Hostal Croata — Hotel in La Serena

Though Hostal Croata is quite unattractive and not well maintained, we don't demand luxurious accommodations, as long as it's inexpensive and we can use the kitchen. Also being mentioned in Lonely Planet made us feel more confident. ||||The first woman who checked us in assured us that we could use the kitchen. However when we tried to boil water for tea, another older woman working there started yelling at us for using the kitchen without asking. Everything we should as for. Plus, we couldn't actually use anything besides the microwave, so the reason we were staying there (for use of the kitchen to cook our own food) was entirely not the case anymore. ||||We also got locked out of the room because the lock somehow broke and the key didn't work (everything must be decades old). The same woman who yelled at us was very reluctant to help us. She gave us a screwdriver and half-heartedly called a locksmith. Said he didn't answer and we could just sleep in another room and get our stuff in the morning. ||||Right now I just wish I could brush my teeth! I wouldn't normally mind such mediocre conditions if it weren't for the...

This is exactly what it was. We spent our first night in South America here: drove up from Santiago with the intention of visiting observatories up the road in the Andes. We checked in and walked out for a simple meal which was obtained near a functioning ATM. The parking was arranged with a known private concern which we had to pay for - and had secure overnight parking. We (3) shared a single room and each had a hot shower etc. Though we did not speak Spanish, we were well treated and were able to change our room to a ground floor one hear the reception desk. It was otherwise quiet and peaceful. Clearly from other reviews: there are different staff at...

We had a nice time in this hostel. Nothing special, but the people were friendly and the rooms were comfortable. Only annoyance was that the only power outlet in the room was located above the bed. Also, some people in the comment section are complaining about the use of the kitchen, however, we had no...