Hostal Casona Oriente

I’m writing this detailed review to alert future guests to what I experienced. I personally saw two mice in the house. As a medical student, I find the risk of Hantavirus and other infections spread by mice very serious. Most guests are university academics with limited Spanish, and it’s offensive to suggest that people from Asian or Western cultures should simply put up with pests and the smell of decay. The house has a severe rat problem. They’re visible in the yard, and the attic smelled of rats that had died and decomposed. The owner put poison out once, but didn’t remove the bodies, and the odor spread through four rooms. No real solution was offered. Spiders came in from the patio, and one room I stayed in had mold in the bathroom. That went unaddressed too, and I had to keep insisting before I could use the vacuum cleaner. The place was extremely clean, but it was unsanitary and had no pest control. The owner, who lives there, constantly watched what I was doing, where I went in the house, what I bought and ate, and when I left and returned. When I raised problems, she dismissed them and refused to investigate, and treated tenants badly. She even followed me around to make sure I turned off the lights and seemed to suspect me of stealing. The common-area furniture was very old, including the TV. The kitchen had no ventilation because she wouldn’t let us open the windows, the refrigerators ran at such low capacity that most things spoiled, the water pressure was low so showers were cold, and the bathrooms had no exhaust fans. The way this place is advertised is misleading. Even though it has private rooms and bathrooms, there was no privacy or freedom to come and go. Before a long stay, I asked about the amenities and services when signing the rental agreement. I agreed to stay based on having unrestricted washing-machine use, my own keys for independent access at any time, access to the kitchen and appliances, living room, dining room and green area, free parking and gate access, clean areas, and a decent place to work. None of that was provided as promised. I wasn’t given a complete set of keys, which made getting in and out difficult several times, especially if you have to leave early. The gate caused problems and took the owner several days to fix. Even after it was fixed, she didn’t give me the keys, so I couldn’t get my car out when I needed it. What would happen in an emergency? I absolutely don’t recommend this place.