Welcome back to the Hostel Road Trip podcast, season four.
We're down in Mexico.
I can hardly contain myself from the excitement.
And we are now going to be talking with Abelak from Los Muertos Hostel in Puerto Vallarta.
And this is a really exciting area and region for backpacking right now.
ICH has a hostel in Salilita, which is a short ride from Puerto Vallarta.
But there's some really cool areas around there, some poncho, busurías.
I've been getting to know the area and the lay of the land down there for some past trips.
Bob Dyer is down there in busurías.
David Teta is down in Mexico in La Paz.
And we're really excited about all things Mexico and hostiling.
And I've always wanted to bridge the gap between California and Mexico to connect those two
tracks. And we're super excited to be meeting more and more enthusiastic hostel owners and
entrepreneurs and hearing their stories about how they got started and how things are going,
how the pandemic went, how they feel that the market is doing post pandemic.
But I feel that Mexican market is doing stronger than the U.S. market right now.
So lots of exciting things going on down in Mexico.
But let's talk about the exciting things going on at the Los Muertos Hostel.
So Abit Melek, am I pronouncing that correctly?
Yeah, it's correct.
Abit Melek, thank you so much for taking the time to be with us.
Very much appreciated.
We really think that this can help spread awareness about hostiling in general and also
can inspire new hostel entrepreneurs to take that dive and jump in because I'm a firm believer that
we need more hostiles and the more good hostel operators, the better.
But, you know, tell us a little bit about yourself.
How did you get started in this industry?
It's always a very exciting story.
It usually is or eclectic people that get into this game here.
So how did you get started and how did the Los Muertos Hostel come to be?
Oh, see, it's not that bad.
So David, some thoughts?
If you need a dive, you can take my part.
Did you get to that point of saying, oh, the hostels are cool, this is what I want to do?
Like traveling?
I think that traveling, especially on your first trip, one is looking for a mixture of
many experiences or at least in my case, I was always looking for the experience that
I didn't want to sleep.
As you grow, maybe you're still looking for the hostel, but the one that's the nicest, right?
Or you say this type of city deserves more than staying in a hotel and having a little
bigger comfort.
But I think I started traveling not very young, really.
Mexicans don't start leaving the world as quickly as Americans.
But my first trip, which I think was like my 23 years outside of Mexico and that I stayed
in a hostel was in Paris and it was an experience.
It wasn't a very nice hostel, but what it offered impacted me.
Like, you can meet people.
I was alone and then you're open to living with other people.
You're open to making friends.
You're open to listening to other people's experiences and taking them for you on your
trip.
And then that loneliness of traveling alone doesn't feel so strong.
You feel accompanied even though you don't know people.
And I think that's what brought me to the world of hostels at first.
Okay.
And now that you've been in this hostel for 8 years, can you tell me a little bit about
how you decided to name the hostel?
Because there are many Americans who see the dead and think, you know, they don't connect
with the day.
Sometimes a little bit.
And how did you decide to call the hostel the Dead?
Well, it was a little bit of a thing.
I think that more or less in those years when we started the hostel, it also started to
become more and more this idea of Mexican culture towards death.
I remember that for those years the movie Spectre by James Bond had come out where the
opening sequence of the movie happens in the supposed carnival of the Day of the Dead,
which we didn't have in Mexico.
It really didn't exist.
If you go to certain parts of Mexico, if there is a tradition very attached to the Day of
the Dead, like Oaxaca, like the State of Mexico, like Michoacan, but not in the whole country
really.
So it was a decision of several actors.
On the one hand, the beach that we have a few steps, it is the beach of the Dead in Puerto
Vallarta.
On the other hand, it was also part of how to make it catchy, both for the national and
for the foreigner.
And it is good that this is generating a boom, it is the part of the Day of the Dead.
And already a bit like closing the pinch on that, well, we gave it all that concept, from
the name of our rooms, we wanted them to be Mexican internationally recognized,
who have already died.
And we made this representation for each of them as La Catrina.
La Catrina is this icon of art in Mexico.
Well, from our characters, La Doña, Frida Kahlo, Cantinflas and Emiliano Zapata.
So it really was a decision between, that's what the beach is called, that will identify us,
but also this idea of death and the Day of the Dead is generating a certain interest
towards Mexico from the foreigner.
