Valparaiso · Chile
Hostal Po
Bed bug reports
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Confirmed Hostelworld
Not a great experience... After the second night I found bed bugs in my bed and of course alerted the staff. Their solution was to spray antibacterial spray on my bed and then they proceeded to blame me for the situation even though I keep my things away from the bed. They did not give the option of a new bed (until two days later - the bunk over the infested bed) or a refund. Other than that some of the staff were nice, the kitcen utensils were not clean and the bathrooms extremely small.
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Confirmed Google Maps
I had a horrible experience at this hostel. I participated in an Asado Night the first day I arrived; I came down with Bacterial Tonsillitis (accompanied with a fever) 24 hours later. I was bedridden for three days. I noticed that I kept getting bites throughout my body. When I informed the hostel staff (who party just as much as the guests), they said they were mosquito bites. It wasn't until I was woken up around 3am (on a Sunday) because of the noise upstairs that I checked my sheets with a flashlight. Low and behold, BED BUGS. I had over 30 bites on my legs alone. I tried to sleep on the wooden bench in the living room until I could talk to the staff. The manager, Miguel, probably had the worst attitude of anyone I've encountered in the service industry. He claimed they were just a type of Chilean fly and asked me not to warn anyone else. He was utterly rude, unapologetic, and misogynisticic. What a nightmare...
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Confirmed Google Maps
One word: BEDBUGS. Stayed in the room one night and a lot of us were bitten. Thought they may have been mozzie bites but a guest in another room said that when they used the reception computer they saw an email complaining about bedbugs in the room we were allocated. This means the management knew the room was infested but still rented the room out. When we complained to the manager and said we were moving to another hostel he said we had to pay for the upcoming night because we hadn't let him know before 2pm. "If you told me before then I could have rented the room out to someone else".....! Awful. Much nicer hostels in town.
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Confirmed Google Maps
INFESTED WITH BEDBUGS!!! Terrible hostel and management. The room we were staying in was infested with bedbugs and we ended up covered in bites, upon telling the manager he told us we needed to pay for the night we stayed and the next one because we were booked in and apparently told him too late in the day for him to rent the room out again!
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Vibe Analysis
Hostal Po's top-floor common room is the main event: a big shared kitchen and lounge under huge skylights, with plants, games, books, TV, instruments, and enough room to cook, work, or drift into conversation. It has a cozy, artsy Valparaiso feel rather than polished hotel energy. The location is a major strength, close to Cerro Concepcion and Cerro Alegre, street art, viewpoints, cafes, bars, shops, a supermarket, the metro, buses, and Palacio Baburizza. The building leans into the city's color with murals and an old-house layout; private rooms can be spacious, and dorm beds may have large under-bed lockers, lights, and USB points. The social side can land beautifully when the place has the right mix: shared meals, drinks, music, board games, a homemade pizza night, and staff who help with city tips or invite travelers into local plans. It is not always a full-throttle party hostel, though. At quieter times it feels more like a chill base with a strong kitchen than a built-in scene.
Signals to check
- Bathrooms can be very small, and cleanliness around bathrooms and showers has been uneven, including mold in some cases.
- Some rooms are noisy because of street traffic, thin walls, wooden floors, or late-night activity.
- The social scene varies a lot; it may be quiet, and organized events are not reliable.
- Staff availability and professionalism can be inconsistent, and hot water has not always been reliable.
- No breakfast and no outdoor terrace should be expected.