Meet Our Team
Aiko Tamura
Author
Aiko brings over 14 years of expertise in driving digital growth and online marketing for hostels across Asia, particularly Japan and Southeast Asia. She combines deep technical knowledge with practical strategies in SEO, SEM, and AI integration to help hospitality brands thrive in a mobile-first world. Her energetic, witty style blends tech insights with cultural anecdotes, making complex digital topics accessible and actionable for hostel managers.
Dennis Pitcock
Author
Dennis jumped into the hostel industry after a summer backpacking trip across Europe in 2008. He quickly went from guest to manager within weeks and has since consulted for hostels of all sizes across three continents. With a background in eCommerce, Dennis has a strong passion for the tech side of hospitality and activities. Though he has moved on from directly working in hostels to focus on hospitality tech and big tech industries, he remains deeply connected to the hostel community by helping keep this magazine up and running.
Elena Rossi
Author
Elena Rossi is a sustainable hospitality advocate with a passion for community-driven development. Her journey began with extensive volunteering for Habitat for Humanity and mission trips across Africa, where she learned the value of building resilient communities from the ground up. A veteran of the HelpX and Workaway circuits, Elena has traded skills for accommodation in eco-lodges from Costa Rica to Cambodia, gaining firsthand experience in permaculture, zero-waste operations, and ethical tourism. She now helps hostels implement practical green initiatives that benefit both the planet and the local community.
Julian St. Clair
Author
Julian St. Clair is renowned in the hospitality world for his dynamic contributions to fashion-forward interiors and guest experience. Beginning his career with major hotel brands in San Francisco, Julian infused luxury aesthetics into high-end settings before finding his passion for elevating the ambiance of budget hostels. He has traveled the globe—sourcing elegance in Paris, harmony in Bali, and vibrant color in Morocco—curating creative solutions that bring style and comfort to spaces without breaking the budget.
Lena Müller
Author
Lena is a seasoned hospitality finance consultant with an MBA and over a decade of experience advising hostels in Europe on profitability and sustainable growth. Known for her analytical and empowering approach, she balances strategic financial modeling with creative thinking, often drawing from her love of music festivals and nightlife to bring a fresh perspective to building successful business portfolios in the hostel industry. For fun and inspiration, Lena enjoys reading annual reports and SEC filings of major public hospitality companies, gaining insights from their financial strategies and market movements.
Marco Gómez
Author
Marco Gómez grew up in a family that ran a small hotel, which gave him firsthand insight into the daily workings of hospitality from an early age. With over a decade of experience in hostel operations across North and South America, Marco excels at managing daily workflows, training staff, and enhancing guest experiences with practical, no-nonsense solutions. Known for his flamboyant style and warm personality, he blends professionalism with a vibrant approach to sharing real-world tips and operational advice that resonates with hostel managers and newcomers alike.
Maya Akinwale
Editor-in-Chief
Maya Akinwale believes the best thing a hostel can offer is a story a guest could never have planned alone. A London-based editorial persona with West African roots, Maya brings the perspective of a widely travelled magazine editor to HostelTrends. Her interest in hostels began with a simple observation: two places can offer equally comfortable beds at equally good prices, yet only one sends guests home with new friends, unexpected plans, and a reason to return. That difference guides her work. Hotels can offer privacy and polish. Short-term rentals can offer space and independence. A great hostel can offer something harder to arrange: a welcoming place where people from different backgrounds meet naturally and experience a city together. Maya is especially interested in the decisions that make that connection possible. How does a receptionist help a solo guest feel at ease without forcing conversation? What makes a communal dinner inviting rather than awkward? How should a lounge, kitchen, tour, or check-in process work for guests who want company and guests who need quiet? She looks for the practical details behind memorable stays, from staff training and thoughtful design to activities that give people an easy first reason to talk. As Editor-in-Chief, Maya’s aim is to help hostel teams wow guests through genuine hospitality. She wants HostelTrends to examine what guests experience, what operators can realistically deliver, and whether an idea improves both the stay and the business. Her coverage connects guest stories with operator interviews, research, and clear-eyed analysis of revenue, staffing, technology, and design. For Maya, the hostel industry’s strength is its ability to turn a place to sleep into a place to belong, even for just one night.
Alumni Contributors
Byron Bunda
During my final year in university, my advisor told me to dedicate my research to a topic I enjoy learning about, that way it will be easier to focus on the project. This was the first time I engaged my curiosity around hostels and decided I wanted to be more than just a frequent hostel guest. I believe that hostels contribute positively to society and that there are not enough people who know about hostels. That is why it is my mission to learn, experience, and contribute everything as much as I can to the hostel industry. If you have something to teach me, or a way that I can contribute to the hostel community, please let me know!
Erin Walsh
Justina Poškevičiūtė
Justina has experience in the fields of journalism, education, development and hospitality, and she is as passionate about writing as she is about the hostel industry. Hence, having lived on four continents, she is currently combining her extensive travelling and writing experience at HostelTrends.
Oliver Simon
Author
Oliver is currently in the process of founding his first hostel. <a href="http://funknbunk.com">FunkNBunk Budapest</a> will open in April 2015. Apart from this, Oliver has a great deal of experience in working and staying in hostels across the world.
Thea Delamater
Author