Aura Hostel Boutique

The rooftop terrace has a lovely view across Medellín, and the interior is stylish and easy on the eyes. It's also a beautiful hostel where it's easy to meet nice people from around the world. I arrived late at night and was greeted warmly by a very friendly, helpful security staff member. Reception was already closed, but he showed me everything and made me feel at home. A great first impression! Thx ♥️

The beds were longer and bigger than most hostel beds, and staff replied promptly on WhatsApp. Those were some of the positives from my four nights in a 4-bed dorm at Los Patios. I expected more from somewhere called a “boutique hostel,” and left fairly disappointed. It's a regular hostel, perhaps a little nicer than average, but nothing fancy or boutique. My room was small, on the fifth floor under the rooftop deck, and had fans but no air conditioning. A few things weren't working, including the fans, though the hostel fixed those quickly. The showers either didn't work or drained slowly. There was only one toilet, shower, and sink per floor, so I often had to go to another floor. The pool is in the other building and is quite small for the number of guests. I was hoping for a more varied social scene, but most hostel events centered on dancing or heavy drinking. Neither is my thing, so I skipped them. I booked the comuna 13 and guatape tours through the affiliated company. They were fine, but included people from outside the hostel, and the guides didn't make much effort to help the groups mix. I also had bad luck with roommates. Nobody stayed longer than one night. The “highlight” was a very rude family who insisted the lights be turned on and talked loudly at midnight and again at 8am. The noise was my biggest issue, and this may be a Medellin thing. My room was directly under the rooftop patio bar, where music blasted most evenings and the bass came through my bed. It usually stopped around 10-11pm and wasn't too bad, but Christmas Eve was much worse. The music was louder and went on longer than usual while I was trying to rest because I felt unwell. I raised it with the hostel. They apologized and said it was a special event, then offered a small compensation, and I mean very small, plus a free breakfast item. I accepted because it was better than nothing, but it came nowhere near making up for the lack of quiet accommodation.

The beds were comfortable, the room amenities were good, and the location made it easy to find great food, reach public transport, and walk around a very safe area. Los Patios has daily tours that include transport, so you don't have to plan the activities yourself. There's something happening every day: the Boutique hostel runs a nightly pub crawl and the bar has incredible views, while the suites offer a quieter atmosphere with a nice pool and panoramic views. The staff were all wonderful, from the bartenders and reception team to the night security. I've stayed in a lot of hostels, and this is one of the best. I've never found a better one than Los Patios in Medellin.

I was so grateful for my stay at Los Patios. It was my first time in a hostel, and the experience completely changed how I think about hostels. Every single staff member was amazingly kind and helpful. I wanted to give them all a big hug when I said goodbye, and I hope I get the chance to come back. Mi Encantaaa 🇨🇴 🌹🙏🏼 🙌🏼