Casa Kanabri Hostal Boutique - Hostel

The evening staff were much more professional and efficient than the young woman at reception, who seemed uninterested in helping guests. Communication was difficult, and she didn’t have useful local suggestions. The coffee shop next door also got my order wrong, making what they wanted instead. I was rushing to catch my Uber, so I couldn’t sort it out. I stayed in the five-bed women’s dorm. It was mostly just me and one other person, so there was room, and the bedroom itself was clean. The lockers were worn, noisy, and not firmly attached to the wall. Some bedding was stained, and the top bunks were dusty and full of lint. The big window let in daylight but looked onto the street, so privacy was limited. The bathrooms felt unappealing, with exposed pipes and an industrial look. Water drained badly even with the shower stoppers, and the curtains were too short, leaving the floor soaked. The bathroom on my floor was cramped. The one upstairs was larger, but still not great. The kitchen fridge smelled foul, while uncomfortable lounge furniture and discolored windows made the common area feel neglected. The decor is stylish and the place feels modern, but the overall vibe was odd, cold, and utilitarian for a basic hostel. It might be fine for a quick stop, but the service, maintenance, and comfort need work.

Daniel, the night receptionist, was one of the kindest people we’ve ever met. He made all 17 of us feel welcome during our two-and-a-half-week yoga training at Casa Kanabri. Maria and Isabel, the cleaners, were just as sweet and always tried to accommodate our requests. They worked so hard, carrying laundry and trash up and down the stairs. I hated seeing them have to do that at their age. The owner, David, was kind and responsive too. When the internet failed, he came over to fix it and left his own phone with us so we could use its hotspot. Our biggest problems were with the hostel managers, Aidee and Patricia. From the start, I felt we were given a lot of dishonest information. Before booking, I asked whether the terrace could fit 20 yoga mats, and they confidently said yes. With 14 students, we were packed in tightly. I arranged for a chef through Aidee to provide breakfast and lunch throughout the trip, plus dinner on the first night. She never showed me the contract. I trusted that things would go smoothly, since I often host trips and hadn’t had trouble before. On night one, dinner arrived two hours late. Aidee repeatedly said the driver was five, then 10, then 15 minutes away. Eventually I sent everyone out to find their own food. The delay was the chef’s responsibility, but the hostel staff kept giving us incorrect updates. The food was a disaster. My team and I raised the problems with Aidee and Patricia many times. It wasn’t just unpleasant tasting: we got stale bread, moldy food, brown fruit, and rotten broccoli. When I sent the managers a photo of the brown fruit, they said they had checked it and it looked fine. That was a bizarre response to a clear picture. Since the food was so bad that people didn’t want to eat it and a lot was wasted, we asked for about half as much during the last week or so. The managers said we’d get a refund for the food, then denied it when I asked on our last day. They referred to the contract but wouldn’t let us see it. The hostel team had given everyone thoughtful gifts, but during this conversation the managers said they had done that so we wouldn’t be angry about the chef and the missing refund. It felt like they were trying to bribe us. For a short visit where you don’t need much from the managers, Casa Kanabri might be fine. For a long stay or a full-house booking, I think there are better options in CDMX. The house is cute, but some rooms are tiny, and it’s on one of the busiest intersections in town, so it’s loud through the night. The managers weren’t accommodating or trustworthy.

The rooftop kitchen has all the equipment you need, and there’s a Bodega Aurrera supermarket just to the north for groceries. It’s one of the best spots in Mexico City.

The outdoor area and lobby look nice, but that’s where the good parts end. I only stayed because I’d already paid. Reception was awful: the woman in charge was rarely there, greeted me poorly, and couldn’t tell me anything about the city. There was no city map, no organized activities like at other hostels, and no real hostel atmosphere. Cleanliness seemed highly questionable. There wasn’t a proper bathroom setup, and the sink was right outside the room doors. The area smelled bad, and the showers and toilets were dirty. My private room was extremely small, had no locker, and barely had space for my things. It was so close to the sinks that I could hear people brushing their teeth while I tried to sleep. Light spilled into the room whenever someone walked by, and the doors were really loud. The whole place was noisy. It definitely wasn’t worth $20 a night, and the Hostelworld description is a lie. Stay far away.