WELCOME BIENVENIDOS
YOUR HOSTS
Owner/Manager/ Official Go-To-Girl - ANDREA A.
Andrea A. is the founder of The Purple House Int’l Backpacker Hostel of David City, Panama (which is named in honor of the original Purple House Hostel which was located in Tel Aviv, Israel back in the 1980's.) Andrea is originally from New York City, where she worked as a special events planner for a large investment bank. In 1999 she came to Panama as a Peace Corps Volunteer See Her Peace Corps Application Essay and never left. She takes great pride in the fact that she opened the first hostel in David City and the 2nd hostel in the entire country of Panama way back in 2002! She is proud to call the beautiful country of Panama her adopted home. Because she lives in the hostel, she is at your service for whatever advice, information, or any other kind of assistance that you might need.
Night Reception/Asst. Manager/Also affectionately known as “Plan B” - GUSTAVO L.
Gustavo L. has been with us since June 2008. He started off as a night-time receptionist and over the years has taken on more responsibility so his job has no limits (meaning you might find him here at any time of day, doing any type of job function.) That’s also why he is nicknamed “Plan B”…if Andrea is suddenly unavailable, he magically transforms into the “Official Go-To Guy!” He speaks great English, loves heavy metal music, PS3, and any other kind of new technology. He lives in David City with his other “real” family (his beautiful wife Elizabeth and their 2 very cute kids, Alana and Saul.)
Cleaning/Morning-Daytime Reception - CARMEN Z.
Carmen Z. is the loyal employee who has been with us the longest of all (since September 2006) and is a faithful friend. She lives here in David City with her mother and her adventurous little daughter Maria Isabel. She organizes the cleaning and keeps the house in tip-top shape…you can eat off the floor when she is here! When she is not here, she is very involved with her church community and other family stuff.
Cleaning/Morning-Daytime Reception/In-House Masseuse - YULIS A.
Yulis A. has been with us since March 2009. She lives here in David City with her whole family and her little “guapito” son Mayler. She’s a gentle spirit, quick to smile and laugh and is just a few credits away from her degree in Physical Education. And watch out…she might surprise you with a few English words here and there!
Night Reception/Mr. Fixit - OMAR A.
Omar A. is the newest addition to our staff since April 2011. He works here part-time, he is normally here all night long keeping an eye on the house, receiving new late-coming guests and straightening things up to make sure everything is set for the morning. He’s also our resident handy-man… he knows how to do a little bit of everything. He studies tourism and English so he loves to practice! He lives close to the hostel with his wife and little daughter Aynara.
In-House Comedian and Thief - CUTE-SI A.
The Purple House simply wouldn’t be the same without the presence of our loyal companion and best friend…Cute-si. A pure-bred black cocker spaniel with a short puppy hair-cut most of the time…she’s been here since 2008 and without fail makes our guests feel loved and completely at home. She spends most of her time sniffing around backpacks, getting in everyone’s way and sleeping on the couch with her famous pink tongue sticking halfway out of her mouth. She might just be the most important member of the PH team (that's why she gets three pictures!)
All of us here are available to help you with almost anything you need and to insure a safe homey atmosphere. We really enjoy meeting new people who share their lives and travel stories with us. We want to make you feel at home at in our home and we do our best to make you feel comfortable. We warmly welcome you (and when we say warmly, we mean it...David is one of the hottest cities in the country!) to David City, Panama.
PS: If anyone remembers Andrea from the Tel Aviv Purple House Hostel, please contact her...she lost all her photos from way back then, and would love to post some on this webpage!