Hosteria Las Amapolas

We had to leave at the last minute and find another hotel, and couldn’t even complete one of the four nights we’d paid for. I wouldn’t recommend this place, especially to families with children. The shower wouldn’t get hot, and the owner didn’t fix it. The room and bathroom were very dirty, and the internet kept cutting out and didn’t work properly. They also charged us 6 thousand pesos for bottled water even though we hadn’t stayed. A terrible experience, not worth what we paid.

The location is excellent, and the owners make delicious food themselves. But the rooms need a lot of maintenance. My toilet kept leaking, so I had to open the tank and seal the drain myself. The shower was very narrow, the sink faucet had no hot water, and there was a lot of old dirt. They didn’t clean daily or change the sheets and towels. The hairdryer smelled strongly of burning, which felt dangerous, and the hallways and stairs were very dirty. Cats jumped onto the table while I was eating. There’s a lot that needs attention. The Wi-Fi never worked, either. I asked the man for a glass of water to take a pill, and he made me buy water. 🙄

We booked based on the reviews, and maybe I’m in the minority who had a bad experience. The location is excellent, right near the center and facing the lake, and the price seemed quite good. I’m sure the breakfast and the owners’ service may be excellent for others. But please check the room for an excessive smell of damp and dust, including around the curtains, bed edges, walls, and bedding, and don’t hesitate to complain if you find it. They do respond promptly, but the first response we got made it hard to find a solution together. When we finally got the room we were supposed to have, it smelled terribly musty. The place was very dark when we entered, though that was the least of our worries. We opened the window to air things out, and a surprising amount of dust came off the curtains. A few minutes later I went to reception and respectfully explained the smell and dust, asking what could be done. I assume the man who spoke with us was an owner. He answered, “The smell of mustiness is subjective,” and, “There can’t be any dust because I just cleaned.” Both replies came across as confrontational and made me feel he was questioning what I said. We didn’t go back to the room together to check. He said the only option was to cancel the reservation, which seemed reasonable since I didn’t want the service as it was. I won’t comment on the hostel’s condition overall because I was there for literally 15 minutes, and that isn’t the focus of my complaint. The dismissive response, not checking what I was reporting, and jumping straight to cancelling were enough for me to leave. The refund was immediate, to be fair. They offered to keep our bags while we searched for somewhere else, but we declined because the earlier replies showed so little empathy or understanding. It was disappointing to have to find new accommodation on the spot during a long Easter weekend in Bariloche.

The mattresses were in perfect shape, the rooms were very clean, and the service was attentive to every detail. My only complaints are that the shower wasn’t comfortable and they don’t clean every day. For the price, the quality is excellent. Highly recommend.