Parla Hostel

The hostel is in a great location and was one of the cheapest in Buenos Aires. The women at reception were friendly and helpful. But there were around ten foreign volunteers who had been there for months and mostly socialized with each other. I chose the place for its high atmosphere score on Hostelworld, and as someone new to the city I found it hard to meet people or connect, which brought down the vibe. There were also lots of mosquitoes.

San Telmo’s vintage feel and the hostel’s location were a big part of what I loved. The building is beautiful, and the terrace is a great spot for sunset and conversation. There are lots of games and fun activities, and the volunteers are all so kind. Such a social, lovely hostel. I had a great time and will come back! 😍

The location is the only real positive, and even then it’s only during the day. At night the area feels downright unsafe. The hostel and building have clearly seen better days. My room was incredibly dirty. There’s an air conditioner, but it had been disconnected and the remote removed, so the room was extremely hot at night in summer. It also has a door to a tiny outside balcony that has to stay open to keep the heat down. That left us dealing with a mosquito infestation. Buenos Aires has dengue fever and chikungunya issues, and everyone in my room got lots of bites and slept badly because of them and the constant buzzing. The bathrooms were filthy too. The curtains and shower floors had mold, stains, discoloration, and rust.

The building is old, the hostel sign is tiny and took a while to find even with Google Maps, and the rusty lift felt scary. Weekend rates were higher, something we hadn’t encountered at other hostels in South America. On the plus side, the staff were friendly and our dorm room was clean and tidy. They also kindly upgraded us to a private room with an ensuite bathroom and balcony. There are plenty of places to eat nearby.