El Tigre de Santiago

I booked a Mérida to Chichen itza tour with Traveler Tiger. The trip itself was okay and the guide knew the subject, but after returning to the bus I checked my backpack and found my money had been stolen by either the driver or the guide. They denied knowing anything and did nothing to help me recover it. I wasn’t refunded for the tour either, so the experience was very bad. A warning if you’re considering a Traveler Tiger tour from Mérida: don’t leave anything on the bus if you’re traveling with the two XL-sized guides.

The air conditioning worked well, and the shared bathrooms and shower were clean, though there was nowhere to set clothes or toiletries. The mattress was comfortable, and each bunk had a plug, but no little reading light. The shower leaked day and night for all four days, and there was little or no warm water. I wouldn’t recommend this hostel. It’s very basic, with no facilities for social activities, no front desk, and I didn’t see any staff during my four-day stay. The six-person ensuite dorm was old and poorly maintained. Light and noise came through the room and door, so they didn’t block either from outside. It didn’t live up to the reviews.

Roderick and Sheryl were friendly and helpful. The front desk is staffed from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. There’s a quiet, relaxed atmosphere where guests chat on the rooftop deck and around the kitchen, but it’s definitely not a party place. No pool, just a roof deck for sunning and relaxing. My room was comfortable and quiet, set aside as a business center for remote work, though it had no desktop. The office will print things for you on request for 10 cents. Rooms were clean and comfortable, with daily service, good AC and fans. The laundry service kept the linens immaculate, with clean, crisp, ironed, folded sheets. The bunks were comfortable and long enough for me at 6'2". I spent one night in a private room too, and its mattress was very firm. All rooms have their own bathroom and shower, plus there are extra shared bathrooms. The self-serve kitchen is very basic, with little equipment or counter space, but there’s usually a pot or two of complimentary coffee and tea in the morning. The central historic district is a five-minute walk away, with lots of restaurants, cafes, cantinas, shops and markets. There’s a nice park and a library nearby, a small full-service supermarket five minutes away, and a friendly little bodega selling beer and convenience items about 50 meters away. A US$5 Uber gets you to the bus station. About the cockroach comment: that’s bullshit unless something has changed since my 2023 stay. You might see a few large water bugs on the patios that look like big cockroaches. Most Europeans and Americans don’t know them, but they’re common in Florida and the tropics.

Alejandro y Rosa were so friendly and went out of their way to make everyone comfortable. They were limiting room capacity as an extra COVID precaution, so a room normally meant for eight had just four of us. The rooftop was great, the price was good, and the staff were lovely. A good hostel stay 🙏