Colors Boutique Hostel

The location is good, but I would never stay here again. The dorm doors don’t lock, the beds are uncomfortable, and the bathrooms are terrible, often without toilet paper or hand soap. When I asked the staff member on duty for toilet paper, she acted like it was a bother. Nobody told me tea and coffee were available all day. They also require your passport as a locker deposit, which is ironic when that’s exactly what I want to keep in the locker. On Saturday I paid 1,950 pesos for an Underground River tour, after confirming I wanted to go on Monday. The staff member took my money and gave me a receipt, but she didn’t have change for 2,000, so I said I’d come back. Before going to my room, I asked again if it was definitely for Monday, and whether pickup was at the hostel and what time. She said she’d book it and let me know the time. I heard nothing that evening, so planned to ask the next day. At 7:30 Sunday morning, three or four staff members barged into the dorm asking for me and saying the tour bus was waiting outside. I hadn’t packed or prepared anything, and didn’t have time to get ready, so I said I wouldn’t go and asked for a refund. At reception, the woman who sold me the tour insisted I’d booked it for Sunday and said tours don’t run on Mondays. I asked for my money back. She tried at least ten times to make me feel guilty, saying it would come out of her salary. I didn’t want her to lose money, but she had made the booking mistake and hadn’t told me any details or even that it was confirmed. She also claimed she’d told me a pickup time, which wasn’t true. We hadn’t spoken since I paid. I went back to my room for a few hours and started packing. I didn’t want to stay any longer, especially with the poor service and the staff’s attitude. She came to the room and said she could refund me, again saying it would be deducted from her salary. At the desk I returned the receipt to confirm how much I’d paid, and after handing me the money she snatched the receipt from my hand. I checked out early soon after. I didn’t even ask for a refund for the two nights I wasn’t staying. Checkout was easy: there was no key to return because the doors don’t lock, and no deposit to collect. I just walked out and didn’t look back.

For the price, it’s a simple place with basic options, and it’s fine for a short stay. There are both hot and cold showers. The toilets often have no toilet paper. Check-in is strict: I arrived at 8am and had to wait until 2:30pm, though I understand that if they’re fully booked. Overall, it’s okay.

I had a really good overnight stay. The room was great for what I paid, and the bed, toilet, shower, and air conditioning were all fine. The person in charge at the front desk was easy to talk to and very accommodating.

The building is special, and the staff were great too. They were friendly, reliable, and helped with tour bookings. I was even moved from a dorm to a private room, and they made breakfast for me at 6:30 even though I was the only one having it. Salamat.