Hostal Possada Atacamena

We arrived to be told they were full and had no room for us. On the phone, the manager said there was no booking under our name and that they had no partnership with the booking site we'd used. After seeing other reviews, this seems to happen a lot. We had to book another hotel at the last minute for much more money. Absolutely would not recommend.

The staff were so friendly, and there’s a pleasant shared space with a nice feel to it. They even made the bed every day, which I’ve never had happen at another hostel. We’d seen the Google Maps reviews after booking on booking.com and weren’t sure what to expect, since this ended up being one of the loveliest hostels we’ve stayed in. My one small gripe: they often ran out of matches, so people couldn’t cook breakfast or dinner.

After a long night of travel, we arrived early and left our bags there. The cleaning lady was kind and told us check-in was at 2 pm, so we went for a walk. When we came back, we waited some more, then were given a room different from the one I’d booked. I asked why we’d been put in another room while guests who arrived later got priority to check in. They said we weren’t welcome anymore and told us to leave. The place was dirty, the staff were very unfriendly, and we were told the kitchen wasn’t working either. I’m glad they cancelled our reservation: booking.com found us somewhere much better for the same price. Don’t go there.

The hostel is in a good spot and the building itself is nice, but the manager’s attitude made the stay uncomfortable. When we arrived, he asked if we were “kind people” in a passive-aggressive way. It was a strange welcome, especially since I was travelling with my father. The receptionist was kind and clearly worked hard, cleaning all day, but it was upsetting to see how the manager treated her. His manner with staff and guests was disappointing. The place could have potential with more respectful management.