Hostal Jofré — Hotel in La Serena

Antonio is a great host!!! This hostal is fantastic. The rooms are |super clean. When you enter, an immaculate tile floor extends through |the entire area which makes walking around a pleasure. We had a |"dormitorio" style room which was right next to the shared bath, but you can |have a room with private bath. Since it was winter (end of June), we had |the place almost to ourselves except for several other people who |pleasantly chatted in the dining area some nights. Breakfast was ready for |us when we awoke even without asking. Antonio, the owner, always is |scurrying about and offering help whenever you need it. I am leaving |late tonight, but he is letting me leave my bags here until 9:00 p.m. so |that I can catch the late bus in the nearby terminal. If you want to |know anything else, please write me.||Internet is free for 20 minutes per day on their computer. La Serena, incidentally, |is a very nice, safe town also with an active plaza and nightlife. I can not say enough about how excellent...

The owner of the property is lovely and very obliging. You need google Translate if you speak no Spanish as he speaks no English. |There is lovely outside space with tables and chairs. |However the rooms, in particular the bathroom, are filthy. There was a problem with the hot water - none to the sink at all and it was sporadic to the shower - sometimes hot, sometimes cold. |It is a shame because with a good clean and some minor repairs (our bathroom had no handle on the inside of the door, paint flaking in places etc) it would be adequate. Compared to other similar properties we have stayed in this was not good...

Got a Lonely Planet recommendation. The current price for a double room is 14000 Pesos (in Sept 2005, maybe more in the summer). He rented the room to me for 8000 Pesos because I travelled alone. The hostel is located between the City Center (Plaza de Armas) and the bus terminal, so you can walk both ways and don't need a taxi. Mr. Jofre was a very nice person who showed a lot of hospitality. The rooms are clean and have a bath of their own, although they are a little chilly. Breakfast is included, although hungry people might ask for more.||Definitely worth the LP recommendation. Excellent relation between price...