El Mural Hostel

The rooms could be cleaner, though for the price they're fine. It's a simple hostel in a quiet part of Tarapoto, with peaceful nights and little traffic outside. There's a clean, spacious kitchen and a really nice area to hang out. Recommended.

The juice at breakfast is amazing. The rooms are clean, the kitchen is nice, and the staff are friendly. Great hostel with good vibes. Can't ask for more.

El Mural felt like a lovely home at the start of our Peru trip. My partner and I stayed nearly three weeks while taking Spanish lessons in town, then another week after he broke his ankle 🥲. The staff were so kind and moved us to a bigger room on the ground floor when he needed crutches. They helped with our questions about things to do in tarapoto and with getting motor taxis. The hostel is cosy, safe, and quiet, an easy walk or cheap motor taxi ride from town. Guests can use the kitchen, and there's a beautiful covered roof terrace with lovely views, which was great in the rain too. I highly recommend staying here!

The rooftop view was the one thing I liked, and we'd probably have enjoyed it more without all the noise. My friend and I were in a dorm just behind reception, with windows opening toward the outside. Our roommate, a volunteer Mural painter, played music loudly all night, saying she had to finish three murals on the roof. Her poor time management ended up affecting the whole hostel. When the music got louder at 06.15am, several people complained, but the front desk guy wouldn't step in. At 08.03am, as I write this, it's still playing. I'm in the top bunk under a window facing outside, near the washing area, and stray dogs kept me awake all night. Around 07.00am, reception started getting rural, and the noise carries right into our room. There was no hot shower in the morning. The room only has very bright lights, which makes it hard to be considerate of roommates who are trying to rest. I have to disagree with all the glowing reviews, though maybe our experience was just circumstantial.