Now, how about the name Los Muertos?
So early in the conversation, we were talking, obviously, that's related to the Diaz de las Muertes.
What made you choose that name for your hostel?
Oh, you were just talking about that?
Oh, okay, okay.
We literally just know.
And another question, do you think the hostel industry is growing in Mexico right now, or do you see it as something that has reached a point, or if the pandemic affected many hostels to close?
And how could you stay open during the pandemic?
What did you do to survive the pandemic?
Yes, I think there are two factors.
On the one hand, answering the first question, we would like the hostel industry to exist in Mexico,
we would like there to be more of a culture of hostels, but the truth is that the young Mexicans who travel to hostels are not very familiar with the concept or what it offers.
When I receive reservations that arrive directly to us through WhatsApp or digital channels, I usually answer more questions to a Mexican about how the format works than to a foreigner.
A European knows perfectly how it is to stay in a Canadian hostel, they are about 60 years old, they continue to travel and stay in hostels.
So it has a lot to do with a culture, the Mexican is not used to it.
We would like there to be more hostels, but the truth is that many of the hostels in Mexico do not have the quality.
So there is a prejudice and a stereotype of what a hostel means.
That on the one hand.
On the other hand, the pandemic was a challenge.
I think we were able to get ahead of the pandemic because those of us who are in front of the business, the two or three of us, we have always had other activities in which we dedicate ourselves.
And it does not mean that it was not a challenge, but I think that any business, especially in a beach destination that went through the pandemic, can already be considered a case of success.
And at the same time, there are few hostels in Vallarta.
We can say that it is a privileged city that all the hostels that are there are still of local people or they are still not of chains, but of smaller ones.
Something that allowed us to stay was that we have a great location and that we are the only hostel in the romantic area of Puerto Vallarta.
Speaking of the romantic area, for people who have never visited Puerto Vallarta, who have never been to that area, can you explain a little how, why it is called the romantic area or what it is?
Well, why is it called the romantic area? I have no idea.
But what is the romantic area? It is the southernmost part of Puerto Vallarta.
Many people call it the locals, they tell it that it is the center, it really is not the center.
It is the southernmost part of the bay, the urban area of the bay, of Valle de Banderas.
And it is an area that has all this charm, like a little town, its streets in stone, it is practically the mountain a few meters from the beach.
So, once a person who visited us made the comparison, he was an American, I think more than 60 years old, and he said,
It is my first time in Puerto Vallarta, but it reminds me a lot of some towns on the coast of Malphi in Italy, that if you see them in publications, in photos, or have visited,
they are these cliffs next to the beach, which are practically less than 100 meters from the coast, the buildings are already on top of the mountain.
I think that is the most representative of Puerto Vallarta and what makes it different from other places in Mexico, its proximity to the mountain and the beach, or specifically to the romantic area.
At the same time, it is an area that is characterized by having few hotels, it has many condominiums, and what it has at the level of housing is like boutique hotels or more family hotels, or hostels,
well, practically hostels for us. And it has a great deal of real estate, it has become an area of ​​many purchases of condominiums and residences of Canadians and Americans.
And at the same time, in terms of tourism that it receives in high season, it receives a lot of LGBT tourism, so all those components have given it this mysticism of the romantic area,
and that it has all this real estate offer of a great city, but with the charm of the Mexican town.
And let's say that I'm going to visit, I've seen your hostel, I went there, Bobby once gave me a ride in a car and showed me that this is a cool hostel,
and that he had already talked to you and so on. But for a person who has never entered your hostel, as a guest on his first day, what are the expectations that they may have when entering your hostel?
Explain to me a little how your hostel is, what are the things they do, what can you have when you arrive?
Well, I think the first thing that a hostel should offer is to break the ice with the visitor.
The first thing is to say hello, how are you, how was your flight, where are you from? And to be able to engage in a conversation.
Both you as a person at the reception, whether the owner, the manager, a volunteer, at the moment you break the ice, you already recorded the face of that guest in your mind.
So I think that the biggest offer, regardless of whether the hostel is clean, has nice facilities, has common areas, I think the first thing is that it has a personalized treatment,
that it feels attended to one by one, as at home. Not that it is being attended to by a super formal person in uniform, saying...
