Help needed around Hostel in Southern Italy

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Country: Italy

Updated

Last Activity: 03/02/2012

Description

We are a youth hostel in , Puglia, Italy.

Puglia is in the south of Italy, surrounded by beaches, where you can relax and have fun in the sun. Our hostel is ideally situated in Casale, a residential area of the town, close to everything you may need to enjoy your holiday....

Our hostel, is the ideal stop over for travellers on their way to, or back from Greece. With us, people can enjoy a very comfortable stay, whether they spend just one night or, take advantage of our "day hostel" service... not to forget our beach, nightlife and history.

Area

Puglia (Apulia)

Type of work

Other,
Language practise,
Helping with Tourists,
Animal care,
Help in the house,
General Maintenance,
Cooking / shopping,
Gardening

Work

The kind of help needed here will be divided in shifts working with other helpers and myself (not necessarely together).
It's not on a tight schedule, we take care of customers when we need to... Check in and out, bar work, setting and unsetting the dinner/lunch table, give me the occasional help cooking for everyone (we all dine together at the same time around a big table), looking after the tables outside (when they get used) and looking after the garden.

It's not a cleaning job, we already have a cleaning lady who takes care of rooms and bathrooms so, unless there is an emergency (full house the day before...) we don't need to help her.

In return you get: free accommodation and meals, free loundry, free internet (wifi also in the room), free (yes free) bar (as long as it doesn't get abused) and prettymuch everything that concerns the Hostel.

There will be atleast 2 helpers plus me, so the work load will not be heavy at all... we'll work on shifts so everyone can count on certain days off.

The lenght of the stay is flexible... minimum 1 month commitment, as that is when you start knowing your surroundings and can actually work independently ... longer is better.

Languages spoken

Italian, English

Accommodation

Staff accommodation (Rooms separated by gender).

Host ref number: 16393694564a

Feedback left about host

(Neutral)

by Sam [13/06/2011]:

for host

Though many of the workers enjoyed themselves, this Workaway experience wasn't for me. The hostel sits at a 25-30 minute walk from the center of Brindisi and a 5km bike or bus ride from the beach. Smoking cigarettes indoors is allowed, so the downstairs area is often full of smoke. Around the hostel there wasn't much activity (though I was there more

(Negative)

by host [14/06/2011]:

for Sam

Sam, I really don't know how to express my surprise in reading your feedback. )

1)in respect of your (fake) vegetarianism all I willsay is that everyone here for the almost 3 weeks you were here turned into vegetarian so you wouldn't feel weird or have a different meal from all of us.
2) You had a burger and a hotdog the night we had 70 more

(Excellent)

by Rachel [18/08/2011]:

for host

I have just left and had a great time... everyone is friendly and helpful, its great we all eat together at lunch and dinner, the food is fabulous (I swear ive put on half a stone) and the workload is light and enjoyable.
There are a number of jobs to complete daily and then you are able to relax until you are required by guests or the team to more

(Excellent)

by host [30/09/2011]:

for Rachel

Rachel is among the greatest helpers i have had in the last 10 years. Very professional in anything she does, no job is too little or too big always a smile on her face but at the same time able to take charge in any situation and (I guess due to personality and previous working experience) able to coordinate with all other colleagues in order to more

(Negative)

by Cristina [30/09/2011]:

for host

I would classify this experience as a negative one for several reasons:
- too many working hours per day / working days per week: significantly higher than workaway standard (8-9h per day; 1 day off for 3 working days compared to 4-5h per day; 2 days off per week); the working time was not communicated in advance even we asked for it (the only more

(Negative)

by host [30/09/2011]:

for Cristina

Of course I would have left my feedback to you and your boyfriend in my remote memories, as the short stay (2 or 3 days??) of you both wasn't a positive experience for me, or the other workawayers here.
I seriously don't know what you are lookin for in a workaway place. Dusting the bar shelves and keeping the bar floor clean (4 metres by 5 metres) more was a duty of yours... the ONLY duty you were actually asked to perform. Everything else was helping out in your living place... if someone cooks the meal for everyone (me or my girlfriend) and does the shopping and all... someonelse needs to wash up... in turns. When the cleaning lady was sick, we all got down to making beds... the whole of 5 beds. Your boyfriend, very antisocial guy, was off the first day like you, as I told you guys to rest from your travel here, you kind of worked the 2nd day you were here while he was off taking advantage of the internet 24 hours a day, while off... he still used the net, the bar and had meals (we always had to wait for him as he was "working on his pc remember??) and I didn't complain at all...

The other helpers actually complained to me as you were 2 people "working" as 1 basically on the net all the time and if we wanted anything done... we had to ask gently getting the dirty look as : "Don't you see I am busy"? type thing.
The 3rd day, when your boyfriend was actually "on duty" and of course on his laptop "working his own business" I asked him to pick up some litter from the floor (that was left by the person on duty before him... you???), so after I got the usual dirty look (sorry... not scary enough for me) and he actually performed some work for the whole 2 or 3 minutes then sat down again with his laptop... of course he didn't like it when I also reminded him that the person before him (you again???) left some glasses to be washed at the bar... whhoo... did he like that...!
I was actually going to ask you guys to leave, but I would have given you the time to find another placement ... I do stick to my commitments, so when in the evening you and mr boyfriend told me you were leaving... I (and the rest of the staff who you never bothered making friends with) thought... "problem solved!!!
The difference was the notice you gave me... no notice at all. Having 3 shifts per day and 1 day off every 3 days isn't bad at all... that means that you are actually on in the morning, or in the afternoon or the evening, then when you get of from the morning shift you get the rest of the day off, the following day off and don't have to be back to work untill the evening of the following day... in my world that is 2 days off (48 hours) every 3 days... that makes some weeks with 3 days on and 4 days off... what are you complaining about?
You were coming from herding farm animals 7 days per week... and if you would have stuck around here for long enough you would have maybe understood the difference and what we were all about.
Instead of confabulating in your own language all the time (very rude at meals table) you could have asked some questions and maybe you would have seen the whole situation in a different way understanding what living and working being part of a team actually means instead of being completelly refractary to any attempt from us or your coworkers to make friends or simply to have a decent conversation...
It is sad to say it but... the rest of the staff, the guests and I were glad you decided to go... that is the reason why when you asked if I wanted to know the reason why you were leaving NO ONE asked any questions. Too bad you missed your going away party about 15 minutes after you left.
My suggestion to you is that if you want a holyday where you just need to look after your own business and be on the net all the time (on or off duty) maybe you should consider taking a proper holyday and pay for your stay as you don't seem to be able to apreciate what is offered to you in return for your "presence" in any revenue. Take good care, M.

(Very good)

by host [21/10/2011]:

for Giuseppe

Giuseppe has helped here for a month in Sept/Oct 2011. The experience with him has been overall good. He was a bit shy and quiet at first but warmed up after a few days. Made friends with everyone here, was competent with any tasks assigned to him and cordial with customers. Very honest and punctual, I would definitelly have him help here again.

(Very good)

by Giuseppe [21/10/2011]:

for host

I had a nice stay with the host and the rest of the staff. The atmosphere was very relaxed and since first day they treated me like one of the family. The hostel receives guests from all over the world, so I had the chance to meet people of every nationality. The workload was overall light, in fact I had many free days to see Brindisi and many more

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