Buenos Aires Hostel Reviews

I've stayed in 3 HI hostels in Buenos Aires:

All included a locked Luggage Storage room from which I've never had anything stolen, computers with internet (usually Windows 98 and functional enough to check email and facebook, pretty OK WiFi, included breakfast, and a kitchen.

Tango City Inn in San Telmo $10 USD a night (dorm price)
Piedras 680

The Gringa is in town! When my plane landed in Buenos Aires September 9, 2009, I slept a couple hours in the airport, then headed to my pre-booked hostel. Although check-in wasn't until 2pm, they let me go to an empty bed at 8 in the morning, where I face planted until a much more reasonable hour.



With adorable little rooms, lovely staff, and a downstairs chill-out area with a pool table, bar, and air conditioning, I quite enjoyed my stay here.

Although I love San Telmo, it wouldn't be my first choice as a place to live. But then again, I'm deeply in love with Palermo.

Tango Backpackers in Palermo (prices listed above) $13 USD a night (dorm price)
4601 Paraguay

Prices in a chart on my next blog

As I have been living in Tango Backpackers so long (there have been 3 managers), the review for this hostel is much more well-rounded, giving the good, the bad, and the ugly.

When I returned from Bolivia, I stayed with a friend for a little bit, but I wasn't really meeting people, so I moved into a hostel in Palermo. And I have been living here for 6 months now.

The staff here are awesome. If they seem a little tired, it's probably because some old lady named Grisella kept complaining about every tiny little detail. (GO TO A HOTEL!)

The hostel is made up of several connected buildings, and is twisty-cool. The lobby has couches and tables, a bar, and is a great place to meet people. There is an awesome rooftop terrace with chairs and tables. The downside to this hostel is that it's noisy. It's a little bit more of a party hostel, and the traffic is very... trafficy. I was a little overwhelmed on arrival (after having lived on the 12th floor of a nice apartment in relative silence), so after a week, I decided to move to the quieter hostel (Palermo Suites) 4 or 5 blocks away. But when they offered me the breakfast job at Tango Backpacker's, I came back. I've definitely gotten used to the noise.

The hostel is also under new management, and things are improving drastically.

The kitchen is on the roof, and a little bit grungy. It is getting more utensils/pots/pans, and is now much more cook-friendly, although I despised it for the longest time, as it only had one pot, and no knives. Arg.

Tiny problem: this hostel has has a couple cases of bed bugs. Nothing in the last month or so, though. And I only got a couple bites in... what was it... December? They left a happy face and a frowny face on my leg. But in the summer, it's either mosquitos or bed bugs. It's hard to escape being bitten here. (No mosquito diseases in this part of the continent!)

I met some awesome people here, including a group I ended up calling "my family," my two best friends, as well as my rock band.

The best part about this hostel (and Palermo Suites) is location. I. Love. Palermo. It's about 3 blocks from a subte (subway) station, and right by where about a gazillion busses stop, close to about 3 supermarkets, and there are restaurants/take out places galore. I'm going to dedicate a whole blog entry to Palermo, later on.

And the best thing of all: if you get up between 8-10am, I have breakfast waiting for you! And I give beginning tango lessons here in the hostel...

Palermo Suites in..., well... Palermo $13.50 USD a night (dorm price)
Charcas 4752

I stayed here a couple days. Quiet, clean, with a fairly decent kitchen. I probably would have stayed here if I hadn't scored the Tango Backpackers job. A little more subdued with smaller, separate common rooms for studying/reading. Also very close to another subte station, and lots of busses.

HOSTELS I KNOW ABOUT BUT DIDN'T STAY IN:

Millhouse - central downtown $12 USD a night (dorm price)
Hipolito Yrigoyen 959

I have heard that this hostel is basically "The Party Hostel," and it has been described as the hostel where the teenagers and early twenty-somethings come to get drunk or laid or both. People of this ilk recommend this hostel to their friends with a "You HAVE to stay here." I have no desire to visit, thank you.

Florida Suites - central downtown $11.50 a night (dorm price)
Florida 328

Although I haven't stayed here, I have visited, and seen the facilities. I was impressed. My "Traveling British Friend Emma" has said this is the best hostel she has stayed in in her life, including Europe. Centrally located on a pedestrian street full of shopping and restaurants, hostel has a large travel agency, a number of computers, lovely rooms, and feels very clean.

So - Non-HI Hostel Reviews (updated a bit after the rest of the post)

Pax Hostel

Salta 990, San Telmo.
http://www.paxhostel.com/

There's also a hostel called Pax that I've been to, but not slept in.
40 pesos ($10.50) a person for a dorm, 60 (15.75) for a private.

The kitchen blows, but the bar downstairs is really nice - very social, with bean bags and such.  The rooms are fairly decent as well, and it's right near the Independencia subte station.


OK

Well, I think that about does it. I'll update if I think of anything else. I would love to get reviews of other hostels in the B.A. area, if you've got any!