Here is your room. Here is your room and the room service number is such. It is first in a relationship one to one, and I think that is the first thing I do whenever I have a check-in, is to break the ice.
And then, very important for us, because we are in an area that is also a little party-on, a lot of party, what follows is always telling them these are the rules of the hostel.
Because the fact that we are a hostel does not mean that there are no rules. And above all, there must be a rule of law when you share a space with people of all ages, of all interests and from different parts of the world.
So those for me are the first two approaches that I have with the guests. And from there I think that the rest is something that they already had in expectation at the time they made their reservation.
A large location, a bed that is suitable for their needs and necessary services. Internet, where to cook, where to spend a while and finally personal care.
But I think the first important thing is that these elements become more of a contact, of personal contact.
Of course, the more personal the better. It is very important for us to do the check-in tour, to teach them everything and for people to get familiar with what they have, with what we do.
Obviously also the rules. And very important for us are the activities that are things that help break the ice and also help people get to know each other.
Do you have, obviously they offer bedrooms, do you also have private rooms?
No, only shared bedrooms and all mixed. We don't have bedrooms for men or women either, mixed and all shared.
And do you have any kind of operation apart from just selling beds? For example, do you have a warehouse, a bar or something similar?
No, we are really a very small space. We do have a warehouse and we offer it, it is a storage especially for the use of the hostel.
But when there is a guest, for example, they come to us a lot in this area, I think it is also Yulita, people who arrive from four weeks.
So there to feel more comfortable, if they are offered, hey, if you want something that we keep in a warehouse, that we put in a warehouse, go ahead.
But no, the truth is that our common areas are quite small and we would like to have more. We have the dream of growing more.
But it has not been an impediment either, because Puerto Vallarta is not like these destinations, as very luxurious, where you go out and there is nothing and everything is inside the resorts.
Puerto Vallarta and especially the romantic areas, you go out and you have restaurants, bars, cafeterias, entrances to markets, three or four blocks away from the roundabout.
So we would love to have a common area, a terrace, maybe a bar where people can connect.
In fact a rooftop.
We have a very wasted hotel that does not belong to us, but there is a large opportunity area.
But we do not believe that, some have missed it, but not all guests.
If it is a recurring comment in our reviews, what a pity that the common areas are small, but you have everything outside, you go out and you are there.
The location is the most valuable asset we have.
Yes, we have many, like behind the reception there is always a little store where we sell water, sweets, whatever, because sometimes people arrive late and all the stores are closed or anything like that.
And if we have not realized that even if the impact is very little, you can win, you can get a good result.
Let's see.
Sorry, I lost a little. Do you have any questions? Maybe from our friends at the moment?
Well, rather you also, how have you felt, I think this question that you asked is very interesting.
How do we see the issue of hostels after the pandemic and the growth of the industry in Mexico?
I do not think it is an industry that is dying, but it does lack growth. I do not know from your perspective.
We think that the industry is growing, it is growing faster because there are many opportunities, because many hostels could not survive the pandemic and had to sell or had to get someone to help them.
So if there is for the young person or the person who says that he wants to have his own business, I think there is a lot of opportunity to take over a hostel that is already a hostel, but the owners no longer want because they suffered a lot from the pandemic.
But I think that at the moment Mexico is growing a lot economically. I think that many people are traveling to Mexico more now than before.
I do not know if you see it in your hostels, but I do see it here in the low.
Where are you David?
I am in La Paz.
I just was in La Paz a month ago.
Oh yeah? Maybe we did not cross and we did not see each other.
Another question is, do you have volunteers?
Like staff?
Yes.
And what do you use? Do you use the Worldpackers Workaway or what page do you use to get them?
Both. Workpackers Workaway and we also get many volunteers directly.
I mean, I know the hostel, I know that they were involved in this environment of the guys who already volunteer and then contact us.
I am so lucky.
As a hostel owner, as a manager and always being involved, how do you find the balance of not working all the time and having a balanced and healthy life?
Because if they do not call you all the time, how do you find that balance?
Well, the reality is that what I did about six months ago was hire a manager.
So, this allows me to always be on the lookout for the business, but not be there all the time.
I also have another job in the tourism sector, I work in the marketing area for a large hotel group in Los Cabos.
