{"id":2394,"date":"2015-10-05T20:53:48","date_gmt":"2015-10-05T20:53:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.diningtraveler.com\/?p=2394"},"modified":"2015-10-05T20:53:48","modified_gmt":"2015-10-05T20:53:48","slug":"new-experiences-grateful-souls-hostel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diningtraveler.com\/2015\/10\/new-experiences-grateful-souls-hostel.html","title":{"rendered":"New Experiences: Grateful Souls Hostel"},"content":{"rendered":"
As I prepare the content for the Dining Traveler Guide to Puerto Rico<\/a> book, one of the things I want to feature is a spectrum of experiences. \u00a0 This journey took me to do something I had not done in my twenty years of travel: a stay at a hostel!\u00a0 Thankfully the team at Poshpacker<\/a> introduced me to Grateful Souls Hostel<\/a> in Aguada, Puerto Rico.\u00a0 So how did a 36 year old with a champagne taste fared in a hostel? Well\u2026 here\u2019s the story!<\/p>\n The Scene:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 My friend Carlis from Spicy Candy DC<\/a> and I were on a road trip through the west coast of the island.\u00a0 We arrived to Grateful Souls Hostel on a rainy Sunday afternoon.\u00a0 The owner was not in town that day and there were no guests at the main house.\u00a0 We called the manager, Jose whose number was at the door. He arrived shortly after our call and gave us a small tour of the house.\u00a0 The house is large and spacious tucked into a small residential neighborhood.\u00a0 There is a large balcony in the back of the house which lends a gorgeous view of the ocean.\u00a0 The property also offers surfboards for rent and other beach items for you to either borrow or rent. \u00a0Dining Traveler Tip:\u00a0 We hear the best time to go to the Aguada area for surfing is is in the winter months.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n The rooms:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em> We had our own room with two comfortable full sized beds.\u00a0 The bathroom was shared but we were the only guests so we didn\u2019t have the full hostel experience in that sense.\u00a0 Overall, the room was comfortable.\u00a0 For those who haven\u2019t stayed at a hostel before: make sure to bring your own towels and toiletries as they are not provided.<\/p>\n The location:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 There had been a lot of rain the weekend we arrived so the beach was a little murky, so we did not jump in the water.\u00a0 However, the beach area was very clean and we also ran into a few locals walking their dogs. Don\u2019t miss the sunset!\u00a0 Gorgeous view from the beach area in front of the house.<\/p>\n For beach time, we headed to Crashboat beach in Aguadilla, a thirty minute drive from the hostel for crystal clear waters and lively vibes. It\u2019s one of my favorite beaches in Puerto Rico.\u00a0 Also, you MUST eat at Marullos Art Cuisine Restaurant just a five minute drive from the hostel.\u00a0 We loved it so much, we ate there two nights in a row!<\/p>\n My experience:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong> Although this is not my usually style of travel, I am glad I was open to experience Grateful Souls Hostel. I think it would have been different if there were more people staying at the property.\u00a0 I always hear that one of the highlights of staying at a hostel is the people you meet.\u00a0 However, everything was clean, there was high-speed internet, and we felt safe. At the time, Puerto Rico was going through a drought and water rationing was in effect.\u00a0 After a day at the beach we went to shower and there was no water! I wish the management would have left a note letting us know the water schedule.<\/p>\n The verdict:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 For years, one of my gripes about travel in Puerto Rico was the lack of affordable lodging options. \u00a0I am glad to see more unique options currently being offered. Grateful Souls Hostel adds a unique and affordable lodging experience to the island.\u00a0 For locals, the west coast has long been a destination for a weekend trip with its gorgeous beaches and laid back vibes.\u00a0 The property represents just that.<\/p>\n As I prepare the content for the Dining Traveler Guide to Puerto Rico book, one of the things I want to feature is a spectrum of experiences. \u00a0 This journey took me to do something I had not done in my twenty years of travel: a stay at a hostel!\u00a0 Thankfully the team at Poshpacker […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":2402,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[53,95,2,56],"tags":[288,262,227],"class_list":{"0":"post-2394","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hotel-reviews","8":"category-puerto-rico","9":"category-travel","10":"category-travel-tip","11":"tag-dining-traveler-guide-to-puerto-rico","12":"tag-hotel-review","13":"tag-travel"},"yoast_head":"\n<\/a>
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Disclaimer: I was graciously hosted by Acacia Boutique Hotel in a collaboration with Poshpacker, an up and coming travel booking site featuring unique and affordable properties throughout the world. <\/em><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"