Art Factory Soho

It's affordable and good value, with a convenient location and comfortable beds. The bathroom is small, but the water pressure is good.

The staff were very friendly, and the location was great for my one-night stay. The building looks like it's in disrepair, though. Water was coming through the downstairs ceiling, and the kitchen smelled of gas. I arrived really early and hadn't received the door code, so I went to find a coffee nearby. If you're arriving early, I recommend contacting them to make sure you have the code.

The room had black mould across the bathroom ceiling, and the smell spread through the room. The hostel also felt antisocial, with no real common area to hang out, and I didn’t feel welcome. The bigger problem was the bill. I booked for 25k Argentinian pesos a night, but they tried to charge me 60k, saying it was because of the exchange rate. I’d booked in local currency, and my confirmation said I could pay in pesos with my Visa. They refused the card in local currency and insisted on charging me in US dollars at three times the booked amount. I tried to sort it out with several staff members. They said someone else could help later, so I went about my busy day. When I came back, one staff member was hostile and threatened to call the police. I asked if I could withdraw cash and pay the next morning, but got the same threat. I’d already tried three times to pay and had been told to wait for another staff member. I’ve stayed in probably hundreds of hostels and never written a bad review before. I left as soon as I could after that, because I felt so uncomfortable. I’d tell people to avoid this place. 0/10.

For the money and the location, I’d give it 4-5 stars. If you know what you can get in Palermo for more money, then it’s more like 2-3. It works if all you need is a private room and a bed under a roof. The staff are helpful, and the price and location are good if you don’t want to spend more. Beyond that, expect a very basic hostel: worn and old, cramped and loud, social, and neither clean nor dirty.