A message-in-a-bottle activity for hostel guests.

Give travelers a shared story to carry beyond checkout. A Penny for Your Thoughts lets a group open one digital bottle, add messages, and follow its recorded journey.

Start with a travel question

Try “What is one place you would send a stranger?” or “What moment from this trip will stay with you?” Cast your question in Penny and choose a reply goal of 10, 25, 50, or 100 stops.

Share it in your welcome email

Copy the bottle link into a guest welcome email or an existing group chat. Guests can read and share it for free. New participants receive 5 free starter pennies; casting a bottle or adding a reply costs one penny. Extra pennies are available to purchase.

Let guests carry the story onward

Each participant can add one reply per bottle. Their name and city are optional. A reply with a location adds a recorded stop; simply opening or forwarding the link does not. Penny does not automatically deliver bottles to strangers or selected countries.

A few practical details

Keep passport information, room numbers, and private contact details out of the bottle: anyone with its link can read the story. Saved messages cannot currently be edited or undone. When the reply goal is reached, the bottle returns home and stays readable and shareable.

Create your group’s bottle Read the complete guide Contact Penny