Sao Paulo Hostel

Part of the reason I’m heading back to South America for two months is that I am the South America guide for About.com and I need to review some travel companies for the site.

Organizing the trip to Sao Paulo I was happy that a big hotel group offered to host me so that I could review three hotels but in Maui I was getting nervous.

I was pushing for details of the first hotel as my flight from Maui to Sao Paulo was a bit crazy (Maui – New York – Toronto, exit customs then enter again for Toronto – New York – Sao Paulo).

This morning I was near panic as I heard nothing and I had only 12 hours before my flight. Then I received this.

This is not good.

If you haven’t noticed, I am a very easy going traveler but I am also not an idiot.

Sao Paulo isn’t a city you simply show up in. I haven’t been to Brazil and I know I’ll have to be on guard there so arriving after 24 hours of flying without a plan is a very bad idea.

In an industry that is often wary of online travel writers because they aren’t sure what they will get I was stunned that a member could be so unprofessional.

I was furious.

But getting mad solves nothing so I turned to the one place I knew could help me quickly.

Social Media.

It rescued me when I was stuck in Buenos Aires and it was the only venue I knew that could help with such late notice.

Within minutes of tweeting and posting people were sharing and suggesting, I received tons of emails offering to help.

Travel writers in Brazil were telling me all the hotels were booked up so I needed to find alternative accommodation so when Near Afar suggested a boutique Sao Paulo hostel I set aside my previous declaration that I was over hostels.

A quick tweet to WeHostels and a few emails later they offered to host me.

I am so thankful to have people help out at a moment’s notice. I was so frustrated but WeHostels jumped at the opportunity.

They had been looking to promote their mobile phone app where you can book in 40,000 accommodations in more than 800 cities and 170 countries.

Most of the accommodations are hostels but they are currently adding more budget hotels as well as a social app that lets you see who else will be at the hostel, which could be handy if you wanted to coordinate sharing taxis from the airport or bus station.

I am lucky. 

Unfortunately it looks like there are no private rooms but this hostel has towels, hair dryers, breakfast and a very modern design.

Less than an hour ago I was worried I would be landing in Sao Paulo without a place to stay and now I have somewhere great to stay and enough time on a plane that I can cool off and just enjoy Brazil.