The Team
Emma – Mum
When she’s not giving the world’s longest tour of the hostel, this English mother hen can most often be found in the lounge, wrapped up in her blanket, drawing in her colouring book, and wearing her favourite pink hoodie. While this strawberry blonde may be small in stature, she is large in personality and her voice can be heard throughout the halls of the hostel at all hours of the day. Keep an eye out for her incredible nametag drawings and an ear out for her high-pitched squeals.
Likes: The sound of her own voice, Being right, Knowing everything about every movie ever, Popcorn with sour cream/onion dip, Noa’s impression of her voice
Dislikes: Mismatched bedsheets, Unevenly distributed pots/pans, Being wrong, Messes, Bananas
Danny – Big Daddy
Danny will commonly be recognised by his ginger hair and green check shirt. This former chef rarely comes out of hibernation unless for a Manchester United game, the occasional night out, or his awesome Tuesday quiz nights. He is world-famous for his truly awful dad jokes, and he plans to keep it that way despite the competition from Connor close on his heels for the title! Danny loves his rum, but has been know to get “white girl wasted” when the white wine comes out!
Likes: Man-U, Mother drinks, Boy Bands, Spontaneous Marriage proposals, and RUM!
Dislikes: Heights, Cooking, Good dad jokes, people disrespecting the POWER of RUM!
Valerie – Val, The Fiery Redhead
As our French native of the group Val can be counted on to be found enjoying a good glass of wine or concocting an elaborate multi course vegetarian meal in the kitchen. Easily bribed by chocolate, this rare vice is especially relevant when she’s running our weekly scavenger hunt (hint! hint!). Normally steady, cool and collected, the girlie traits appear whilst on the phone with her beau in Aussieland. We’re just hoping to hold onto nous petite poise as long as possible.
Likes: Musicals, Jumping in puddles, Disney songs, Rum and tropical juice, Cats
Dislikes: Ice in wine, Turning the music off before the end of a song, Choosing only 1 flavor of ice cream, Being allergic to cats
Connor – Eminem, Mini Phillips Schofield
This youngster of the group is full of energy and charm (kinda). Just like Danny, Connor is a Manchester United fan, and can be found snuggled up on the sofa with Monkey in the early hours of the morning to watch a game. He has become famous for C.U.P.C. (Connor’s Unofficial Pub Crawl) nights, which may happen at any time – after activity nights, or just when he’s smashed. Even though he’s not a chef like Danny, he enjoys experimenting in the kitchen to create us some unusual dinners.
Likes: Loves beer, and sometimes good wine, Man0U, Blondes, snuggle buddies
Dislikes: A tease.
Dan – AmeriDan
Manager Dan is constantly buzzing around the hostel, fixing anything in sight, a stickler when it comes to attention to detail. In his free time, you’ll mainly spot him in the dining room, perfecting his DJ skills and catching up on his favorite TV shows. A comedy connoisseur, the best way to hear Dan giggle like a small child is to arrive armed with a really bad pun.
Likes: Good coffee, Dance music, New TV shows to binge watch, Road trips, Ticking items off the bucket list.
Dislikes: Instant coffee, Mornings, Clutter, Lo-fi audio.
Lisa – Beatles Fanatic
The heart and soul of the hostel, Lisa’s been part of the AQ family since starting out as a seasonal worker in 2012 to now being Manager! Originally from London (the Canadian one), 3 years ago she expanded our hostel family when she had baby Molly, our littlest crew member! But this mama’s still cool: talk to her about anything from skydiving, to road-tripping, to Bob Dylan or The Beatles, and we think you’ll agree.
Likes: Music from before 1979, Molly, Hockey, Sleep.
Dislikes: Music after 1979, Renewing visas, Day care costs, Double letter names, and the Maple Leafs being so terrible for so long!
Brett – Snowboarder/Travel Buff/Occasional Chef
Having visited 50+ different countries around the world, and stayed in 70+ hostels… and counting, Brett knows exactly what backpackers want in a good hostel. He has lived in Australia and England as well as New Zealand, and brings a wealth of experience in understanding what intrepid travellers want in a short stay. An avid snowboarder with a love of sport, music and the outdoors, he’s always planning the next adventure.
Likes: His snowboards, Vinyl collection, Bluebird days, Fine wine, Being grumpy.
Dislikes: Crap snow, Crap wine, Mornings, Feeling irritable, Modern R&B & pop music.