Che Juan Hostel BA

The social atmosphere was very good, with nightly activities, and the location felt safe, on the same block as a police station. It's a short walk to the metro, which accepts cards. If you want to go dancing, though, the parties are in Palermo and you'd need an Uber. The room was clean and comfortable, with private curtains. Toilets and showers were private and clean, the lockers were large, and laundry was available. I'd probably book somewhere closer to Palermo next time.

The nightly social events were fun, and the little bar was a nice place to meet people. The kitchens were well equipped, the staff were wonderful, and the 24-hour reception was very good. It's a central downtown spot, with a fruit and veg shop and a small Carrefour nearby. As a woman travelling alone, I felt quite safe, though you still need the usual precautions. The beds were comfortable and had curtains, and the place was always clean. The dorm rooms are large, and I could always find an empty toilet or shower when the bathroom in our four-bed female ensuite was occupied. There were lockers, charging points, and a light by each bed. I took one star off because the electricity for the air conditioning on the third floor sometimes didn't work, which made for a few very hot nights. It was fine on the second floor, where I moved later, but the price was still high. Highly recommended. :-)

Do yourself a favour and stay somewhere else. I was bitten by bedbugs during my three nights here, and it was a nightmare. I've heard other bad stories about this hostel too. I've stayed at MONS, and it was 100x better. I checked the bed on the first night and didn't see anything. The next morning I had strange bites on my hand, so I showed them at reception. They said they were probably mosquitoes. I went about my day, then noticed I had a lot more bites than I first thought. Later that day I checked the bed again and saw a bedbug with my own eyes. I took a picture and went to the front desk, but they didn't seem to take it seriously. They gave me money to buy cream for the itching, and refunded that night when I asked. I also asked them to wash my clothes, but I wasn't careful enough about it and thought they were fine. I got bitten again the following night. It was getting bad, so I changed hostels for my last night in Buenos Aires. They should have told me to get a new set of clothes while they decontaminated the room and washed my clothes, bags, shoes, and everything. They didn't. They only changed the sheets. Someone could have slept in the bed after I left and gotten bedbugs. I was in room 10, the all-female room. The next day at my new hostel I had to wash everything, including shoes, bags, and clothes. It cost me 50$ USD. It was worth it because I don't have them anymore, but it's a nightmare nobody wants while travelling. DO NOT STAY THERE.

The worst part was how the hostel dealt with my friend after two serious incidents. One male guest harassed her and kept making her uncomfortable in their dorm. She told the staff, but the men she spoke to brushed her off. The woman working at the time was the only one who took her seriously, and thankfully helped move her to another room. Later, a different guest sexually assaulted her. He was forced to leave, but not until the next morning, and she no longer felt comfortable staying there. The hostel refused to refund the remaining days she'd paid for. They may have been within their rights, but given what happened, it was shitty. While I was staying there, she came by in the morning to meet me and wait in the lobby while I got ready. They wouldn't let her in and said she'd been banned from the property. She hadn't been told that before, and we got no explanation beyond "there were some problems and the owners said she is banned." I moved to another hostel as soon as I could. At El Viajero, where I stayed for a few weeks, notices around the hostel said to tell staff if anyone made you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, and that they'd handle the situacion. I don't know how long this review will stay up, since the other reviews about this event were removed almost immediately. There were some good things about the place: it's a nice space, pretty clean, with spacious dorms and comfortable bunks. There was a smaller locker in the bunk and a larger one on the wall. The two kitchens were by far the best I've seen at a hostel, fully equipped with plenty of room and coffee available 24/7. That matters if you're staying a while and trying not to eat out every meal. The location was excellent too, within walking distance of shopping, parks, Casa Rosada, Obelisco, churches, restaurants, museums, and the riverfront. The bathrooms were a problem. There weren't many, which made mornings frustrating when people were showering. On my floor I think there were five single-stall bathrooms, four with a shower and toilet and one with only a toilet. My dorm had six beds, and there were several dorms on the floor. If four of the 20+ people who could stay there were showering, everyone else had just one toilet to share. The showers needed upkeep: hot water was hit-or-miss, water pooled in some, and some shower heads were broken. Housekeeping staff came in to clean in the mornings without knocking and propped the door open as they went in and out, even if someone was changing.