Santiago · Chile
Hostal Forestal
Bed bug reports
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Possible Booking.com
Creo que andan chinches en las camas estoy todo picado y con ronchas la picazón te salen granos. No me gustó que me pasara eso...
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Confirmed Google Maps
Hostal Forestal has a great location and the hostel seemed very nice at first. It took me 2-3 nights into my stay to realize that I wasn’t covered in mosquito bites, but had been sleeping in a bed with bedbugs. I’m attaching a picture of just my hands which both have trails of small red bug bites. I also have bug bites on my face and ankles, which are common places where bedbugs bite. I understand this isn’t necessarily the fault of the hostel, but it’s one of the worst case scenarios while traveling. I was given a new bed in a different room after I reported this to them. No refund was given. I had no problems with bedbugs in my previous hostel so I can only assume it came from Hostal Forestal. The bathrooms were also not very clean, in particular the floors were pretty dirty. Unfortunately I would recommend staying with a different hostel in Santiago.
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Confirmed Hostelworld
Hostal Forestal has a great location and the hostel seemed very nice at first. It took me 2-3 nights into my stay to realize that I wasn’t covered in mosquito bites, but had been sleeping in a bed with bedbugs. I have small, red, itchy bites all over my hands, feet, legs and face. I understand this isn’t necessarily the fault of the hostel, but it’s one of the worst case scenarios while traveling. I was given a new bed in a different room after I reported this to them. No refund was given.
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Confirmed Booking.com
Bed BUGS !!!
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Confirmed Google Maps
Was staying during the protests, staff were supportive in ensuring everyone was safe. Some members of staff were more knowledgeable about the local area than others. Beds were comfortable. Each room had a set of lockers and electric points (though some in awkward locations). There is a social area and free breakfast. I'm pretty sure there were bedbugs though. First hostel I went to on my trip, and the only night during the holiday I've woken up with bites.
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Vibe Analysis
Guitar and singing around reception can be part of the Hostal Forestal experience. It can give the place a social-house feel, but it also means noise can leak into nearby rooms late at night or early in the morning, especially around the entrance, reception, stairs, and common areas. The location is the cleanest win: central Santiago, close to Lastarria, Bellavista, parks, restaurants, bars, and metro stops like Baquedano or Bellas Artes. Staff can be warm and helpful, with luggage help, local tips, and practical fixes as real strengths. There is a shared kitchen, and breakfast ranges from decent and filling to basic, with eggs, bread, fruit, cereal, coffee, tea, or simple spreads depending on the day. The tradeoff is the building. Rooms can be small, old, cold, humid, stuffy, or badly ventilated, and soundproofing is weak. Beds, pillows, towels, floors, bathrooms, drains, hot water, fans, and Wi-Fi are inconsistent, so this works better as a cheap central stopover than a restorative base.
Signals to check
- Light sleepers should avoid rooms near reception, the entrance, stairways, or common areas.
- Hot water can be unreliable, and bathroom drainage or sewage smells may be an issue.
- Cleanliness and bedding quality are inconsistent; bedbug or insect risk is worth taking seriously.
- Payment, overbooking, room swaps, luggage storage, and refunds may require extra caution.