So, that is the reason why I go to the low end.
So, it has always been a challenge to organize yourself, to separate personal and private life, and to set rules, to set up my remote work, to set up a certain order in how you do things.
What do you do first, what do you prioritize in the morning, what do you dedicate the afternoon to, and at what time do you say, until here, and we connect tomorrow.
So, what I do first in the mornings is check the status of the hostel, what are the new reservations that arrived,
keep all the information that the guys should have in our updated database.
Then I dedicate myself to my work, I go around the hostel every day for a couple of hours,
and from 8 at night I switch off from work and until the next day.
Otherwise, it's like crazy.
Why not?
Let's see, tough questions.
Are you married?
No, not really.
How do you balance life being like this in the hostel?
Sometimes it's very easy to find many travelers and many things, you don't do any kind of tours and nothing like that.
You're more like a owner, you're more separated from the life of the hostel, and you're more like managing the manager so that he manages the hostel for you.
Yes, I manage the manager, but I still like this, and it's always a relief in your day-to-day life when your work is very demanding or when your work is very structured.
It's a relief to interact with the guests and exchange information.
Since we're a small place, when I go there I work from the inevitable times when someone asks for a towel,
or asks how I got to this, or gives me a recommendation where to eat, or I want to know about this route.
So I always interact with the guests, maybe not in as much of a measure as before, but we do maintain this interaction because it's how important we do it.
We want them to feel well served by the staff and the owner, and to see a face.
We don't offer tours, but we have a center of the hostel, we have a information spot for all the local operators that exist,
from the very big ones like Vallarta Adventures, to the smallest ones that offer services with their private boat there in the corner of the hostel.
We offer that service, we help them with their reservation, we put them in contact, or we even help them.
Next question, to conclude a little here.
If I arrive and I meet you on Saturday morning and I ask you, what can I do today as a guest of yours?
From breakfast to the party at night, what do you recommend to do in Puerto Vallarta?
What would be a perfect day in Puerto Vallarta?
To start, I'll tell you.
Well, it's a Saturday or a weekend if you want to extend it a little.
But it would be a perfect day.
In my way of traveling, I think my recommendation would be to go to a guesthouse. I think you and you have learned to read to guests.
Then you suddenly see the guesthouse more cosmopolitan, and suddenly you see the super backpacker guesthouse that loves hiking and yoga on the beaches.
So you try to read them from what you see or what you ask.
But I think for most people who come to Puerto Vallarta and discover Vallarta beyond what they see in the eyes of the common and normal people,
Vallarta is the recommendation that you go hiking to the beach Colomitos.
You take a bus to Boqueto Matalan and do a Boqueto Matalan hiking to Colomitos or to Playa Caballo.
You spend the day on the beach, a beach that is very beautiful. It is one of the most beautiful in the bay.
And when you return from hiking, you can take a walk around the city to get to know the romantic area and at night visit the street of the bars.
The advantage of Puerto Vallarta is that unlike and that is also possible in Sayulita or possibly in La Paz, you don't have to pay a cover necessarily to enter a place.
On one street you make a visit of the seven bars. You enter one, you go out to another.
So those stops before going to those stops of the bars, I think it is also important to have a dinner.
It doesn't have to be very expensive, but in an iconic place in Puerto Vallarta, I think we have several famous for tacos or famous for ceviche or famous even for drinks.
So it's always that. But I think in my way of inviting guests is to get away a little,
to do a hiking and take them to a beach more retired, these beaches more virgin, these beaches that you can't imagine that Puerto Vallarta has sometimes and that you think only exists in Riviera Maya.
No.
Of course.
Cool.
Well, Avi, I think we're going to finish here. Thank you very much for the conversation.
Bobby, I think James is now going to finish with a few words, but if you want to say something before James finishes, well, the position is yours.
No, rather, I don't know if James wants to say something in the panorama in which we talk, I think something is missing.
We are crazy to go there and visit and spend a few nights with you, also so that you come to Sayulita, right? We have a hostel there. I don't know if you have visited it.
Not yet. In fact, my partner and friend who also put the hostel, we have the intention, we like to travel a lot, so soon we will go and meet the hostel in Sayulita.
That for sure.
Thank you very much, Avi.