Canova Hostel & Pizza

The staff were great, and my private room was good. As others have said, the hostel is next to a busy road, so earplugs may be useful. My main problem was the weak Wi-Fi signal. Even though it wasn’t listed as a guaranteed amenity, Wi-Fi matters a lot for short or long stays, so not having it was frustrating. Otherwise, I was very happy with what the hostel offered for the price.

A good budget stay, and the locked front gate and back gate at night made the place feel secure. We had a private room that was a nice size, with a full or queen bed, small couch, coffee table, large dresser, and a long furnished balcony. With a fan and open window it stayed pretty cool, even when it was in the mid-80s outside. The staff were friendly and helpful, but speak little English. If you don’t know Spanish, you’ll need help from someone or a translator app. We were on the front side of the building and could hear the busy street all night. Light sleepers should bring earplugs. We managed to tune it out and sleep, although it could get pretty noisy. We tried their food while we were there, a couple of blocks away, and it was delicious with good service. There are lots of nearby places, and we walked to the Malecón several times, down to the beach, and to restaurants and shops. We could walk to most things or catch a bus close by. For farther trips we used InDrive, similar to Uber. I’d stay here again if we visit Puerto Vallarta. 9/10, would recommend.

The only good thing is that it’s kind of cheap. The owner of the hostel came into my room at night without permission. I woke up to him sitting beside my bed and touching my butt. I can’t believe it. This was the worst hostel experience I’ve ever had. The place is dirty, the kitchen is tiny, if you can even call it a kitchen, and the bathrooms smell bad.

I booked for two weeks at first, then stayed three because I liked this hostel so much. It has a family feel, and everyone was friendly and helpful. They suggested lots of nice places in Vallarta and for my solo trip around Mexico. My mixed dorm was very clean and the beds were comfortable. You can pick a dorm farther from the busy street that’s much quieter. I slept like a baby. The staff spoke good English and helped with everything. I arrived around 11 pm and they were still awake to check me in. You can get breakfast cooked by a lovely Mexican woman, and it was delicious. I also highly recommend their pizza restaurant two blocks away, which they own. The price is just right for what you get. I’ll definitely come back when I visit Mexico again.