Hostel La Ballena backpacker — Hotel in Samana

It's not the worst we've stayed in. Pretty clean upon entry to the room, bed comfy, pillows OK. Strong fan, but can't really change direction on it. No ac. Water cooler in the lobby, kitchen has all amenities needed (albeit with a very full fridge). Weak wifi but such is the case all over the Dominican Republic so no biggie.

No coffee provided, but there is a machinetta and a filter coffee machine.

Now to the negatives..

Host was kind of curt upon check in, not very helpful overall, and seemingly had an attitude towards us. Not sure why. This attitude carries over with countless passive aggressive signs throughout the complex - take showers less than 5 minutes, turn off electricity when you leave, don't flush toilet paper. I guess these signs are necessary for some people, so it's not the end of the world to see them all over, but I have a hard time believing that the hotel is so environmentally friendly and such when they're leaving a tiny ac on in the lobby all day long that barely regulates the air.

The room isn't very private. There are slats in the door which is directly next to the common area. Other guests were mostly self aware but noise travels easily and you may be woken up by people preparing breakfast. And same goes for night time.

There's a smoking area next to the rooms. Insideish. It's fine but occasionally some smells will waft into your room.

The windows were partially netted to protect from bugs. The front door is not, and one of the nets was mostly ripped off in the bathroom and not replaced or fixed. So it may be a bit buggy at night.

The shower curtain was too short for the shower. So water will get everywhere in the bathroom.

The ceiling isn't quite finished - above the private rooms are the bathrooms for the dorms. There are cracks in the wood between the planks and a lot of dust and general debris to fall onto the bed and the room in general when people are walking around upstairs.

And as other reviews indicate, there is no door on the bathroom. So, awkward morning poos unless your partner vacates to the common area, or you're a solo traveler.

Host was very adamant on quiet time at 1030pm. No problem here, I'm old and I like quiet time, and honestly most of the guests adhered to this policy quite well... But the hotel is next door to an open air night club. They don't listen to that policy and it may be quite loud if they're open. I like music and I can sleep through most noises, but if you're a light sleeper this might not be a good place for you.

Overall the stay wasn't horrible. It is very rustic, but it's comfortable enough and it's not too rustic. We've stayed in much worse. But I do think the price point is off. We paid $27/night for two nights and this is more of a $20 a night place. Maybe 25 given that this town is slightly more expensive than more local places, and remote, but the asking price of 30 through most bookings online is too high. I would rate this 4 stars if the price was lower. For what it's worth, we moved after two nights and are spending $40/ night but with personal cabins, air conditioning, and a fridge, with breakfast included, in a private garden, closer to...

I've been at the Hostel La Ballena Backpackers two times this year, in February (with a friend) and June (alone). Both times I stayed in a private room (around $20 per night). I travelled a lot throughout the whole country (Santo Domingo, El Limon, Jarabacoa, Barahona, Puerto Plata etc.) and that was the best hostel I stayed in because of the cleanliness, the location and the nice décor.||||The hostel is very new (around 1 year old) and furnished with love in a caribbean colourful bambus style. There are six private rooms with hot water and mosquito net and two open dorm rooms (men and women separate) upstairs with cold water and mosquito net to rent. The private rooms are clean and the shower is very nicely decorated with mosaic. There is a small kitchen with a fridge for self service and a spacy common area where I could work for my PhD. The owner, Franco, was very helpful and I could call him every time I needed something (he has a small tourist shop down the street). ||||In response to the first commentary I need to say: Please note that this is a BACKPACKER HOSTEL and not a hotel and that it's located in the Dominican Republic. Shortage of electricity, wifi and water happen throughout the whole country. Furthermore the hostel is located at the main road and so very close to the beaches, shops, the bank, bars and buses. If anyone wants a quiet room he should rent one of the private rooms located away from the street (no.1-3) or the female dorm. Furthermore the hostel is not suitable for small children because...

We stayed at the hostel three nights. This is a very good price for the value.

The room was nice and clean. The bed had a mosquito net which was very helpful as many mosquitoes sneaked into the room through the cracks above the door and windows. The private bathroom was also very clean but is not completely a separate room (there is no door at the entrance).

The hostel also offers laundry service for a 300 DR pesos fee. We took this opportunity to get our clothes washed and were very happy with the service.

There is a small but clean common kitchen wirh a fridge where you can prepare some simple meals. There is also a nice common room next to it.

The location of the hostel is great (walking distance to Playa Playita, Playa Las Galeras, Boca Chica). The guagua from Las Terrenas can drop you directly next to the hostel, you just need to ask the driver in time to stop the van. One minute walk away is also where the 5.30am direct bus to Santo Domingo stops. Below the hostel is a small (but quite expensive) shop, a lady selling local produce and a very nice and affordable restaurant (see

During our stay the hostel was very quiet and everyone respected the rule of no kitchen usage after 11pm. There was some bachata music coming from the restaurants/bars nearby, however, the hostel has nothing to do with it. If you need a very quiet accomodation you should look more on the outskirts of...