Onde Pepe Hostel

The owner and staff are very racist. They went through my private property while I wasn’t in the room, raised the room rate, and canceled my booking at the last minute even though we’d agreed to extend my stay for a month. The rates kept going up. A local guest with lighter skin was offered a lower, fairer rate, while I paid a much higher premium because of my skin color and because I’m from TEXAS. Then they sent a mass WhatsApp message to 69 other hostels and hotels, telling them to raise their rates or say they were full when they weren’t. That’s childish and poor business practice. In response, he lied. I don’t drink. I left the place as I found it and paid my bill first thing in the morning. I wasn’t loud, never stayed out past 8 pm, and got up at 7 or 8 am. Another former guest’s account is true: the bathroom and bedroom were poorly cleaned, and the customer service was poor. There was no real communication with staff or management. They made up rules as they went along, based on feelings and emotions, and followed no policies or procedures. The descriptions are lies based on racist stereotypes and discrimination. They cover their hatred of people of color. I’m a businessman from TEXAS, United States. I’ve never been mistreated or disrespected like this before in my life. I hope this reaches the right people so they can put a stop to it.

The rooms are small, the hostel is noisy and not very clean, and the shared bathroom is poorly equipped. The terrace is only for the restaurant. The neighborhood isn’t the best, and it’s better to stay inside after 8 pm. Do NOT bring kids here!

I spent four weeks in this tiny, cozy hostel in the middle of Candelaria, and I can only recommend it. Tatiana, Kayleen, Valentina, and the rest of the staff made me feel at home and gave me lots of useful tips. I’ll never forget the time I had here, and I’ll definitely come back.

This hostel got me settled and back on my feet after a rough first night in Colombia. I arrived late at night in late November 2020, after a chaotic 30 hours at the Seattle airport with all my belongings. The hostel I’d booked was chained up and closed. I eventually found a dysfunctional place, then got lost in La Candelaria searching for food at 2:30 am. Finding this place made all the difference. I stayed here for a month during my first time living abroad, and ended up living in Colombia for six months. I regret renting a room in Chapinero instead of staying in the fantastic La Candelaria/El Centro area. On one occasion, a police officer gone rogue took $200 from me. The hostel owner rode around with me in a police van for more than two hours, looking for the station where it happened. I eventually got a little more than half the money back, and I believe the officer was reprimanded. The people working here were among the best I’ve experienced, and there were many other pros with virtually no cons. This is easily my favorite hostel, though it shares first place for me with one other really good spot in La Candelaria. I’ve tried many of the hostels, and this one was way better than those in Mexico City, no comparison. It felt like a dream, and I can’t wait to return soon. It’s hard to explain in a Google review how wonderful it was to find this place.