ABOUT THE OWNERS OF FRESH* SHEETS HOSTEL DUBROVNIK

We're an example of what happens when you plan a geographically flawed trip from Hong Kong to Panama via Eastern Europe. Seven years later.

But before becoming the proprietors of a small hostel in Dubrovnik, we were just a couple of backpackers who decided to leave Vancouver Canada on a six-month working holiday visa to Japan.

Our route has been fancy-free. We were just lucky enough to find a variety of jobs that enabled us to live and travel in great places. And fortunate enough to know when to leave.

Our first business in Croatia was a little wraps & smoothie joint called Fresh* on the island of Korcula. But we really wanted to open a hostel. Our second business was a travelers' bar in Dubrovnik called Fresh*. We served healthy food by day and three-litre cocktail and beer towers by night. We still wanted to open a hostel. And evidently, we did.

We opened up the first hostel in the old town of Dubrovnik in 2008. We called it Fresh* Sheets. In the meantime, we adopted a rescue dog who sometimes responds to the name Max or Maxie - he's a lovely English Setter. And we just had our first son!

We decided to shut the bar and wraps joint down to focus on the hostel but we still have ongoing projects and throw re-fresh* cocktail bucket party nights at local bars.

We look forward to welcoming you to Croatia. It's an incredible place. Who knows? You may decide to make it your home too:).

ABOUT FRESH* SHEETS HOSTEL DUBROVNIK OLD TOWN

When we arrived, Dubrovnik didn't have any hostels in the Old Town. Most accommodation in and around Dubrovnik catered to couples and families in private rooms called 'sobe', in 'apartmani', state-run hotels, or at expensive boutique hotels.

One day over a couple beers, our good friend Erik mentioned that he knew someone with a four story building for rent and that it was located near one of the famous cliff-side bars.

A hostel. In Dubrovnik. Funny how things work.

Since we were already running a bar called 'Fresh*' (christened by the New York Times as the "drinking and hook-up spot for the backpacker set"), a social hostel in the Old Town of Dubrovnik called 'Fresh* Sheets' seemed like a pretty good idea.

Fresh* Sheets Hostel Dubrovnik began in 2008. We didn't have a chance to fully renovate it before the season so it started off with shared beds in character apartments. Each year since, we've renovated, improved, and updated the hostel so that backpackers and travellers like you will benefit.

We're in a quiet neighbourhood located in the heart of the historical walled Old Town. It's a living neighbourhood where locals still go about their day to day lives and where you can escape from the areas of Dubrovnik shaped by and catering to mass tourism.

In fact, Fresh* Sheets is one of the only hostels in Dubrovnik that actually offers you the unique experience of living inside one of UNESCO's most magnificent World Heritage Sites.

We've been lucky enough to have been recommended by Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, In Your Pocket, Rick Steve's and voted as one of Dubrovnik's best choices for budget accommodation. We're nothing fancy but we like to think that Fresh* Sheets is for travelers by travelers and we hope that you get the chance to enjoy a stay with us.

If you have any questions before you make your reservation, please feel free to e-mail us at: beds@igotfresh.com