Kaban 44 Hotel

For $30 a night, having your own room instead of sharing with six other people felt like a great deal. I loved the place and would definitely recommend it. The little pool and seating area were nice, and the area was super chill too. It’s self check-in at the entrance, and 5th Ave is about a 15-minute walk, or a taxi costs 35-50 pesos. My only real complaint was the water and hot water. The owner operator was really cool, though, and immediately offered to move me to a different room.

We loved our stay and would recommend it. The place is clean, peaceful, and not too far from the beach or restaurants. It has a lot of potential, and the manager replied quickly on WhatsApp and fixed all three of our problems within ten minutes. Our first night was bumpy: the entry code didn’t work, the shower was poor, and the door lock nearly trapped us in the room. There’s no staff on site, so questions have to go through the manager. The street can feel scary if you’re alone at night. There are two security doors, the Wi-Fi is good, and the price is good. A couple of tips: activate your personal code within an hour or it won’t work, and make sure the door is fully closed when you lock it, so you don’t break the lock for the next person.

I decided not to stay after calling. The person on the phone had a bad attitude, basically answering with a “what do you want?” kind of vibe. That first contact felt like terrible customer service, and I couldn’t imagine the rest of the stay being any better.

The owner was very nice and helpful, which is why I gave it two stars instead of one. The hostel itself was okay, but it’s about three kilometers from the beach and restaurants, so it felt far from everything. There was no breakfast, and no fridge or kitchen for guests to use, which made things difficult.