Cenario Catita Hostel

My private-bathroom room looked out toward the bridge, and the hostel is close to the city center. The shower was a bit rustic, though it worked fine. A nice stay.

The location is a plus, but the stay was just okay. I booked a room with a shared bathroom, and got pretty much what they described, so don’t expect much. The building is old, the second-floor bathroom was a bit neglected, and my small room was basically just a bed and wardrobe.

The location is very good, and my third-floor room had a great view of the Tajo. It should be even better once the new Santos metro station is finished. Carrying a 23 kg suitcase up three floors wasn’t much fun, though you just have to manage it. It’s solid accommodation if you’re not looking for luxury and are okay with shared bathrooms. I’d come back.

The convenient location, ocean view from the room, and low price were positives, but I would not recommend staying here. The room and common toilets had a strange smell, and the place didn’t feel welcoming. Around midnight, just as we were going to bed, we found bedbugs in our room. It was really distressing. We told the front desk, and they offered another room, but that didn’t undo what had happened. The next morning we asked for a refund for the whole stay because of the distress and disruption. The hotel refused, saying the replacement room was enough compensation. That felt very unfair and unprofessional. Other issues: the city tax had to be paid in cash, and the toilets smelled too. The personnel also seemed unprofessional. I’d rather pay a little more somewhere else for a comfortable stay without bugs.