Ají Hostel

The room itself was nice, but the shared space felt strange, with people seeming to live there semi-permanently and anyone able to come and go. One kitchen was out of order and the other lacked basic things. A lot of the place is in disrepair, and the owner seems absent and no longer interested in the hostel. Staff didn't seem able to make decisions without them. Getting a refund for one night took over a week and five follow-up messages. I doubt I would've received it without pushing.

The beds were really uncomfortable, there was no hand soap in the bathrooms, and the whole place had a weird feel. Nobody on staff seemed happy to be there, and they didn't smile when I arrived. I'd left some clothes there the day before, but they wouldn't even let me check the room for them. That's not how you treat guests who've paid. I wouldn't stay here.

It's a basic, good-value hostel, the cheapest around, with a comfortable bed, clean spaces, a warm shower, and fun activities. When I was there, Julieta put on bingo and pisco night really well, and everyone had a good time meeting people. The area also felt safe and quiet. The reception staff were always smiling, but the team can be inflexible and the rules are very strict. Card payments come with a 19% fee. For cash, they require a specific PDI form, and they count a dollar as 1,000 pesos even though the value isn't the same and the online booking is in dollars. They also round cash totals up in their favor. After checkout, you can't spend even a moment in the common areas. I'd still recommend the hostel, though I also had a hard time with the service.

The free breakfast was pretty good: cereal, bread with jam and butter, fruit, and tea or coffee. We also enjoyed the Monday pisco sour and the free pasta and wine on Wednesday. The shower had hot water and worked well. We stayed in a private room without heating or air conditioning. It got quite cold in winter, but they gave us extra blankets. The hostel is in a quiet spot close to restaurants and food shops, and we had a really nice couple of days there. Paying in cash, in Chilean Pesos or USD, and showing the PDI slip from airport immigration let us avoid the 19% VAT on the booking. Paying by card means you have to pay the tax.