und Lorena Ibarra actually were searching for a place to organize events at. But after they have seen the building and the property, they immediately fell in love with the idea of opening a hostel here. All three travelled already a lot themselves and they admire the backpacker- and couchsurfing live. Hence they know how to run this hostel and create a familial atmosphere. With the Hostel Voyage they build a little comfy oasis, which makes it difficult to leave for departure.
The hostel has got two dorms with 14 beds each, a three bed room, and a matrimonial. More rooms are still in construction. There are two bathrooms and two toilets, there is a big living room and a nice kitchen. Free Internet usage and a laundry service is as well available. On the property there is a lovely backyard and on the garage, which will be a little shop soon, there is a beautiful roof terrace where you can spend the evenings with some wine and a guitar. In a part of the building Ingeborg Holz Bustamante set up her clothing desing workshop. Besides her new job as hotel manager she creats cloths and fashion assecoires and wants to sell them in the garageshop.
In an interview Ingeborg and Aymeric told us about the hostel idea and the difficulties they had with the opening and still have with the renovation work:
Here is a guided tour around Hostel Voyage by the owner Ingeborg Holz Bustamante:
INFOTHEK
Hostal Voyage
Pasaje Leighton 229, Cerro Alegre, Valparaíso, Chile
Phone: +56 32 324 5214
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HostelVoyageValparaiso
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