Hostel experiences? And pousadas?

Pousadas are historical buildings that have been beautifully rehabbed by the govt into lovely hotels. They are our first choice when visiting Portugal. Your impression is wrong.
In Spain, we choose Paradors, same concept, very nice but not as nice as Portugal’s pousadas.
Neither are overpriced for their level of accommodation, not in the same category as a hostel.

Thanks Suki I realize they are completely different categories, but as I was talking about not-hotel accommodations, I thought I would ask two questions at once. Do you have any favourites you'd recommend in the areas I mentioned?

When planning our autumn Portugal trip I priced a number of Pousadas for the areas we’ll be in and thought some were fairly pricey, so for the Portugal portion that trip we’ve opted for smaller hotels with the exception of Parador Casa da Ínsua that is also a Pousada. Also, there weren’t any in some of the towns we’ll be visiting. Not all of the Pousadas are pricey. As Suki stated, many are in historic buildings but the buildings and accommodations have been updated. For the Spain portion of the trip we’re staying exclusively at Paradors.

Not exactly what you are looking for, but I thought I would add it as a possibility for Evora. The bathrooms are not attached to the room, but there are a few of them that are shared and in our case, right next door. The place was spotless and the individuals working there were lovely. It's under 50 euro a night and they provide a great free breakfast with fresh orange juice from their own trees in the yard and homemade goodies.

https://www.zoetic.pt/szite/en/

Hi from Wisconsin,
You are asking about the two ends of the affordability spectrum. The pousada is special because of the building, and the prices are less than one would expect. But still at the high end.

wayne iNWI

So...no hostellers? Would love to hear good or bad experiences. So far we've actually booked 2 accommodations for our Oct trip, one is a parador in Merida and the other is a hostel in Lagos!

Hi Joanne,
I've stayed in one hostel, for only only one night, a few years ago. In Coimbra, last minute. We had a private room and bathroom. Was very clean, very quiet, lovely staff We were about 50 at the time, and suspected we were the oldest there. We didn't really meet anyone else as we were just one night, there was a marathon on the next morning and we thought many had left for that.
My son stayed in many hostels and had good experiences, in Portugal but of course, quite a bit younger.
What we have stayed in more are guest houses or bed and breakfasts, where we have also met other guests, and the hosts will often take the time to give you advice about the town.

We have not stayed in Pousadas, but looked at a couple in Evora and Estremoz. They were both lovely, but it was April, and they seemed very quiet. The one in Evora is very central. I'm not sure I'd pay the extra money for it, we very much liked our hotel there and it was significantly cheaper at that time.

Hostelworld.com has reviews for each listing. I don’t want a noisy party hostel, dirty, or one in a shady neighborhood. We book private en-suite rooms all over the world. Many have a simple breakfast, maybe a rooftop area and nice communal space. Using the kitchen has its ups and downs. Some are good and others dirty and have few pots/dishes. We like sitting around in the evening with others. Few places have age restrictions.
Rooms in private homes can be interesting or isolated, so read the reviews on the booking site. Hotel rooms are our last choice, but necessary in many cities. We look for inexpensive “beds” since they are for showering and sleeping. Places catering to non-Americans are usually simple, affordable and fun place to meet others from around the world. A clean QUIET room with comfortable beds to sleep in is that we need. Be sure to read lots of reviews for any place you are considering staying at. We are in our 70’s and have enjoyed hostels for 25 years.

Thanks Raquet. That sounds lovely. I don't mind being the oldest in the building! We used to love bnbs when we first started travelling as it was more personal--shared breakfast, local host. And I have nearly as much fun talking to other travellers who aren't from the same place I am as I do talking to locals. How do you find private rooms?

Thank you Lisa. I'm glad your experience was positive and your son's as well. Sounds like we have similar travel styles. We had really good luck in December last year in small independent hotels in Germany, not chains, and will be looking for the same this trip. Good value, generally comfy and clean with some unique quirks.

We are looking at a pousada in Evora as well. I appreciate the historic atmosphere, and the Evora one seemed to offer a great location, as you say.

Researching hostels on Hostelworld for Croatia most of the links were for “sobes” pronounced so-bay, which are rooms in people’s homes set aside for guests and extra income. The locations were in neighborhoods and the hosts were great. In Dubrovnik, the location was up on a hill with steep steps and we took a taxi into town. The grandfather had the whole yard covered in a vegetable garden. In Split the home was in a curving roads in hillside adjacent to the historic area. The husband walked us into town and found us wandering around lost and gave us more directions. We enjoyed wine with the wife. Also have found them on hotel sites occasionally. We found a room in an old mansion in Arles where you drove under a railroad overpass, down a short gravel road and through the locked gate. The family rented two rooms upstairs. We had a croissant and yogurt breakfast at the family dining room table. After the Saturday market the family with their golden retriever, a couple from Lyon shared our purchases at the picnic table. We did need a car for this location. The above rooms were a challenge to find since locations were tucked away. You have to be up to the adventure. Air bnbs have too many extra fees to be affordable for two people. Did rent a VRBO in Paris for a week 10 years ago. It was super and the owner very helpful. Don’t know how they are now. Guess we lucked into these private rooms by reviewing lots of options on hotel/hostel sites. RS guide books also list some of these small gems, but they can be booked up quickly. Hope this helps.

That sounds absolutely delightful! My husband now wants to go back to Arles for the home with both croissants and a golden retriever. :) Thank you, this is inspiring and we will look more deeply.

I stayed in 2 hostels while in Portugal a few years ago. I am older than you. One was in Aveiro where I had a large, air conditioned, private bath room with heavy curtains and shutters that kept out sound and light, and it was not a party hostel. The room and location were great but I'm less enthusiastic about Aveiro. I also stayed in the private room sort of b&b connected to a hostel in Lisbon. The hostel was in the same building but the private rooms were on a corridor with their own entrance and own kitchen. I had a very large room with interesting decor.