Casa Blanca Minca

We enjoyed most of our three-night stay at Casa Loma, but twice the neighbor blasted music through a PA speaker from 5:45 AM to 7:30 AM, apparently because of some vendetta against Casa Loma. Replies to earlier comments on hostelworld said the problem had been resolved, but clearly it hadn’t. On our last day, we talked with the owner, Stefan, about getting a refund for one night, and he agreed. Since then, communicating with him has been incredibly difficult. After a lot of back and forth, he returned only a fraction of what we originally paid and then stopped responding when we asked for clarification. Casa Loma itself was a wonderful hostel, but the lack of professionalism and accountability afterward left us with a bad taste.

During my stay at Casa Loma, someone went into my room and rummaged through my things, leaving my bag in a complete mess. I felt unsafe and violated. The noise also made it hard to rest or have any peace, with live parties, dogs, and roosters. I had made three separate reservations before arriving so I could cancel the last nights if the place didn’t suit me. But when I got there, I had to pay for every night upfront, which took away that flexibility. After the incident, I chose to cancel my final night. Staff said they’d ask the boss about a refund, but I never got a proper response, and they eventually ignored my messages. I didn’t feel my concerns were taken seriously. It was a very disappointing and uncomfortable experience. I can’t recommend this place, especially if safety, privacy, and respectful customer service matter to you.

The sunsets were incredible and the staff were lovely, though the sunset bar could use more comfortable seats. We’d read the earlier reviews and came prepared with earplugs and headphones. Music from the neighbor woke us at 6am, but it wasn’t a big issue and we slept well both nights. What bothered us was overhearing at breakfast that the hostel had agreed with the neighbor that loud music would only be played late on Fridays and Sundays. This happened on a Thursday, even though they knew they weren’t supposed to play music then. We also heard them loudly call the neighbor crazy and talk about how they knew they were breaking the agreement. Management can’t apologize for the “crazy” neighbor when they were the ones causing the problem. I’d be playing loud music too if people didn’t stick to their agreements.

The view is beautiful, and the location and food are good. The rooms are okay, though the room for three is very small. There’s no guest kitchen, so you can’t cook for yourself. This is definitely more of a party hostel than a place to come and relax. Most nights there’s a DJ or loud music, and the neighbors turn their music up at 6am to get back at them.