Hostel Forestal

Hostal Forestal truly needs 6 stars! Apart from the clean rooms, perfect 30-40 guest size, perfect location, solid breakfast, and the BEST location to everything. Apart from all this cool stuff what stands heads and shoulders high is the spirit of the staff! I have been here a month and I feel the love of the community here! Can’t really speak about other hostels but if you want a healthy, loving environment in which the whole world comes in every day this is the place. The people I have met along with the community spirit of staff has be WOW WOW!! 😎

Inside the room there was a fan that made a sound like a helicopter which made it very hard to relax in the room. It was super hot in all other common areas in the hostel because there were no fans. The bathroom door didn’t lock and it wasn’t so clean… The service is awful, as if they didn’t want to help. Once no one answered the hostel door and we were locked outside for 15 minutes! For breakfast, it was ok, but you HAVE to finish eating until 10am or they will make you wash the dishes. All in all, do not recommend at all, very poor cost- benefit as in it is not very cheap hostel.

Angie, Guillermo & juan were amazing. You can not ask for better staff. I would recommend this hostel to anyone! The hostel is clean and tidy and the atmosphere is amazing. Breakfast was also nice, there was hard boiled egg, toast, cereal, drinks and cakes. Enjoy everyone!

The rooms look absolutely different than in the photos. The fan makes a noise of an industrial machine and it’s just awful - it’s boiling hot everywhere in the hostel and there’s no AC/fans. The bathroom door didn’t lock and nobody could fix it, the toilet light burned and we were given a lamp instead. Breakfast is insulting, and to top it off - you have to wash your own dishes. The WiFi is basically non-existing. We got locked outside the hostel for about 20 minutes, screaming and pounding on the door to be let in - only to be told “it wasn’t 20 minutes”. Very rude and unfriendly staff. All in all - very bad experience.

We had a fantastic stay at hostel forestal! The staff went above and beyond to help us with our trip, helping us book buses, find tours and plan our time, as well as coming to help immediately with any questions or issues. We got free towels and free breakfast as well as fun chilled evening activities. Played guitar with other guests in the evening and overall had a fantastic stay.

Overall, this is a great place to stay hostal-wise. The shared bathrooms were always very clean, in both the AM and PM when I used them. I stayed in a single room (room 2) and was quite pleased with how comfortable the bed was and how the pillows were the perfect blend of firm and soft. Could use just one more pillow though. Reception speaks English as well. Major props for allowing me to check in earlier after a 24-hour flight journey! Rooms are very clean and housekeeping is also offered (from an unpleasant woman, a sharp contrast from the cheery reception). Breakfast is included and pretty simple but kept me satisfied with eggs (hard-boiled and one day scrambled offered), cereals, cheese slices and fruit. There is a fridge so you can store sundries and a big kitchen to cook. Of course, you should clean up your cutlery and plate ware after use! This isn’t a party hostel which I was super glad about. I slept really well each night. The mini fan in the room is super helpful to block out any noise - room 2 is the closest to reception so without the fan you would hear any talking or music there. A slight warning that the room had a slight musty smell of cigarettes bc a patio is right next to it, and you can smoke on there. Still wouldn’t prevent me from booking this room again (and I HATE cigarettes). The location of this place is ACE, within walking distance of the historic centre, as well as Bellavista. One thing: get rid of the gross bathroom mat! Give guests an extra towel to use to step out of the shower. WiFi worked really well to upload photos and do video calls.

The staff is just incredible. I had a problem with another guest snoring loudly and they quickly gave a ear blocker that worked wonders. The terremoto night was also pretty good and I felt easily included even though spanish is not my best language.

The place to stay for Americans and other travelers. This was our home base for over a month. Stay here! The price is right and the people are awesome. Great rooms, comfortable, great people to talk about traveling in this great country. Take it from someone who has traveled.