Victoria Hostal

It's a comfortable, safe place with really friendly staff. The dining areas are spacious, the prices are affordable, and it's family-friendly. Public transport runs nearby at all hours, so getting to Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, or inland is easy. The beach and Barón pier are close, as are a market and Jumbo Easy supermarket. There's no parking, but you can leave a car on nearby streets or at the closest Copec gas station, where the guys offer to keep an eye on it overnight.

We arrived to find there were no rooms, and were told our reservation had never been made. We'd booked seven days ahead, then called two days before arrival to confirm. They said it hadn't been entered but they'd make it again, and that arriving on our chosen date would be fine. When we asked what went wrong, they explained that three people handle reservations and probably hadn't communicated, so nobody booked us and they couldn't help. With a hostel this unprofessional, I wouldn't expect much. This isn't my first hotel visit in Viña del Mar and Valparaíso, either.

Very clean and excellent. There's a guest kitchen, a living room, and a room for ironing. They also have a little fast-food restaurant. The WiFi is excellent and really fast.

There was a hairdryer in the room, but no phone to call reception. The information they gave guests wasn't accurate, and reception wasn't staffed around the clock. We didn't feel like having breakfast, since there was nobody there to serve us.