Hostal Fachente

The room with a fan got really, really hot, like it just held onto all the heat. We touched the wall and it felt burning hot. The toilets and showers were poor too, like showering in Harry Potter’s closet.

The breakfast was good, and the hostel helped us arrange a shuttle to Guatemala and volcano boarding. It was otherwise pretty much what you’d expect, though a little outside the town center. We booked a double room with a shared bathroom through agoda. On arrival, the receptionist was helpful but said it didn’t have A/C. Our agoda booking said it should, so we ended up paying extra to upgrade to a double room with a private bathroom to get A/C.

The rooms were very clean, and breakfast was tasty and generous. We had pancakes. When we arrived, the staff gave us a warm welcome, arranged a volcano tour, and shared all the town information we needed. I’d come back to this hostel.

The dorm was cheap, $8 with breakfast, and during my four-night stay there were never more than four people in a 16-bed room. They clean every day and keep things neat. There are lots of fans, and they can turn on the AC if the room is crowded, though that didn’t happen while I was there. The reception also seems to be open 24/7, which is great, and they can advise on bus schedules. A few things bothered me: it’s a 30-minute walk to the bus terminal, the place looks a bit old, and they don’t take cards. Poco Poco junior looked more modern for the same money, but it had more people in the room. They may serve yesterday’s food for the traditional breakfast, though fresh pancakes are available every day. Also, the receptionist came into the room daily without knocking to switch on the outside light facing the street. I’d give it four stars fairly, though it might be three. The hostel was okay, but I had a confusing taxi-price exchange with a receptionist. He told me 50Cr to the bus terminal. When we got there, the driver said it was 50Cr per person for two people. I called reception, and the guy then said that was what he’d meant, even though I’d asked him a couple of times and he hadn’t made it clear. It wasn’t a huge deal, but it didn’t feel nice. The same receptionist also wouldn’t ask the cook to leave me any breakfast in the fridge because I was hiking early and would be back around lunch. There was nothing set aside for me, although beans and rice were still in the fridge.