Ella City Reach Hostel

The owner was friendly and laid-back, and the beds were comfortable. Some even had mosquito nets. It was only a two-minute walk from the center, and the price was easy on the budget at 1,300 LKR for a night. The bathrooms were the downside: a few were a bit broken and not very clean.

It's very cheap and well placed, probably the lowest-cost hostel in town, so you get what you pay for. The bathroom was dirty and had no toilet paper, and my friend had belongings go missing a few times. The shared areas weren't appealing, and staff could be inattentive. One worker did take us on a fun outing. There is a kitchen, though it wasn't clear how much guests could use it independently.

For the price, this was a good place to stay in Ella compared with other properties. There’s a kitchen guests can use, and the staff were supportive overall. Communication was a little hard because one staff member couldn’t understand English.

Everything felt dirty, old, or broken, and when we asked for cleaning, the staff member said he’d return, then disappeared. The rooms were awful, the service was terrible, and the staff didn’t seem to care about us. I ended up stuck there after booking through Agoda, which they said they couldn’t find. We were exhausted and carrying lots of luggage, so we had to book directly with them then. I’d never recommend this place.