Destination Centro Historico @ Donceles

This place was crawling with bed bugs. We left in the middle of the night, and other guests were asking for refunds too. The manager refused a full refund, saying they had fees on Booking.com. If you're charging for a bed, you should provide a usable one. A restaurant wouldn't expect you to pay for food full of insects, and a bed shouldn't be any different. The kitchen was very dirty as well. The location is the one advantage, but you can get the same price at plenty of better hostels. Just get out of here and find somewhere clean.

It's an old, ramshackle place in a very Mexican way, but they do a lot with the basic facilities. There's a kitchen, and they'll do your laundry for 60 pesos. Bring earplugs if you're a light sleeper, though, because the walls are paper thin. The rooftop terrace has nice views down the street and toward a rooftop bar. You're close enough to crawl to Zocalo, with metro stops handy for getting around. The metro was efficient, and I never felt unsafe on it. The location is hard to beat. The bathrooms were spotless despite Mexico City's dodgy sewers, and the cleaners did a proper job every day instead of just spot cleaning. Friendly staff and five-star cleanliness and service.

The location was great, the staff were friendly, and the facilities were clean. But I didn't like being charged rates that varied between guests or differed from what was listed on Hostelworld and their website. They also take families with very young kids, and there's no social hostel feel. Fine for a short stay when all you need is somewhere to sleep.

It's a good value for backpackers and budget travelers. The rooms are small but very clean, and the WiFi works fine. The staff are welcoming and helpful, and the reception stays open 24 hours. They also speak good English, which is a big help for tourists who don't speak Spanish. The hostel sits in the middle of a historic tourist area, with the Metro station within walking distance.