Arcadia Hostel Medellin

It’s an easy walk to Lleres Park, so restaurants and bars are close. The staff were friendly and hospitable, and the drinks at the bar were really cheap. The hostel is a little small. We had a private room for two, and it was a really good price for what we paid. My one complaint was having just one bathroom and shower for the whole place, so there was a bit of a wait.

Really clean rooms and comfy beds, with a toilet and shower right in the dorm. The hostel has a kitchen and two places to hang out, one inside with sofas and one on a balcony. It’s super quiet but still very close to the centre of Poblado. The pancakes at breakfast were great, and the whole place is good value for money. The staff and manager are cool, easygoing, helpful, and welcoming. There’s a cool black cat too! :)

I recommend this hostel if you’re after a sociable atmosphere. I stayed a week, and the staff were super kind and helpful. Every bed has its own socket and shelf, and the shower was really comfortable, with hot water and strong pressure. They have a BBQ every Sunday for COP 20'000.-, all you can eat, and it was quite delicious.

Arcadia was the least satisfying of the three hostels I stayed at during my Medellin trip. It was a busy, unusual weekend when many beds were booked, but I had a reservation confirmation showing the correct arrival date and still ran into a check-in problem: their system had me arriving a day earlier and marked me as a no-show. The staff were nonchalant about the glitch. After I asked about towels, the receptionist sounded almost angry while explaining I could rent one, which I was fine with. Most staff were friendly and kind, though, and I appreciated their help arranging a taxi back to the airport. Getting around was inconvenient on foot or by public transit. It’s about a 30-minute walk to almost everywhere except the Poblado bar scene, and reaching the metro or other areas takes a while. A rental car might make the location fine. Other hostels I stayed at were more convenient for walking and transit. The entrance and lobby felt dim, with little natural light in the narrow stairway. Right after check-in I heard the fire alarm chirping. It was only in the lobby, so I couldn’t hear it in the dorm, but it kept chirping throughout my two-night stay. The dorm had no air conditioning or personal fans for the bunks. I know many hostels don’t have AC, but I’d just come from two in Medellin that did, so it was a letdown. Privacy was minimal too. Some bunks had curtains, others didn’t, and even the curtained beds were open at the head and foot. Other hostels had full privacy coverage, personal shelves, plugs, fans, and lockers for each person. In my dorm there were three lockers of one size and four of another. Four were too small for my backpack. Of the three large enough, one sat so close to the wall that I couldn’t fit my lock, leaving me to either not use it or leave it unlocked. That was frustrating. You also have to wait for someone at the front desk to release the door when entering or leaving. A few times I waited 2-3 minutes to get out while pressing the exit button, because nobody was at the desk. Other places gave guests a fob, key, or another way to come and go on their own after the first scan. I was disappointed by how Arcadia compared with the other Medellin hostels. It has potential, but I’d suggest looking at other accommodation options. I don’t plan to stay there next time I’m in Medellin, and I hope they make improvements.