Hostel Hospedarte Centro

I’ve stayed here twice now, and while I’m in Guadalajara, Jalisco México, this is where I’ll keep making myself at home. I’d rather stay here than with relatives. Alexis, Irene, and Omar are great!

That building is gorgeous, with its big pillars, tiled details, and balcony wrapping around it. The hostel is quiet and works well as a base for Guadalajara, with the main sights nearby, which matters to me traveling solo in a city that calls itself not the safest. I felt secure in the hostel, though the dorms felt less so: the doors don’t lock and cleaning staff often leave them open. The girls’ dorm also seemed to be the only one without bed curtains to block the light, so I ended up waking early every day. There’s no A/C in the room and it gets very hot. I appreciated the included breakfast, with fresh fruit, toast, and yogurt, especially on my first visit to Guadalajara. Hot showers, too, and the staff are really helpful.

Breakfast was a real highlight. On my first day there was watermelon, and cantaloupe on the second. They leave any extra fruit on the counter after breakfast until it’s gone. There’s toast with butter and jam, strawberry yogurt with granola, and cereal. Nothing fancy, but enough to fill you up. They also have a WhatsApp group and activities, although the tours sold there cost a lot more than other places. The mattress was the main problem. I could feel every spring, and in our 7-bed dorm only two other people said they couldn’t feel them. Staff offered me another bed, but I felt springs in that one too, so I stayed put and used five blanket layers between me and the mattress. The dorm gets quite warm with the doors shut, even when it’s cold outside. Lockers fit full backpacks or suitcases, and the bathrooms were clean with hot water. Staff were nice and the location was good. The kitchen is cramped in a corner, and water takes ages to boil on the stovetop. Luckily, I had it to myself while cooking.

The traffic noise from downstairs carried on at night, though earplugs helped. The rooms were clean, the Wi-Fi was great, and the location was good.