Tiny Hostel Atacama

The host was lovely, friendly and supportive, took great care of guests, and kept the place very clean. We’d wrongly assumed from a booking platform that parking was available. When we arrived with our rental car, the owner checked with the neighbors and arranged a spot for us. He let us in and out at any time, day or night. The facilities are basic. There were no hooks for towels or jackets and nowhere to put luggage in the rooms. The in-room ventilation isn’t real air conditioning. The bathrooms were clean but small, with nowhere to put clothes while showering. Sometimes there was no toilet paper, and getting the shower temperature right was tricky. Even with the limited comforts, we can highly recommend it for the value, especially if you’re on a budget and don’t mind a little less comfort.

The patio was fairly pleasant, but that didn’t make up for the rest. The hotel has quite a few rooms and not enough bathrooms for them. The Wi-Fi didn’t work, the kitchen was tiny, and it seemed too expensive for the location. There were several times when the water was off for hours. The owner was unpleasant too. He got incredibly angry at a Chinese man who had missed the Spanish note saying he wasn’t allowed to wash some clothes. Since this is the last day of my holiday, I can officially say this was the worst hotel we visited. The owner’s reply is right that some people only look for the negative, but I had a very pleasant trip in Chile, as my other reviews with four or five stars show. This hotel was the exception.

We had a fantastic stay. The hostel and our room were clean and comfortable, there was a good communal area for socializing, and the owner was friendly and always helpful. It’s a short walk to San Pedro’s main street and was listed at a good price. When we booked, the listing mistakenly called it a “love hostel.” That wasn’t right, and we hopefully helped the owner change it to a regular hostel.

It’s clean and seems fairly new. The hostel isn’t right in the center, but it’s a great base for a few nights while visiting San Pedro de Atacama. The staff are really friendly.