Beach Dorms San Juan

This hostel worked well for me and my broke friends, and it was clean, in a great area near the beach, and the people were nice. You get what you pay for, though: cold showers, minimal security, rickety beds, and nowhere to put your stuff, especially on the top bunk. For us it was worth it. I think the bad reviews come from people expecting a five-star hotel.

We arrived to find an apparently abandoned building with no sign, and had to yell into the backyard to get someone to let us in. We'd booked a private room and paid a deposit in advance, but none was available. Someone had stored bags in one room, and luckily an employee moved them so we had somewhere to stay that night. We weren't given a key for the first few hours, so we couldn't lock our door, and the handles and locks were falling off, as shown in the photo. The place is close to the beach, but the rooms were very dirty and had a general bum vibe. If saving money matters most, maybe it's an option. If cleanliness or knowing you'll have a room matters to you, absolutely don't stay here.

The unmarked gate made the place hard to find. It's one of the cheapest hostels near the San Juan airport, and the low price showed. My partner and I had a shared private room, and I'm pretty sure something bit me while I slept. The bathrooms were a bit gross, though I expected that in a hostel. It had been raining, and water was leaking into our room from the ground. One of the shabbiest hostels I've stayed in, but that didn't surprise me. If you want somewhere super cheap, this could be for you.

The location was impossible to find. When we called for directions, they said, “A bunch of people came and took all the beds,” then hung up. We'd reserved through Hostelworld and paid a deposit, but were left stranded at night with only outrageously priced hotels as another option. The area felt dodgy and unsafe. I can't believe Hostelworld or other third-party sites still list them, since it hurts their own reputation. I'm giving one star because I can't give minus stars. Save yourself the stress and book a reputable hostel that deserves your money.