Q: Hey Bruno! So, how have you been during this current pandemic?
A: I spent almost 3 months locked up at home. It was not easy, but for me, this pandemic served as a form of personal renewal, deep knowledge, and especially innovation, whether in personal life or in business.
Q: Faced any challenges so far?
A: I think that being away from everyone that we love and care about is one of the worst things we can face in our lives. I was supposed to visit Brasil, my home country, see my family and friends but with this crisis I wasn’t able to do so. That was for me the hardest challenge for sure. But soon I’ll be there!
Q: So, when did the idea of HandyHostel first emerge? Tell us your story
A: A long time ago I’ve decided that I was going to open my own hostel in the northeast of Brasil as a retirement plan for my life. By then I didn’t have the money to do that but I could travel and get to know the world better. So, since then I traveled a lot, visited 16 countries, and stayed as a guest in hostels all over. My passion for this segment just got bigger and bigger so in 2019 I’ve decided not to be a guest anymore and signed up for a volunteer job at a hostel in Portugal. That was the trigger of HandyHostel. I was one day thinking about the many things, problems, solutions, and moments that a hostel owner or manager or even a guest goes thru. I thought: “This is not easy as it looks like from the outside”. So… my head started to think about a solution that can help from the bottom up this amazing experience called hostel. I thought a lot, wrote a lot, questioned a lot and finally I came up with the project of HandyHostel as an application that will change the way people travel and have their experiences as backpackers and hostel owners. We called HandyHostel the Future of Travel.
Q: What does it offer travelers and how is it different from other travel apps?
A: HandyHostel is nothing like other apps that you find around. We are not an app for bookings cause we know that there are a lot of amazing apps that we can use already. As a hostel owner HandyHostel gives you the opportunity to earn more money, communicate better with your guests and employees, manage sales, and give the best experience to your clients. As a guest, using HandyHostel will able you to find the best experiences, products, and services around the hostel that you are staying in. You can also do your online check-in and never stay waiting on queues at the reception to be able to go to your room take a shower, sleep or go to the best restaurant or beach that you wish so much when you were on the plane. HandyHostel gives you the opportunity to meet new people, share, receive, laugh, and be happy in your vacation. HandyHostel was created to change the way people travel and to make them have the best time of their lives using a simple, fast, and secure application.
Q: How would you describe the company in one sentence?
A: HandyHostel is the Future of Travel.
Q: Who/what company is your biggest inspiration?
A: I don’t have just a company that I can say that inspires my cause I have a lot of them in my mind. But I can say that whats makes me move and be the best of myself and create the best company in the world is God and also my dad, Antônio Carlos, known as Cacau.
Q: If you could be any animal, what would it be and why?
A: I think I would love to be a bird. One of my main values and for sure one of the main values of HandHostel as a company is Freedom. For me, a person who has freedom in his life has everything and I can say that when I see a bird flying around or just standing somewhere brings me the freedom vibe and makes me feel really good.
Q: Favorite hostel in the world?
A: As I said before I stayed in a lot of hostels in my life. Lots of it! But, when I think of a hostel Beach House Ipanema (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) comes first in my mind. I have been there almost 10 times not just because they are at one of the best cities of Brasil, in my opinion, but also in the best location there. When I’m there I feel that there is a lot of love going on in that hostel with the owners, employees, and all the guests. For me being the best hostel is not only about cleanness, location, price, and if the bed is good enough. It’s all about the experience and Beach House Ipanema gives me the best they can for sure. It’s a must-visit.
Q: Next country you want to visit?
A: There are so many places I want to go right now. Hahaha. But I would love to visit Indonesia next.
Q: Where do you see HandyHostel in 5 years time?
A: We have many goals and a lot of effort going on at HandyHostel right now. So far we have come with an amazing team with a lot of experienced people and great personalities. But my goal as Founder and CEO of HandyHostel is to be the best travel company in the world. In 5 years we want to operate in all the continents in the globe making the difference for travelers, but also making a difference for humanity and for the environment. To get there we want to help real poor families and put thousands of kids in school. We also have a plan of helping the plantation of one million trees around the world. It’s all about us, together, for a better future.