Hostel Vallarta - Adults only

I booked a private room on Hostelworld for six days with AC, but they put me in a room with only two fans. A sewage pipe in the bathroom was leaking actual feces from the ceiling. I’d paid upfront, which is normal, but if I’d seen the room first, I wouldn’t have paid and would’ve gone elsewhere. I was there less than 30 minutes before asking for a refund, and they wouldn’t work with me. Check the room before you pay.

The good parts were the location, friendly volunteers, big comfortable bed, and pleasant shared spaces. Still, it felt neglected for the price, and the road outside was busy and noisy at night, so bring earplugs. Our room was double booked, so the first night we had to sleep in one without AC. When we changed rooms the next day, they said the room I’d booked on Agoda, listed with AC and a street view, actually had no AC and a window facing the courtyard. Since that’s a common area, you can’t open the curtains, and no light comes in. They did give us another room with AC, but it had no window, and the remote was kept at reception, so we couldn’t adjust the temperature overnight. The rooms are basic and run down, and the bathrooms were worse. The first one looked like it hadn’t been cleaned: hair and toothpaste in the sink, pubic hair on the shower soap, sticky floors, and dirty walls. The second bathroom was clean, but had a hole in the wall where the mirror should be, a toilet that only worked about half the time, and a blocked shower drain that flooded the whole bathroom. There was used soap there too. There was barely anywhere to put things in either room or bathroom, no hooks or shelves. The second room had a counter, but the AC above it leaked all over our stuff. The free water at reception was empty most of the time, so we had to buy bottles. Reception stayed open until midnight, and volunteers talked loudly near some rooms. The room across from reception had windows in the door, letting the reception light in, which is a strange idea. Breakfast was just premade Costco pancake mix, with no fruit or anything else.

The rooms could use a refresh, but I felt welcome and connected here. It’s a colorful, lively hostel with a real sense of community, and the people are beautiful and friendly.

I liked how consistently clean everything stayed during the two months I was there. The employees were super friendly throughout, and the place is gay friendly, colorful, and full of ART!!! They serve free pancakes and coffee in the morning, which helps save money for drinks or hostel activities like deep sea diving and late night glow fish stuff. Would recommend 😇