Bill & Bill San Telmo Hostel

The whole place was under construction. The bedrooms had three-level bunks and were really hot, with just one rotating fan on the floor for 12 people. The staff were rude and there was no atmosphere, so I wouldn't recommend staying here.

The location was convenient, but my three nights here were among my worst hostel experiences. They put me in a dorm where staff were also staying, with no windows or air conditioning, saying the hostel was overbooked. There was no hot water anywhere in the building during my stay, and the explanation was that too many people were using it. The bathrooms weren't maintained well. Cleaning staff used so much bleach in the showers that it damaged my clothes, and there were no hooks or hangers to keep them off the floor. Toilet paper, hand towels, and soap were often missing, so I had to go down to reception several times to ask for them. The stay was extremely disappointing. I'd strongly suggest avoiding this hostel unless major changes are made.

We booked three days ahead, but when we arrived they said the room had been double booked and they couldn't honor our reservation. The woman at reception was very hands off and unapologetic. I don't remember her apologizing once. She suggested a boutique hostel around the corner that was way over our budget. The other receptionist did make an effort to apologize, which we appreciated. We heard this had happened to lots of people. They blame Hostelworld, but managing rooms across booking platforms shouldn't be difficult, and other hostels manage it. Communication beforehand was poor too. We got an email the day before confirming the booking and giving directions, but I never received it, even after checking spam. The receptionist said one had been sent. It was a really poor experience, and we had to pay far too much for accommodation at short notice. Avoid.

The location is the only upside. We paid for an 8-bed dorm, but they put 12 people in it. Other guests said they'd been double booked and hadn't even gotten a bed they'd paid for. A staff member tried to charge us extra fees and wouldn't apologize. He told us to take it up with the manager, then refused to give us the manager's contact details.