Hotel Mirador Villa Tunari - Hostel

The view of the river was lovely, and our room was clean. The staff were super friendly, the pool was nice, and there was a cool area with billiards, table soccer and table tennis, plus a small workout space. Breakfast was really good too :)

The views are great, but I can't bring myself to stay there again because of how unhygienic it was. On my first visit the toilet wouldn't flush completely. I asked a month later whether it had been fixed and was told, not really. I was moved to another room, but the sponge mattress smelled. I stayed one night, then switched hotels for the second. The smell got into my clothes and spread to everything. At home I washed them several times, but the odor came back as soon as I sweated. Months later I sorted through the clothes one by one and soaked the smelly ones in a medium-strength bleach solution for hours. I had to treat my mattress the same way. The bleach worked, but it was a miserable experience that dragged on for at least a month.

The owner is quite nice, and it's a really good place. Just be aware that some photos, like the pool, are actually from Hotel Mirador. The food is hit or miss, and our breakfast was never served. Other guests can be a pain too, with noise and some dodgy people around.

Once I finally found the entrance, which I walked past a few times because it's a bit hidden, I loved the place. It's right across from the market hall, with lots of plants carefully looked after by one of the owners. There are tortoises, peacocks and a bee hotel too. If you get the chance, talk to him, he's really interesting. There’s a small restaurant, plenty of hammocks and a pool. The dorms have fans and insect nets, which help make a budget stay comfortable. The monkey shelter is within walking distance, and you can take a tuctuc to las pozas. Reception can tell you all about that.