Mandala Hostel

I spent three weeks at Mandala Yoga Hostel as a base for traveling around Colombia, and absolutely loved my time there. I wasn’t looking to drink or party, and it suited me well. We did yoga, went to karaoke, watched a movie, and hiked together as a group. If you want a relaxed vibe, lovely people, and a chance to unwind in Bogotá, this is the place.

It’s a cute, cozy place, especially with the cats. I’m glad to have found an affordable stay with a calm, yogi feel in a city that can be pretty rough. Bogotá could use more places bringing good vibes like this. There are great yoga lifestyle things to buy, too. Across the street, a bakery has an epic selection of GLUTEN FREE treats. The noisy planes generally quiet down for most of the night.

The food was good, the cats were nice, and the place was clean, but I won’t stay again. I was there for four nights and found it comfortable, yet one staff member was very rude to clients. They told me to remove a blanket from the living room because it was for the cats, then the next day I saw other staff using that same blanket. Things like that made the atmosphere feel uncomfortable and off, especially for a Yoga and meditation hostel. Also, expect bed bugs.

I had to rush to my flight and only realized after leaving bogota that the hostel hadn’t returned my driver’s license. I’d left it as a deposit for a locker, and at checkout they kept it instead of giving it back when I returned the key. That should have been a straightforward exchange. This was the first hostel I’d stayed at that asked to hold a form of my identification. I messaged them on WhatsApp, and they said I could have left a 20,000 pesos deposit instead, but that option hadn’t been made clear. If I’d known, I would easily have chosen it. Keeping a client’s deposit, in this case my driver’s license, at checkout is unprofessional.