Rey Lagarto Hostel

This is the most affordable hostel in San Pedro, and I think its location a little outside the center is probably why. Everything else is superb: quaint, quiet and beautiful, with a big spacious room and bathroom. The kitchen has everything you need, and there’s a rooftop terrace.

The beds were comfortable, everything was clean and the kitchen had plenty of supplies, but there were no curtains. There are only two bathrooms, which really isn’t enough, so you usually have to wait. It’s also a long way from the center. The staff didn’t seem very friendly, and communicating with them was difficult. They got annoyed when they had to explain things. My friends’ things and mine went missing, and it seems to happen generally when rooms are cleaned. The hostel didn’t feel very social either. A separate group of six friends messaged on WhatsApp and had a reservation, but when they showed up, the hostel turned them away despite their chat as proof. They didn’t seem to care.

We stayed in two different six bed dorms. The kitchen was clean and good, with two stoves, two large fridges and all the utensils we needed. There’s a rooftop terrace and free space to park the car. Dorm 4 has a bathroom but no outside window, so it gets humid and musty. Dorm 5, which has no bathroom, costs the same but is half the size for the same number of people. There’s nowhere to hang a towel or put belongings, and it’s too cramped for six. Its mattresses are uncomfortable too, and the bunk beds in both dorms wobble a lot. Dorm 1 looked spacious enough and has a window. There are only two tiny showers for the whole hostel, and they’re moldy. Wifi was unreliable. They changed the access code without telling us, leaving my friend stuck outside at 2am. She called, and they didn’t apologize, just said they hadn’t seen us to share the new code, even though we’d been inside all afternoon. If you arrive early from Uyuni and ask to shower, it costs 4000. We had no cash because we couldn’t exchange at the border, and the taxi driver said it was fine for the hotel to pay and for us to settle with the hostel. There was a problem, and the morning receptionist was unpleasant about it. We sorted it out eventually, but not without attitude. For a border town hostel that gets guests from Bolivia, and where there’s no ATM at the bus stop, that response felt unnecessary. The minimum laundry load is 4kg, and card payments have a 3.5% fee.

UPDATE: My thermos turned up in my friend’s bag, so I’ve corrected this review. Sorry about that. The rooms are clean and reception is fine, but putting them in the same area as the dining space makes it hard to rest. People talking loudly or playing guitar right outside your door and windows can be disruptive. I’d also thought my thermos had gone missing from the room, which made me worry that staff might sweep guests’ belongings away while cleaning.