Hostal Encuentro entre Culturas

The place was clean, the bathroom was decent, and the bed was comfortable. There was street noise both day and night, so I’d stay for two days at most.

The service was very good, with friendly people who were willing to help. The location is handy, by a bus stop and near the metro, but there are a lot of stairs to climb. That could be hard for families without a car or anyone with knee problems. The room was clean and fine, with a lovely view and a shared balcony. The balcony made me a little uneasy since someone might be able to come in through the window. Breakfast came at the stated time, but was very basic and had little variety. Cars were noisy at night, which could bother light sleepers or people with children. The doorbell didn’t work.

The location was the one real positive, just two blocks from the beach, and the service was nice. The stay itself was quite uncomfortable. The shower kept switching from hot to freezing, there were no bath or face towels or even a bath mat, and the place felt stuffy with no ventilation.

We booked and paid for a triple room with a private bathroom, then confirmed it with the hotel over WhatsApp. But when we arrived, they couldn’t find our reservation and put us in an “apartment” they said was better compensation. It was a filthy shack, with a bathroom that looked like it belonged in a dive bar. Everything was dirty, and it seemed they’d only changed the bed linens, which were dirty too. There was no ventilation, and the kitchen was disgusting. The main door had a storage-room-style padlock. The same employee had repeatedly asked them to fix the lock, but they never did. We’ll never go back.