Slumber Party Montañita

This was the worst hostel I’ve stayed in. The kitchen, cinema, and workspace were closed, most of the rooms were under construction, and the place looked like it was going out of business. There was no WiFi in my room, yet they wanted $50 for a private room. The pool was green and had caution tape around it.

The staff were welcoming and generally helpful, but one of them laughed when we said we were staying two weeks to travel and work, then said, “good luck.” He was right about the noise. The building is surrounded by full-on nightclubs, not just bars, blasting music until 6am or later on weekends and some weeknights too. It was far louder than we could have expected. There are several ways into the building, and the door locks didn’t feel adequate for American travelers in what seemed like a sketchy area. We had no security incidents, but didn’t feel safe either. There’s no WiFi in the room, which is ridiculous for a place that charges much more than other hostels. I’ve always liked the Selina brand, but after staying at a few, I haven’t been impressed with its service or facilities.

The staff were great, but the place needs some investment. Paint is chipped all over, the kitchen needs renovating and more regular cleaning, and the knives and other supplies were disgustingly old. It was embarrassing. Also, there wasn't a window in the bathroom.

The one bright spot was surfing with Elias. The hostel was nearly empty during the week when we visited in October, but cleanliness was lacking throughout. Our room had no working hot water, the Wi-Fi didn't work at all, and there was nowhere to hang wet towels or a bathing suit. With no proper window, things never dried. The location between the clubs meant extremely loud music in the rooms until 5 a.m. People kept partying at the hostel after the clubs closed, sometimes until 8 a.m. They should do a better job controlling who comes and goes at night. We didn't feel safe.