Downtown Hostel Chetumal

It felt overpriced for what you get. The shower only trickled, the kitchen was dirty and poorly stocked, without even glasses, and there were no towels. Reception wasn't monitored.

I've traveled extensively, but this was by far the dirtiest and most appalling place I've stayed. We couldn't wash our hands or flush the toilet because there was no running water for basic hygiene. When we arrived, staff had given our room away. We agreed to take another room nearby, but it was in atrocious condition and clearly hadn't been cleaned. It may not have been cleaned since the busy season months earlier, or it looked as though staff might have been using it themselves. The bed was a nightmare, with dirty sheets covered in flakes of skin and hair. Dust and old coffee stains were all over the bedside tables, TV stand, headboard, and other surfaces. We asked for fresh sheets, and changing them exposed a horrifying mattress: possibly decades old, with foam showing, sagging springs, and stains everywhere. There was no mattress protector. The towel was just as bad. Staff brought out one damp towel marked with yellow and brown stains. When we asked for a clean one, they said, “It is clean, we just have a water problem here.” It was anything but clean, and we then realized that the water problem meant none at all in our room. The sink didn't work, the shower barely worked, and the toilet wouldn't flush. Staff said the whole city was out of water, which seemed clearly untrue since the upstairs kitchen had running water. During our stay the situation was inconsistent: sometimes the shower worked, but the sink and toilet never did. It led to some deeply embarrassing situations. The bathroom and room were filthy, coated in grime and hair, and seemed not to have had a proper cleaning in decades. The shared kitchen was also dirty, with bugs and little basic equipment, not even a microwave. Our room had no windows or proper ventilation, and the air conditioning unit was thick with mold. Breathing mold spores can have serious health consequences, and this place felt like a health hazard in every sense. For what we paid, it was a rip-off and a serious risk to our health. Avoid it at all costs.

We booked two nights but left after one and got no refund. On Saturday, they held a local party until the early morning without warning us or apologizing the next day for the lost sleep. Our room's only window opened onto the common area and wouldn't shut fully, so we heard everything all night. There was just one plug, and the air conditioning switched off halfway through the night. The shower was scalding, with no way to control the temperature. The kitchen and common areas were disgustingly dirty and short on supplies. Staff didn't care about our complaint and accused us of trying to stay for free. We've traveled widely and stayed in many hostels and hotels, and the customer service here was the worst by far. Skip this place unless you want a horrific story for your trip.

The rooftop usually has a breeze, and the nearby trees are often full of parrots, flycatchers, and doves. The layout is well designed, with everything feeling intuitive. It's also kept very clean, and the staff are kind, friendly, and ready to help. It seems like maintenance and improvements are always underway. Just be warned, a one-night stay could turn into ten.