Zebulo Hostel

I didn’t feel comfortable here at all, so I left around 7:30 p.m. without spending the night. The AC was still off then, even though I’d asked beforehand whether the hostel had air conditioning and was told yes. They hadn’t mentioned it only runs at certain times. Check-in went fine and I got a bottom bunk with curtains, but the room was run-down and not somewhere I wanted to spend time. The curtains sagged on tied wires, there was no curtain at the bottom because of the ladder, and the mattress was very lumpy. I didn’t use the bathrooms, but they looked sketchy and uncomfortable. The whole place felt really worn out. The downstairs couches were old and lumpy too. I got bitten by mosquitoes a lot within five minutes of sitting in the common area, even through leggings. I hadn’t had that happen outside or at other places in Panama City. People were smoking pretty constantly, and the smoke drifted inside, so the hostel smelled of cigarettes and I felt like I couldn’t breathe whenever I left my room. I really hate cigarette smoke. When I left, the owner, I think, asked three times why I was going. I kept saying I didn’t feel comfortable, but she continued pressing me. It was annoying. At the time I didn’t want to explain more, so here’s the review instead.

My dad died while I was staying at this hostel, and I was trying to figure out flights home to him. The way an African American man working there treated me was unbelievably inhumane. He was strange and very rude from the start, then seemed to hate me for no reason. He wouldn’t let me stay even an hour past checkout. It was one of the worst experiences of my life, and the worst hostel stay I’ve had. I hope that man gets what he deserves.

Cheap, scruffy, sociable hostels have their place, and this is one of them. The staff were friendly, and the pallet bed was comfortable. But the shower floor was slimy, the tap was moldy, and the painted tiles and aluminum shower cubicles shed flakes of paint onto the floor. It all feels run-down, like the place is sliding and needs saving. I’d probably spend a couple of dollars more for zoha hostel or machico, about a seven-minute walk away. Those places are much nicer and cleaner, with better decor and more upkeep.

There’s a lot of potential here, but the owner is mismanaging the place. The room was dirty, with a pile of trash and a bottle of urine from a previous guest under the bed. On our last day, we saw what looked like a bed bug. There were also tons of mosquitoes, though I don’t know if anything can be done about them. The pool wasn’t clean, and the toilets and showers were disgusting. The hostel smelled of cigarettes throughout, so the smoking area needs to be moved. Shoutout to Carlos, who worked hard to help with anything we needed. I hope the owner manages to clean the place up.