Nahimara Champeta Hostel

The room didn't resemble the photos. The floor had holes, the mattress was filthy, and there was no paper in the toilets. Despite the advertisements, there was no ensuite. They tried to overcharge me and forgot breakfast was supposed to be included. The staff were very lazy and confused.

This very sweet Argentina community has a garden setting and fresh construction cabin options, with Brazilian and Argentine touches. It's simple, not fancy, and offers a kitchen. There are great services and a restaurant/bar nearby, too.

My partner and I are a couple of 30-year-olds backpacking. We enjoy parties sometimes, but also care about privacy, safety, cleanliness and comfort. If that's you, here's how it went for us. The social side is strong. This hostel is geared toward free-spirited backpackers looking for a community, and they held parties every day during our stay. As outsiders, we could see the other guests living together like a family, and they were open and engaging with us even though we were different. The host was nice and meant well, and helped whenever we asked. Staff were mixed: some were quite rude and uncaring, perhaps because of a language barrier. The price is relatively good. We paid 125k a night, which I still thought was a lot for this hostel, though it's cheap compared with hostels in the historic center. The main problem was sanitation. There are just two shared bathrooms for all guests, each with one toilet. In the morning especially, people showering meant only two guests could use the bathrooms at a time, and we had to wait. When I asked if there were more bathrooms, I was told, 'wait'. Luckily, we didn't get travelers' disease during our stay. With the regular parties, the bathrooms were completely trashed. People crowded in at night, making a lot of noise. There were smoked cigarettes in the shower and a smell of smoke, urine all over the toilet and no toilet paper. That's not acceptable. I hope the host understands that clean, adequate bathrooms are vital, whatever kind of guests you have. I didn't raise it with the host because it seemed structural and not something that could be fixed in the moment. For that reason alone, I'd discourage families with children from staying, and it's not suitable if you care about clean sanitation. The shower is just a pipe without a showerhead. The pressure and temperature were good, but couldn't be adjusted. The power sockets in the rooms seemed questionable and unsafe. I worried I might get shocked touching them, especially with one next to the bed. The pool looked dirty and unappealing, and I wouldn't use it. We didn't see anyone else use it either. The mattresses looked dirty under the sheets, worn out, uneven and not solid. They also don't clean under the bed well. I dropped something there and it was an unpleasant experience. The internet was available but slow and unreliable, so we used our mobile connections. The air conditioning worked very well at night, but a central switch turned it off during the day. The parties weren't too loud, even though our room was near that area. If you're on a budget and want to meet people, you might enjoy the community, atmosphere and price. If the negatives matter to you, I'd stay elsewhere.

I booked three nights but couldn't stay after one sweaty night. The AC was weak and broken, and the room's insulation was so bad it felt like an open window. Even the ceiling was warm to the touch. They still haven't agreed to refund me. I'm waiting to hear back from booking.