Hostal Rural — Hotel in San Pedro de Atacama

This was my first time traveling out of the country and I was very happy with this hostel. My friend and I got a private room, the bed was large and comfortable with towels provided. Showers were hot and the breakfast provided at their cafe down the street was modest, but got the job done. The private room was within the reception area so I can see how some found it noisy but I sleep with ear plugs so I didn’t hear a thing. I will say it was very cold in the room but as long as you have some thick socks and warm clothes you’ll be fine. Jose, one of the guys who works there, went above and beyond and helped us change a flat tire on our rental car which was incredible. The location of the hostel was great, tucked away down the street with the center of the town right around the corner. Wifi was fast and worked well for me, especially considering the lack of cell service around the town. The security there was pretty minimal- hypothetically anyone could come in by pulling the string on the door, but I never felt unsafe, and there are a lot of cameras around the common areas with staff there 24/7. I would definitely recommend this hostel to anyone traveling to Atacama and if I ever find myself there again I will definitely...

I was sent here to this hostel because their sister hostel Florida didn't have rooms. The receptionist (working today, October 14, at 1:30pm) gave us such an attitude after making us wait for over half an hour and not answering any questions, we walked out! I have never been treated so rudely at a hostal before it was shocking!! We are both female POC, and the receptionist kept ignoring us the whole time, saying "diez minutos (10 minutes)" and whenever I asked a question he refused to answer with "un segundo (just a minute).' Finally when there were no more white people to help, I asked him if we could see the rooms. He clicked his tongue and looked extremely bothered and answered, "Why? You've never seen a room with six beds before?" and then angrily opened a crappy dark room with old looking bunkbeds. We were appalled by his attitude and walked out right after. I can't even describe how horrible he was in words. As you can see from my other reviews, I never write negative reviews. It takes a lot for me to write one. But I just want to warn others because I do not want any other women of color abused here like this. Skip this trendy overrated place and find...

Pros: Good location in the centre of town so easily accessibility to bars and restaurants. The beds were comfy and the rooms had lockers to store belongings. The space itself is nice with good areas to chill out and relax during the day. Showers were hot and had good water pressure. The free breakfast was generally fine with fresh juice, tea/coffee, roll, and yoghurt. Staff were generally very friendly and helpful.

Cons: While it does have a kitchen the oven wasn't working during our stay, we spoke to the receptionist who also spoke with another person who worked there and neither of them could get it working either. The 6 bed dorm was very cramped and the beds were incredibly rickety and juttered at the slightest of movements. The plug sockets were placed in inaccessible places and generally obscured by the beds themselves so we had to move them to access them. No outside alcohol is permitted which wouldn't be an issue necessarily with a well stocked bar however the selection was abject and the pricing on par with bars in town. This is a shame as the space could be really social given...