Aloha Hostel

I checked out the next day and told one of the owners what had happened. He didn't take it seriously, made excuses for Julio, and blamed us for using the bathrooms. He said, “when we make bad decisions bad things can happen to us,” and refused responsibility. Since there were no bathroom cameras and no direct proof, he said he'd only speak to Julio. Stay away. Before that, I'd already felt unsafe in the female dorm. It had no outside lock, so men could come in while we slept. The shared bathroom had separate signs for the two toilets, but I saw men use the women's one. The shower doors were frosted glass, yet see-through enough that I could see a person's tattoos while washing my hands. The first incident was in the bathroom reserved for private-room guests. A friend staying in a private room had said we could use it, so I went in when the main bathroom was occupied. The key was in the door and it was unlocked. I held the handle shut, but Julio, the hostel manager, opened it. I was naked from the waist down on the toilet. Instead of leaving, he came right into the tiny room and stared at me, repeating that I couldn't use it. I tried to cover myself and asked him to leave, but he kept repeating himself and looking at me. I was too embarrassed afterward to explain that my friend had given permission. That night, my friend didn't feel comfortable showering alone, so I went with her. It was past midnight; we were talking loudly and taking a long time to unwind, which we shouldn't have done. But there was no curfew in the hostel rules. Julio suddenly came in and told us it was time to return to our dorms. He then went right up to my friend's shower door and stared through the glass at her naked body, repeating that we should leave even though we'd acknowledged him. She had no way to cover herself. He eventually left, and she felt embarrassed and violated. We were both humiliated and scared to sleep, knowing there was no lock and Julio also lived in the hostel. I'd been to over 30 hostels and never experienced anything like this.

Julio at reception was friendly and turned down the AC because our room was so cold. There were two toilet stalls and two showers for everyone. It wasn't very busy, which was lucky, as the facilities would have felt cramped otherwise. My friend pulled our door open and the handle came off in her hand.

The staff were so, so friendly and helpful, and the other common areas were super clean. Aloha hostel was quite fine, and a good option if you're staying in Portimao. The bathrooms really need more attention, though: the floors were always wet, the bins full of paper, and the mattresses extremely thin.

I liked the building and the other guests were cool, but my stay was unpleasant. Clothes, food shopping, money, and beer went missing. Money was taken from a locked storage box in my room, and someone even stole cash from my pocket while I was asleep in bed. I also lost holiday clothes and food from the fridge and worktops. The hostel's surrounding area seems to attract criminal targeting of tourists, including pickpockets.