Teresa — Hotel in Oaxaca

I found Hostal Teresa to be a wonderful place to stay. The owners live on-site and are attentive to guests' needs but not intrusive. The rooms are cleaned daily, as are the common areas. Small but private and comfortable rooms with their own baths - it's obvious that this place is a labor of love. ||||There is a central area with couches where guests actually sit and talk, and the feeling is like being in a family atmosphere. Very friendly and amenable. Omar, a somewhat grandfatherly figure, would offer a free cafe, beer, or water, and would sit and chat while you relaxed, always asked if you needed anything, how you were, etc.||||Zipolite has a lot of impersonal, loud, and dirty hostels with lots of drinking, seemingly run by teenagers in many cases. It also has many high end, fancy places that charge a lot of money and are impersonal. Hostel Teresa is on the contrary located in a quiet part of the town, and the atmosphere is serene and modest.||||I often stay at budget hostels in Mexico, and this was one of the most pleasant of my experiences. Highly...

I arrived late afternoon after a stomach-churning bus ride from Oaxaca City. I just wanted to collapse onto my bed. The owner greeted me with polite, apologetic reserve. There was a mix up with the booking and the room was not available. As it was New Year's Eve it would be hard to find alternative accommodation. The owner offered me his room. It was only for one night (as I had pre-booked the rest of my lodging in Zipolite at another establishment). I took it. How kind was that? We chatted and I found him to be a wealth of information. His English is good and he is a fellow fan of the Beatles. My stay was certainly enhanced by the friendliness and consideration of my hosts. The price is decent too. Not luxurious by any means, but perfectly fine for a few days. This place is well located, close to the beach, but tucked back and away from the hustle of the main street. If you don't require a sea view yet want a bargain, this hostel could be the place for you. They have a small restaurant on the beach, but breakfasts are...

First of all, I want to say that the couple who run Hostal Teresa, who live on-site, are delightful. They were warm, welcoming and even switched me to a better room at the same price as the one I booked and was not satisfied with.||||Overall, however, I am surprised by the positive reviews of this hostel. I found it to be run-down and grimy. Built out of concrete blocks, the tiny rooms lack natural light and sort of feel like jail cells. There is a small seating area in the "lobby" to hang out in, but since there aren't any mosquito nets or screens it's not a tempting proposition to sit there and get bit by mosquitos. Even after being moved to a better room because the one I had booked (based on these reviews) was so depressing, I cut my visit short from two planned nights to one and left a day early.||||Again, the owners could not be nicer but I think this place could benefit from a deep cleaning and some updated touches such as mosquito netting and a more comfortable...