Mayan Palace Nuevo Vallarta

I’ve stayed in more than 500 hostels and have never had brand new food thrown away. I was checking out at noon, and at 10 a.m. my food was still in the fridge. They knew I was leaving that day, but threw away everything I’d just bought, worth hundreds of pesos. That was the worst part of a really bad stay. There were drunk people every day, the kitchen was crowded and always a mess, and a baby in the next room cried all night. The listing photos are misleading too: there’s no backyard area, that space is a restaurant. I wouldn’t recommend this hostel to anyone.

The beach is fairly close, and there’s a bar right next door that serves food. Sometimes there’s music, but it stops by 8 p.m. The people working and staying here were very nice. It’s a hostel, and the kitchen was good.

The staff really made the place for me. They were attentive, honest, and very helpful. Try for a room at the back, since some are right by the highway. My room was pretty cramped with bunk beds, and there wasn’t much space for bags or proper lockers. Maybe it was just that particular room.

The people are nice, but pay attention to how the beds are assigned. They use bunks, so if your knees are a problem, politely ask for a lower bed.