Makako Chill Out Hostel — Hotel in Cartagena

We (3 people) arrived at night at the hostel and we're welcomed by a woman who was genuinely nice (she even brought us a glass of cocktail for their weekly happy hour). The 10 beds dorm is not very practical to navigate in (because too small) but we slept very well.

The next day, we asked to stay an extra night - because it was nice. As the internet was off since we had arrived, no one could tell us if beds were available (nor could we check by ourselves)... We then decided to leave our stuff at the hostel and walk in the area.

When we got back (just before checkout), the speakers were spitting music so loud that we could barely hear each other. I politely asked the man behind the desk if we could put the music down. It was done with a underhand comment that this is inherent to the Caribbean culture and that I shouldn't complain - but since we are in a hostel I do have my rights. We then realized, that the woman being gone, we now had to deal with him.

He had been drinking a couple of Coronas when I first saw him and his friend at 7AM, and when we got back (around 11:30AM) they had a 6-pack of Águilas and a small bottle of Rhum positioned right on the front guest. It could have been a fun way to welcome guests... if they didn't asked four times from where we were.

When we asked for an umpteenth time about availability, he walked to a free PC that had internet (only the WiFi was down) and finally told us they had only two beds left. The last one of us could sleep on a couch in the lounge or in a hamac for 10'000 COP... Another couple arrived and he then insisted for us to take our decision otherwise the new guests would take them. We prefered to nicely decline this (un)tempting offer, pay our unfinished laundry, and pack our bags searching for a new hostel. The couple ended up turning back after witnessing the ambiance.

I had no clue who this guy was (staff? owner?) but I feel angry and embarrassed for the rest of the people working and staying there. Outside of the pros/cons of the hostel, this is not worthy of any kind of services and generates a terrible user experience.

We are really easy going and hard to disappoint (you can find my 70+ - mostly positive - reviews on Google or TripAdvisor), but this hostel was in our worst experience in our 10 months travelling. Go there at...

I arrived in the middle of the day with no reservation. Entering the hostel, you will find a humble place with a helpful, authentic and warm staff. If the house is full, you might get the chance to sleep in a hamac or on the couch. They’ll find a way to help you. I stayed there nine nights. If you need anything: directions, city tips, advices, good conversations, a card game... ANYTHING. They’ll do their best to help you. Laundry is always well done and smells nice. A very proper and cozy place. The only thing that might get lost is a sock blowed away by the wind on the neighbour’s roof... This place is like a casino: you’ll never want to go away. If they cook, they’ll probably ask you to join them. To watch a football game. To go dance with them or to go to the beach. To even give you some salsa classes. They are very well aware of the city’s activities and will ask and update you on them. A lot of travellers stay there for a night or two and having seen more than 30-40 persons go, there never was a situation of robbery. They keep very well tracks of towel and bed rentals, so you shouldn’t have any problem... If you pay, it is underlined in yellow. No mistakes. I wanted to book a tour 30 minutes before it began and they made everything they could to have me picked up by a tour friend. Hospitality 101. ||The only thing that might get on your nerves: you’ll love the staff so much that you’ll get their Argentine accent too. It’s inevitable. That place is unique for how they take care of you as a friend that is living with them. They’ll never pass the chance to grab you and have a talk about how you are doing. Good sense of humour. Good vibes. Humble and relaxed place. ¿Qué...

We received a nice welcome from one of the owners, there were other people helping out, but it was difficult to figure out who is running the place, and who is a friend. Friendly people, BUT|the mattresses and pillows are from last century. Beds were very mobile and squeaky, Mattresses all Had a ditch in them, pillows (of artificial cotton) were held together only by the fabric holding them. The sheets and covers were white in the previous century, now stained with skin oil.|Three of us staid in a 6 bed dorm. There were bottles, make up items from previous travellers lying around in corners, bags and other things under the bed.|The kitchen had ants running around eating leftover food on kitchen surfaces.|Bathrooms were outdated.|Yes, the floors were regularly mopped across the space, but the whole hostel needs renovating.|We should have paid more attention to the comments on Hostelworld of other travellers who said that they left after 1 night due to the state of the place, and reading the defensive comments of the owners that dismissed the cleanliness of the place. |Last night we stayed there a girlfriend of one of the owners slept in our room, talking all|Night and then kept snoozing her alarm at 6-7am|And then around 9 am one of the owners themselves came to sleep in the room. ||Again, people were nice, but this was beyond basic. I guess if you don’t care about sleep, what you sleep in and in what type of bed, or about hygiene and cleanliness then it is a...