The Hostel Santiago — Hotel in Recoleta

Where do I start?! Pariwana Santiago is THE spot to be. I've been traveling around South America for months, and this has to be one of the most accommodating, friendly, beautiful hostels so far.

THE STAFF: They had just re-opened a few weeks ago and were already nearly full, (for a good reason) and made way to find us a great room. All of the staff would check in on you whether you were in the kitchen, in the common areas, etc. to make sure everything was okay which was incredibly sweet. They have a tea station that's always well kept and they keep the rooms well cleaned. I have no notes- this team is awesome.

THE BUILDING: It's a remodeled school! Super unique vibe to it with a very modern face lift. Tons of cool murals on the walls, they really know what they're doing when it came to the remodel. The wifi fit our needs as travelers who work online. It never crapped out on us once, not to mention there's a super cool co-working space. There's a kitchen with a water filter so you don't need to buy water throughout your stay. All of the guests are friendly with each other which creates a great atmosphere. In the court yard there's some fun games and people were always outside basking in the sun and hanging out. The dorm room we stayed in was great. Very cozy beds with enough blankets, a reading light, charger next to bed and very spacious lockers big enough for a backpacking backpack+ a day bag AND it has a charging port. Double brownie points.

THE LOCATION: It's in a cool spot in Santiago, lots of art around. There's a lot of clubs nearby and they can have loud music, but the hostel itself didn't have a crazy party vibe (yet- it's just re-opening). Don't walk alone at night. Though the area is cute and it's fine during the day, the staff warned us of danger. Don't let this stop you though- it's a gated community and this staff puts your safety as their no. 1 priority. Otherwise, Bella Vista is close and has a collective of cool modern restaurants, if you cross the bridge there's a great park that's super hoppin on the weekend and the hill near the hostel has a ton to do as well. If you're a coffee lover make sure you go to Cafe Merak. An absolute gem, that's all I can say.

This is my first review ever so idk if that tells you anything about this place. Come if you want to be well...

I arrived at this hostel after a 30 hour jorney so you can imagine how tired and dirty I was. First thing I mentioned to the lady at the desk during check in, Vallery, was how happy I was to have a shower after 2 days travelling. I pay for the room, unpack my bags and go take a shower. I wait 5 minutes and the water wasn't heating. I go outside and ask a random person and they say: "We've been without hot water this whole morning!". It was 7 degrees and 80% humidity, Water temperature at probably 10 degrees. I go to the same lady, Vallery, understandably upset as she knew all along about this problem and didn't mention it to me (I wouldn't have checked in if i knew about it). She comes with a range of excuses and tries to shift the blame (She said I arrived too early, that I didn't pay early check in fee, that she was doing a big favor for letting me stay at the hostel like I didn't pay lol, that she was having a lot of issues that morning, accused me of being rude to her even though I wasn't, infinite gaslighting tactics basically). She never apologizes and kept playing the victim until her boss, Lucia, the manager arrives. She was excellent, she promised to get the heating back in up to 3 hours, she tried every room for a working shower with hot water and she even offered me an instant full refund. She was very nice and genuinely put some effort in trying to help me. That's why I decided to stay. After one hour she knocks on my door and tells me the heater is back to work. I hop on the shower and put foam and shampoo all over but before I got the chance to rinse it the hot water is gone and I'm left to freeze just like Jack in Titanic. Without a choice, I run naked in my room with foam all over just to get my body temperature up and put my head in the freezing water just to rinse the foam and later my body parts. I Leave the bathroom with my veins popping out in strong blue color and with hypothermia and spend 2 hours warming up in the blanket.I recuperate and go have a walk outside and later that night I leave the hostel, with no refund. By the way I paid almost 5 dollars to the towel I used. 1 star is for Lucia who did her best, she is a...

One of the best hostels I’ve stayed at – especially for remote workers!

I originally planned to stay for one week… and ended up staying an entire month – that’s how good the coworking setup is!

Pariwana has an excellent structure with all the facilities you could need. Everything is super clean, well-organized, and functional. As someone who works online while traveling, the coworking space was a huge plus – reliable Wi-Fi, comfortable desks, and even a private meeting room you can book at the reception for calls.

The location is fantastic – right in the heart of Santiago, surrounded by bars and clubs. If you’re into nightlife, it’s ideal. Just keep in mind: it does get noisy at night (the hostel is upfront about it and even provides free earplugs – which is a thoughtful touch).

One important thing to be aware of is safety outside. Unfortunately, the area around the hostel has a high rate of petty theft. During my stay, I met at least six people who were robbed right in front of the hostel. This isn’t the hostel’s fault, but it’s definitely something to stay alert about.

The kitchen is small but efficient. Since most guests stay just a couple of days, and volunteers are provided with meals, it flows well. It’s super clean and well-managed, with labeled shelves and check-in/check-out tags for all food items.

Socially, the hostel is amazing – there are daily activities and it’s easy to connect with other travelers. The staff is outstanding. Manager Lucia deserves praise for keeping everything running smoothly, and I’d like to give special shout-outs to Khristie from the activities team and Dennis at the night reception – both incredibly dedicated and welcoming.

One downside: the price of bottled water at the hostel is extremely high – up to 5x more than in a regular store. I saw several guests frustrated by this, and I think it’s worth mentioning. Charging so much for such a basic necessity doesn’t match the otherwise great guest experience.

Overall, if you’re looking for a vibrant, social hostel with a great coworking setup, Pariwana Santiago is a...