Venado 8

We ended up staying almost a week and used the hostel as our base. The rain during the first two days had us add two more nights, so I was there for my birthday, when they had a live reggae band in the back courtyard. Breakfast was included and made a nice start to the day. There was also a fridge, cupboard space, a locker and water included. Met some lovely people, and it was a great first stop in Mexico.

The staff were really friendly, but the hostel itself felt old and dirty, and people were smoking downstairs indoors. It was my worst stay during two weeks in Mexico. Maybe that comes with the low price, but I still can’t recommend it.

The garden has some nice places to sit and relax, and the Wi-Fi worked really well. There’s also storage available for a fair price. The facilities are very basic, though. The rooftop kitchen wasn’t maintained, cleaning could be better, and the shower had very weak water flow, even though the water did get hot. Good value for the money.

I stayed twice, two nights each time, and both visits felt welcoming. The staff were friendly and helpful, the beds were cozy, and the air felt fairly fresh. It had a homey feel overall. The house dinner was decent, but you don’t get to choose it, and it was way overpriced.