Interview With Bait Hostel on 02/12/09

Interview With Bait Hostel

Minihostels met with Bait Hostel owner, Matt Ward, to discover why Bait Hostel is one of the best places to stay in Buenos Aires.

Matt explained his reasoning for opening a hostel. As a former backpacker, Matt knew the hostel business was one in which he had a lot of knowledge and understanding. After backpacking in Europe for three years, Matt knew what kind of hostel qualities made backpacking life easy and efficient. After purchasing the building two and half years ago Matt and his partner Malay Charlawff have made improvements on the infrastructure and repainted the building.

The hostel is very open with sunlight spilling into the patio. Upstairs is almost like a loft with a cozy bar and kitchen: the perfect hangout for travelers. "Most people that stay in Bait Hostel are young backpackers," Matt told Minihostels. The hostel boasts a good mixture of both English and Spanish speakers. In fact, the entire staff is bilingual. This hostel is a great place for visitors to practice their Spanish.

The multilingual staff isn't only one reason why Bait Hostel is a top minihostels pick. The hostel is located in Palermo Soho, literally two blocks from Plaza Serrano. Owners of Bait hostel choose this location because it is one of the best scenes in Buenos Aires. Palermo SoHo boasts some of the best clubs, bars and restaurants in the city. This is a much more relaxed area than the Centro, one of the reasons Matt and Malay choose Palermo. "Porteños come to Palermo SoHo for their nights out. It's very genuine and relatively low rise. International visitors head to Recoleta, but if you want to have a good time in the evening, Palermo is the place to be," Matt explained to minihostels. It's true that Buenos Aires has some great neighborhoods. However, while San Telmo can be a bit edgy and bohemian for some and the Microcentro is just not the place for tourists, Matt said. 

Bait hostel takes care of its guests. Staff members helpfully provide all need-to- know information on Buenos Aires and point guests to museums, plazas, neighborhoods and of course football. Bait even offers the hard to learn information readily, such as how to obtain a cell phone or an apartment for those guests looking towards a longer- term stay in Buenos Aires. Furthermore, the hostel offers a friendly and cozy environment. Live music and frequent asados make it easy to find friends at Bait hostel.

Overall, Bait hostel is a great place to be because of its small, friendly atmosphere where everyone is welcome. "This hostel feels like home. Furthermore, the great staff makes the hostel. Most people leave thanking the staff and telling us what a great time they had."

Matt summed up his experience for minihostels. " Owning a business anywhere is a challenge. But, you meet great people and it's a great city. Owning a hostel means being involved in people having fun. What could be better than that?"

Bait hostel has nine rooms with seven privates and two dorms all with top quality mattresses, sheets, and pillows. Everyone is welcome at Bait including guests, ex guests and friends.