Aji Verde Hostel

The room felt really cramped with three beds, and there was just one outlet in a very inconvenient spot. The kitchen was under construction all day without warning, so after buying food for lunch I had to wait another eight hours to cook it. They charge too much for what you get, and the general atmosphere felt messy. My first night started out well. I arrived at 2 a.m. without a booking, and luckily the women's room was empty, so they let me stay right away. But the following night, the man at reception pushed the room door open at midnight and let a woman in. She turned on the lights and spent another 45 minutes doing her makeup. She didn't sleep in the room, but came back the next morning for her things, dressed really provocatively. I was annoyed and grossed out. This wasn't a nice experience for me.

The 24/7 front desk made the place feel really secure, and there were plenty of bathrooms. We also got helpful advice about our bags and planning our time in La Serena. The private room was very reasonably priced, and the hostel has loads of shared spaces, two outside including a roof terrace, and two inside. Would recommend.

The reception lady was lovely and helpful, and there are some nice outdoor areas. But we found the place pretty dirty. Our dorm smelled of mould and sweat, and I didn't see anyone clean it during our three-day stay, though I can't say for sure. The bathrooms were dirty too, and the water wasn't very hot. The kitchen is small, the dishes were usually dirty, and the sponge for washing them was awful. There were no plugs by the beds. Everything felt very basic, and most hostels I've stayed in in Chile were nicer and cheaper.

The kitchen was wonderful, and the Wi-Fi and hot water were both very good. I had a great three days at Ají Verde Hostel. I'm a cyclist from Taiwan and hadn't booked because I didn't have internet yet, but the lady welcomed me anyway and introduced the hostel in a very kind, friendly way. The other staff were lovely too. It's in the best location in La Serena, with two supermarkets and a traditional market very close by, and the fish market right next door. I'd recommend Ají Verde Hostel to anyone visiting La Serena. It was great 👍