Purple Monkey Hostel

I spent a few years backpacking Europe, staying in many seedy hostels - this one is amongst the worst. -Bed bugs / chinches! Guy at reception got super aggressive upon informing him. While I had a duty to inform him & stayed calm, he raised his voice & told me he was going to report me to the Tourism Police for suggesting the custom is to issue a refund & wash the customer's clothes. -Poor Hospitality. Reception hardly gave me the time of day. No tour, no info, no smile. -What looked like a homeless person was sleeping on the couch in reception. When I jovially asked about it reception gave a grunt & looked back at his computer. -There's a mild smell of moisture & mold everywhere. -Roaches in the lockers & bathrooms. -Poor ventilation in the room. No air conditioning, just fans. -Ladder & bunk bed screws are loose making it super wobbly & dangerous. -Bed outlet had a broken off metal plug protruding from it. -Door to the terrace (near rooms) shrieks so loud when opening I'm shocked it doesn't wake the hostel. People were in and out until late. -Years of deferred maintenance & super rundown. Receptions leather furniture was worn until the inside showed. -Bedding was dirty. -Bad Wifi. Fluctuated between 0-3mbps. My phone was stalling on 240p. -Room filled with cigarette smoke from the terrace upon opening the room door. -No lock on room door. -I saw no signed of evening activities, & the TV looked like it had been covered up & unplugged for years. 3-4 dead flies on the communal room beanbags. I have pretty low standards for hostels - I absolutely do not recommend staying here.

This place has bedbugs. I have multiple bed bug bites on my arms and legs.

Found BEDBUGS in my bed after waking up itchy. Had to tell the staff member working nightshift multiple times that I clearly wanted to change bed. The next morning they washed the clothes I had sitting on the bed but when I asked them to refund the price of the night he told me that it wasn't their fault because they change the sheets and clean the hostel so they couldn't have bedbugs. When I pointed out the fault in his logic that they obviously did have them because I found them, I was told it was better that I check out because he didn't like "guests like me" in his hostel. I was appalled that they tried to deny the problem existed when the evidence was there. It was a shame because the hostel was otherwise ok, although lacking atmosphere. Encontré CHINCHES en la cama cuando me desperté porque me picaron. Tuve que decirle al muchacho trabajando el turno de noche que quería cambiar camas varias veces. La mañana siguiente lavaron la ropa que tenía puesta en la cama, pero cuando les pedí que reembolsara el precio de la noche me dijo que no era la culpa suya porque cambian las sábanas y limpian el hostal si que no podían tener chinches.. Cuando le dije que obviamente los tienen porque los encontré, me dijo que sería mejor que hiciera el check-out porque no le caía bien "huéspedes como yo" en su hostal.

--------BED BUGS -------- After finding bed bugs in my bed I asked for a fresh bed. As the hostel was full they offered to change my sheets. I accepted and showed the first staff member the bugs. A second staff member came to see the bugs, I showed her. Our conversation was calm and polite. Then a third older woman came, upon entering she called me a liar and said it was my fault for being a dirty person. I did not appreciate this accusation and denied it. In the process I raised my voice. The woman yelled that I had to leave immediately. I attempted to explain the situation to the owner. He responded by saying the older cleaning woman had worked 7 days a week without a day off in 3 months. Our conversation was calm and polite. He stated that he had to side with his staff. I was then kicked out of the hostel at 10:30pm at night. While I can understand his position I did not appreciate this treatment. I went to a hostel across the street. There I met three other tourists who had left the purple Monkey due to bed bugs that day.

The hostel itself is quietly located and close to El Poblado metro. As far as cleanliness, it could have been better. I was satisfied and happy until I went to sleep and got attacked by bedbugs. I had to show the owner, he switched my bed immediately and apologized, offered to allow me to treat my clothes with the drier before leaving. However, on the second bed, I got bit again. I am checking out tomorrow but will not be coming back. I hope that I don't have any contamination in my clothes and luggage and that's not something you want to worry about on vacation.

This hostel is awful. I got bed bugs at this hostel, which is unfortunate but it happens and it's not the hostel's fault or mine. However, they did not deal with the issue appropriately at all. They were so horrible it was unbelievable. I slept in the bed for two nights. After the first night I thought they were mosquitos bites, but after the second night with 50+ bites, I realized they were bed bugs. I asked to switch beds but they said the hostel was full. I asked to sleep on the roof or the couch and they said no. They were completely disinterested in dealing with the problem. I had to ask them a few times to find me another hostel for the night but everything was full because it was Friday night in Medellin. They kept telling me to just sleep in the same bed bug bed again. The next day, the owner refused to give me a refund for any of the last 3 nights, citing that I'd used their electricity and free breakfast (all of 2 eggs and some fruit). Most pathetic excuse ever. And he tried to blame the bed bugs on me which is just rude and impossible because I had just arrived in the country only days ago from home. All he offered was to do my laundry. Terrible human being with zero hospitality or social skills. Aside from that, the rest of his staff are useless, the dorm rooms are insanely stuffy and hot, and there is little info from the staff.