Waiter or Kitchen Hand - Join Our Café in Portugal's Surf Haven

Poland

5

I absolutely loved my time at 9ninelives! The team was amazing—especially Heather, who makes you feel at home from day one. The hostel is super social, and it's easy to make friends within minutes. The vibe is relaxed and fun, with lots of shared meals, rooftop hangs, and spontaneous adventures. The work is chill—some light housekeeping and reception duties, nothing too hard. It's the perfect place to connect, explore, and feel part of a little family. Highly recommend!

7 days ago

Germany

5

Me and my friend Lotta worked at the host Cafe for two weeks and had a great time. The entire staff is lovely and they were incredible patient teaching us all the different procedures and recipes. It felt very rewarding coming home after a hot and busy day, but it was all still very manageable. Time spend in Lagos is time well spent and we are both quite sad to leave after such a short time and hope to come back one day. We would recommend this volunteer opportunity to everyone who loves a lively city and interesting people. Nothing can quite compare…..

about 1 month ago

Netherlands

5

I stayed at 9 nine the host for 4 weeks. Because it was low season there were not many guest but i still had an great time! I helped in the hostel with the reception and house keeping. This is a great place if you know how to run and help in a hostel!

4 months ago

Argentina

4

The experience was good, I feel like there are things that could be improved since the place has a lot of potential!

2 months ago

Italy

5

I worked as waitress/barista at the cafè. It was a great experience, the team was the highlight of the trip. The job and task are easy if you already have experience working in a cafè/ as a waitress. The living situation is fine for a stay of 1 month, more or less. Overall wuold defenetly reccomend to meet new people from all around the world

almost 2 years ago

Switzerland

1

I was supposed to stay for 4 weeks, but left abruptly after 2 weeks (volunteer got injured). What i enjoyed was the contact with other volunteers and new guests. However there are lots of things that should be improved in order to be a good place that hosts volunteers, such as better introduction and communication, renovations of the infrastructure, employing some permanent staff (only permanent staff was the manager). I believe the boss and new manager want to make this an excellent volunteer position but its execution lacks, as the defects have been going on for a while.

almost 2 years ago

Bradley replied


We appreciate your review and the feedback provided.

Regarding Catarina's early departure, regrettably, we encountered some disagreements, and her attitude raised concerns during her tenure.

In the unfortunate incident with the injured staff member, it's important to note that the injury resulted from self-harm, which was connected to underlying mental health issues and medication use. This information wasn't initially disclosed to us, and the situation was unrelated to our management or the conduct of our other staff members.

Concerning our business structure, we value your input. Hostels often operate on a volunteer-based model, although it might not be widely recognized outside the industry. We've been successfully hosting staff for over 8 years, and many individuals have returned season after season, contributing to the positive atmosphere.

Our hostel is situated in the heart of a historic Roman town, and our buildings hold significant regional importance. While they exude charm and character, they also pose unique challenges.

We offer staff accommodations within the hostel, but for those seeking a more contemporary setting, we provide a modern villa with over 140m² of living space.

Germany

4

It was a nice expirience and I had a lot of fun with all the people I have met. Also the accommodation is nice.

almost 2 years ago

Canada

4

I spent 4 weeks working as FOH at the host Cafe and it was a good amount of time to enjoy all that the Algarve has to offer. The staff is very fun and was the highlight of the experience for me. Working at the cafe was good, but it can get very busy during the high season. It's best if you have previous cafe experience as the training is very brief. The owner and manager were very accommodating to my scheduling requests and giving specific days off. I would say the downside is that the living situation should be improved - don't expect privacy or luxury in the villa. Overall would recommend :)

about 2 years ago

Brazil

4

I stayed 1 month at the hostel and made many friends, the volunteers are excellent people and the work is easy, the hostel is small, quiet and easy to organize, the kitchen is ok, the bathrooms too. The only problem was the issue of not having enough lockers in the rooms and also the internet not working (although it did) The manager was very understanding and flexible and the stay was pleasant.

about 2 years ago

United Kingdom

4

The cafe is cute and well located, provides you with plenty of opportunities to meet great people and experience all of Lagos. Once you are clear that you only want to work 25 hours, the shifts are respected and flexible. The work itself is easy if you are experienced, but as you are given little to no training, could be challenging to those who have never worked in hospitality, particularly during busy hours. The living situation was acceptable but could definitely be improved. Overall, a fantastic experience, but would be made even better with just a little more communication from Brad!

about 2 years ago

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