Piedra Blanca Backpackers Hostel — Hotel in Uyuni

I’ve had my fair share of hostel stays, but this one was by far one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had, especially in terms of staff behavior. First off, when I arrived, I was informed of an extra charge that was never mentioned in any of the booking details, which, frankly, seemed like an unnecessary and opportunistic attempt to add hidden fees. But that was just the beginning of the issues.

At around 10pm that evening, I stepped outside to have a quick conversation with my boyfriend. The hostel was full of backpackers, and, as is common in a busy place like this, noise and movement were happening all around us. I was being respectful, not speaking loudly, and certainly not disturbing anyone. Yet, out of nowhere, the hostel manager aggressively approached me, demanding that I turn off my phone and "be quiet."

When I politely explained that I wasn’t making any noise, he escalated things. He followed me up the stairs to my room, staring at me until I felt completely uncomfortable and intimidated. His behavior was so overbearing that it almost triggered a panic attack. To have a grown man, in a position of authority, act this way toward a young woman is not only inappropriate but downright disturbing.

The next morning, things only got worse. We had an early tour scheduled for 3:30am (a common practice in Uyuni, especially for the stargazing and sunrise tours), and we were in the reception area waiting for our pick-up. Instead of being understanding, the same man came out of his room at 3:20am and, without a hint of empathy or professionalism, rudely told us we had to wait outside. It was freezing (around -4 degrees) and, instead of showing any courtesy and letting us wait in the warm reception area for just a few minutes, he locked the door and left us out there shivering.

I don’t care how much of a “no-nonsense” attitude a hostel manager might want to have, but this was beyond uncalled-for. To treat two young female travelers, who were simply trying to enjoy their trip with a little warmth and comfort, with this level of disrespect, is utterly unacceptable. It's not just bad customer service, it's cruel and condescending.

Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend this hostel to anyone. If you're a young woman or just someone who values basic respect and hospitality, avoid this place at all costs. No one should have to deal with this level of rudeness, and it's clear that the staff, especially this manager, should not be in the hospitality industry if they’re going to treat guests...

The good - the hostel is immaculately clean and the common room/kitchen is great and nice and large with a terrace attached. Never had to wait for showers or bathrooms as there is one on each floor. I found it fairly easy to socialise but it wasn’t the most social hostel I’ve been to either. The breakfast is really decent, eggs, muesli, juice, yoghurt and fresh fruit with coffee and tea. They also have takeaway menus so you can get food delivered. 18min walk to the hostel from the bus station, but I’d recommend walking along the main road and not the way it suggests as it’s a dark road, with nothing around and some dogs tried to attack me. Or - catch a taxi - I think it’s worth it. they allow late check out 7pm for additional 40bob which is certainly helpful for those catching any night bus.

The not so good - -Location was a bit far out and as a solo female traveller I didn’t feel safe to go out and walk into town at night, very empty streets. I was super grateful for the takeaway menus in these moments. I think with some people you’d be fine though! Tika restaurant is maybe the closest and was delicious. the top bunks are not well designed, the smallest ladders that actually kind of hurt your feet and are incredibly awkward to get up, would not be good for anyone with any kind of mobility issue.

-It was farrr to hot in the rooms at night. I stayed in the 8 bed dorm and was melting, not a single person had used the duvets/blankets or even sheets. They could definitely turn the heaters down at night as it was a bit suffocating and many people agreed. We were laughing how sweaty we all were. -I was told to be quiet at 10pm for having a normal level conversation with one of the girls in my room (we were the only ones in there) which we thought was a bit ridiculous, having to whisper in your empty dorm room at that time for a hostel felt a bit much. But no one seemed to tell off the girl at 6am speaking so loudly on the phone just outside of our room on the couches. So I do see why it’s not the most social hostel, while I respect that it’s great they ask the common rooms to be quiet after 10, I think you should be able to talk in your room (as I said there was just the 2 of us in there so weren’t disturbing anyone’s sleep!)

Overall though I did enjoy my stay here, and these are small things. The town is kind of a strange layout so I’m not sure exactly where would be considered a...

At first, I would have definitely given this Hostel 5 stars, but I found out within the first few hours that there was a lot more than meets the eye here. First of all, this place will charge you for anything and everything. This is the first hostel I have ever experienced to charge you for leaving your bags. In addition to that, the owner is extremely rude. I had fallen ill with salmonellosis and my boyfriend asked for an upgrade to a private room since the bunk beds are quite dangerous here - there are no defined steps to go up and down and whenever you need to quickly get to a bathroom, it can be the worst experience ever. The owner not only had terrible customer service by being rude, but he also charged us for the bunk beds AND the private room for a night, saying that it was because he would not be able to get people into the bunk beds...HORRIBLE! Based on some of his responses to reviews, you can even tell how rude he is. But hey, he made sure to emphasize that the towels were now included, instead of costing extra for us... 🤨 The breakfast was also a huge let down and the worst I have had while in South America. The bread is similar to what you get in prison and the cooks can’t keep up with the demand of people eating, so you are having to wait long periods just to eat, and don’t bother trying to make your own breakfast because the rules, along with the “do not trespass” sign make it to where you can’t. The beds are not comfortable, but they are warm with all their blankets; the shared rooms have no ventilation, so it smells horrible; there is WiFi but it’s the worst and only works well in common areas; and the showers are hot, but the rules limit your shower time. This place is modern, but in no way is a modern place worth the treatment you get, the low quality breakfast (that cost 20 Bs), or the price - especially when every single thing cost a price (like holding your bags here for a night to go to the salt flats). We were planning to come back here after the Salt flats before we head off to Chile, but we have made a reservation somewhere else and will not be recommending this place...