Hostal Forestal

We came back a second time and stayed in a different kind of room. Both visits were great. The dorms have a good amount of space, and there are plenty of shared toilets and showers. It was a handy base for exploring the nice neighborhoods and Cerro San Cristobal, with the metro only a five-minute walk away. The staff were what really made the place stand out. They were so friendly and helpful, and let us leave a backpack there for a while while we were in Patagonia. I really appreciated that. I'd happily return :)

It's easy to reach on foot from baquedanos station, and the hostel was very clean with friendly staff around 24/7. The building is very old and the rooms are tiny. Even a private room had a bunk bed with awful blue furniture that creaked and couldn't be used. The advertising was misleading: no toiletries or hair dryer were provided. On alternate days, a staff member made drinks at 9pm, but there were no organized activities, announcements, or effort to involve guests. The location is great, but you really do get what you pay for.

I arranged in advance to leave my luggage a week early so I could keep some things in Santiago while I traveled. They said that was fine and told me there was a dedicated storage room, but when I arrived, there wasn't one. That would have been okay if they hadn't said otherwise beforehand. The receptionist seemed either completely sleep deprived or on drugs, and came across annoyed and unhelpful. I ended up choosing another hostel.

I'd avoid staying here. The room was dirty, full of flies, and smelled so bad I could hardly breathe. Staff agreed to change the pillowcase and duvet cover, but those should have been changed anyway. Breakfast was cheap and nice, and the location was very good, but sleeping in those conditions wasn't acceptable for the price. And honestly, the staff's clever reply trying to excuse the tragic conditions as “the cheapest option” sounds deeply unprofessional. I paid 16 EUR for that cheapest option. In almost any part of South America, that would get you decent conditions and even a private room. If 16 EUR gets you flies, a strong stench, broken sewage, and dirty sheets, I can hardly believe the other options are any better. They also seem to have a lot of negative reviews. I'd suggest making even the cheapest rooms humane. It may seem cheap to you, but for the community you're creating this hostel for, it isn't. Take care.