Art Factory San Telmo

We were left out on the street for 60 minutes because the gate was shut with no warning and we couldn’t get in. They hadn’t sent any information or answered my email before we arrived, even though express check-in was advertised. In the end, they kept our money and refused to refund it. What a service. I wouldn’t want anyone else to deal with this kind of rudeness. There’s always a reason reviews are divided, so give the negative ones more weight.

The location is the one real plus: near the market and close to the main avenue. We stayed four nights in front-facing room 3, and barely slept because of the street noise. The bathroom drain also smelled awful the whole time. The bed itself was comfortable, but the pillows were very old, with the filling all bunched up, and weren’t good to sleep on. The kitchen had no plates or bowls, and it did have small cockroaches. I wouldn’t recommend this room.

The hostel is very affordable for somewhere so central, and the staff were friendly and pointed us toward food and nearby transport. We stayed two nights while transferring to another flight in Buenos Aires. Our room was reasonably clean, though the building overall was not. It felt run-down, and there were baby roaches in the kitchen. The shared shower was okay, but the door could make it cold. The fan in our room broke when we turned it on. Luckily no one was hurt, but it was frightening and dangerous. The building needs maintenance before somebody gets injured.

The location was neither especially good nor bad, and for backpackers this isn’t a good choice: you’ll have to eat out and spend a lot each day. The kitchen was unsafe to cook in, with bugs, an oven that smelled like it had never been cleaned, and a fridge in the same state. The showers were gross. Our room smelled strongly of mold. The double bed was two single beds joined at different heights, so it was uncomfortable, and the mattress was disgusting. On our departure day, the man at reception was very unkind to us. I hated every second of the stay. I wasn’t expecting much for $10 each per night, or $20 a night for a private double room for two, but this felt disrespectful.