The Matador community is full of people with interesting businesses, and it’s not surprising that a handful of members are travel industry entrepreneurs. This week, we highlight two members who own and run hostels.

Be sure to check out their profiles and click on the links to their blogs and websites to learn more. And if you visit, let them know you learned about them from Matador!

ricardo_emp: Casa Amarilla, Mompox, Colombia:
Richard McColl, a freelance writer from London, had been calling Colombia home when he decided to make it official, buying a run-down house and turning it into a sparkling new hostel in a town designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Read all about Richard’s adventures restoring the house here.

bmeizz: El Diablo Tranquilo, Punta Del Diablo, Uruguay: After spending 8 months traveling around South America, Brian happened upon the seaside town of Punta del Diablo, where he “fell in love with the place before the end of the first day.” Quickly becoming obsessed with Punta del Diablo, Brian had a dream he couldn’t shake: opening a bar and hostel in the town and setting down some roots. Check out Brian’s story of how the hostel went from dream to reality here.

Matador Network has tons of great content about hostels. Check out a few of our favorite pieces!

The Top 10 Hostels in Europe

What Every Backpacker Should Know About Self-Catering

Do you have a favorite hostel? Tell us about it in the comments section!
Photo: thephotoholic (creative commons)