La Casa Piola — Hotel in Valparaíso

This is a beautiful and very clean hostel with comfortable beds.

The rooms are a bit odd, however - mine had a double bed with a couple sleeping in it and me and another guest in bunk beds in the corner. It felt like we were intruding on someone else's private room. I'd recommend maybe one room with double beds for couples and another room with bunk beds like a proper dorm. Nico was friendly and gave good advice. There is a WhatsApp number to message with questions (as reception rarely has someone on it) but it never got answered when I used it which was frustrating. There is a small kitchen to cook in and this is also where breakfast is served, Unfortunately it often gets overcrowded, especially at breakfast time which is unusually late at 9.30am. I would recommend broadening this time so guests come over more time to avoid the aforementioned overcrowding. The breakfast itself is disappointing - bread with jam and some cereal. There was fruit (cherries and peaches) but most of it had gone off at had mould on it, and this was not replaced in the three days I was there. This is usually a budget hostel but as I paid around £70 for three nights over NY Eve (triple the usual price) I expected more. On N Y Day whoever was working forgot to get up and prepare a breakfast - I understand it is new year's day and staff might be hungover but it could have been prepared the night before. There is a small oven to toast the bed but it does not work properly (I would recommend buying a toaster!). Bathrooms were beautiful - some of the nicest I have seen in a hostel, and clean. However they often lacked toilet paper and/or were being cleaned at the same time so it was not always possible to use one when needed. The hostel is a short walk from many bars.

On a side-note, be warned - Valpo is unfortunately a very dirty city full of dog poop, broken glass and graffiti and it also smells really bad. It seems to have gone downhill and been neglected since the 2019 riots etc. There is some amazing street art amongst the filth however. This is the pickpocketing capital of Chile so be careful with your...

Great location up on Calle Ecuador, close to bars, restaurants and fruit/veggie markets. You can reach everything on foot and discover the bohemian beauty of Valpo while doing so. Great breakfast with homemade bread and jam, fruit and cereal. Just find breakfast time a tad late (9-11am). I usually went to explore and see the sunrise before breakfast already. Beds are really cozy and warm (June 23). Haven't slept better in all Chile. Finally one proper comforter instead of 5 blankets stacked onto each other and still not cutting it. Laundry service fast and cheap. Wifi was a tad unstable, usually during hours when most people were in the hostel. Great terrace. Just know that most people smoke and the terrace is the only place it's allowed. So I, who really can't stand cigarette smoke, had to flee a couple of times. Still, all in all,...

Very greedy owner who overcharges at public holidays.

In reply to the owner: thanks for replying. It’s not my responsibility if my comments impact your staff, it’s yours. I requested to change my booking from two nights to one, which you accepted but barely reduced the overall price. The fact is the rate you charged for one night, even accounting for the public holidays, was inflated. $160 USD and the curtains reach the floor to cover the window? Yes, you may be able to charge that much when it’s popular in the city, but it is also greedy to do so, and obviously I’m going to rate the property according to how much I...