Appreciation post: the hostel owner in Lisbon who gave me a free breakfast every morning

I was staying at a tiny hostel in Lisbon last March, had booked 5 nights, and on day two I mentioned I was heading out early to catch a bus to Sintra. The owner, an older Portuguese guy named Rui, just said "wait" and made me a coffee and a pastel de nata from his own kitchen. He did that every single morning after, never charged me extra. Anyone else had a hostel staff member do something simple like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

ray56218d ago

idk that's honestly the kind of stuff that makes traveling actually special. Like yeah you can get a fancy hotel with all the amenities but a guy just deciding to be nice to you for no reason? That sticks with you way longer. Rui sounds like a real one for that. I've had hostel staff offer me maps or directions before but never free breakfast every day, that's next level hospitality. Little things like that can totally change how you feel about a whole city honestly.

kimblack18d ago

Gotta say @ray562 you kinda changed my mind with this one. Honestly I used to think the fancy hotels with room service and pools were where it's at, but now I get that the random kindness hits different. That free breakfast thing from Rui would probably make me remember that trip way more than any five-star mattress.

garcia.wren18d ago

But don't you think you're kind of romanticizing the whole thing a little too much? I get it, random kindness is nice and all, but I'd rather have a reliable hot shower and a good night's sleep than gamble on some person's mood. Free breakfast is great until the guy has an off day and gives you stale bread, or you realize the place doesn't have working AC in July. A five-star mattress might be boring, but boring is predictable and safe. I've had too many hostel experiences where the "charming local hospitality" turned into a loud party at 2 AM or a leaky ceiling. You can't really plan a trip around hoping for a free meal from a stranger, you know?