Mr. Mullets Hostel

A good-value place right in San Pedro la Laguna, with most things around town within walking distance. The Wi-Fi worked throughout the building, the showers had hot water, and laundry was 15Q per kilo. There’s also a guest kitchen, and filtered water is available for 2Q a litre. Room 11 on the third floor is worth asking for if it’s free. It’s roomy and has a private balcony with a hammock. The owner can also connect you with a tiktuk driver for 25Q to take you to the Volcan San Pedro gate if you’re going for a hike.

The facilities weren’t working as promised: the toilets didn’t always flush, and the shower was ice cold. Worse, we paid the hostel Q300 in cash at the front desk for the Indian Nose hike, with transport included, as promised by Hospadaje Lolita. No separate tour company was involved. Transport hadn’t been arranged, so we had to find a car to Santa Clara. From there, we were led on a 15-minute hike to a viewpoint well below Indian Nose. When we challenged it, we were told the proper viewpoint could only be reached from San Juan on a different hike. We then had to find another car back because the public bus wasn’t running. Back at the hostel, the host and guide acted as if the hostel wasn’t responsible, even though the guide worked for them and we booked through them. They refused to return even part of the money. We tipped 20 because we didn’t want to risk our belongings on the trip back while the guide knew we were unhappy. We paid Q300 for a 15-minute hike with no arranged transport. Complete scam. DO NOT STAY HERE.

We arranged what was supposed to be a private Mayan Face/Indian Nose hike at 10am through the hotel’s advertised phone number. Tours elsewhere in town were advertised as 4am sunrise trips, and we agreed to 150Q per person. Instead, we were taken to the edge of Santa Clara and put on an unsigned dirt path. After five minutes, our guide handed us off to a local farmer, who led us uphill for about 12 minutes and said we’d reached the viewpoint. It was clearly far below the actual one, probably another 30 minutes up. The farmer said there was no way to reach it from there and wouldn’t take us. We were back down five minutes later. There was no return ride arranged either. Our guide flagged down a random car and squeezed us into the back. We made it clear this wasn’t what we’d agreed to or paid for, and the guide and hotel owners blamed each other, calling it a miscommunication. We got scammed. DO NOT STAY HERE, THEY WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU.

The owners were kind and quick to respond through the booking app, so check-in and communication were easy. Downstairs there’s a basic kitchen, and water refills cost a few quetzals, which was fine. Each floor has a small sink, a shower, and a toilet. The sink has no hot water. I didn’t use the shower, so I can’t say how it was. I stayed one night at Hospedaje Lolita in San Pedro. There are only eight rooms, each with two double beds, so if you don’t end up sharing, it can feel like a private room. My room was clean and the bed was comfortable for the price. The main drawback was hearing everything: loud music from nearby in the evening and a dog barking through the night. Light sleepers may have a hard time. For a short visit, though, it was a decent budget option.