[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="320" caption="Painted Trutle Guesthouse"][/caption] I've stayed in many hostels around the world, but the Painted Turtle Guesthouse in Nanaimo, BC beats them all! Quite simply, it was awesome! From the moment I set eyes on the Painted Turtle Guesthouse I knew I would feel at home here. The attractive heritage building is friendly and inviting and as I stepped inside, the friendly welcome continued. The staffers was genuinely happy to see me, full of smiles and useful information. I was given a tour of the guesthouse before being shown my room, and they even helped me with my luggage! That has never happened in any hostel I have stayed in before!! There are many things that set the Painted Turtle Guesthouse apart from other guesthouses, hostels and hotels in Nanaimo, and indeed the rest of Vancouver Island, and British Columbia. I loved the fact that the guesthouse had been recently refurbished. Apparently it had been known as the Commercial Hotel until just a few years ago and was built in 1875. Apart from the heritage exterior you really wouldn't know this was an old building as the hosts, Bruce and Angie, have done a great job modernising it. The fresh, bright colours and furnishings make the guesthouse modern, comfortable and inviting, in both the common areas and the guest rooms, but even so, many of the colours used are 'heritage' colours, helping to keep with the heritage theme of the building. I stayed in a private room which had a queen size bed, but for budget minded travellers there are also dorm rooms which you can share with three other people, or there are also family rooms which can sleep up to 4 people. All rooms share a washroom and showers, and like the guest rooms these were modern and sparkly clean! The common areas of the Painted Turtle Guesthouse were great for getting to know fellow travellers! Known as the Great Room, this really is a great room! There's foozball and other games, newspapers and books, and even a guitar. The two computers here were really popular for sending emails and surfing the internet, but I really liked the fact that I could use my laptop in my room and make use of the free wireless internet. All in all, I found the Painted Turtle Guesthouse to be great value for money, especially considering its central location - just minutes away from Nanaimo harbour, restaurants, attractions and more. Two thumbs up from Kara (the Travelling Brit!)