Lima · Peru
1900 Backpackers Hostel
Free walking tours, a bar and central-Lima sights add easy outings; rooftop hangouts can be uneven, while current bedbug risk is a serious trade-off.
HostelPunk native reviews
First-party field notes
No first-party HostelPunk reviews yet. Be the first signal.
Vibe Analysis
1900 Backpackers Hostel is the old-mansion, central Lima option: big historic bones, vintage common spaces, a rooftop/terrace, breakfast, and easy access to the art museum, shopping mall, restaurants, grocery runs, and the historic center. The best version here is practical and slightly chaotic: cheap bed, friendly reception or cleaning staff when you catch the good shifts, free walking tours/activities, a rooftop that can work for a chill evening, and enough odd house energy from the cats, dog, and building itself to keep it from feeling generic. The fun/social read is uneven. There are activities, a bar/cafe, and rooftop moments, but it does not consistently land as a backpacker social machine; solo travelers may find the hangout momentum thin, and common areas can close earlier than expected. It works better for travelers who want a budget base near central Lima culture than for anyone needing a guaranteed scene. Treat the building as beautiful but worn. Rooms vary a lot: some are clean/comfy enough, others can be hot, cold, damp, dark, or loud, with thin windows or little soundproofing. Bathrooms, hot water, Wi-Fi, kitchen, and laundry are all in the lottery zone. Sleep-sensitive travelers should assume street horns and bar/rooftop music are part of the package, not an exception.
Signals to check
- Noise is a major tradeoff, especially street horns, thin windows, and bar or rooftop music at night.
- Rooms vary a lot and can be hot, stuffy, cold, damp, dark, or poorly ventilated.
- Bathrooms and showers are inconsistent, with hot-water, privacy, smell, flooding, and maintenance issues.
- Cleanliness and bedding are uneven; dirty sheets, odors, mold, and bedbug-bite risk are part of the downside profile.
- The surrounding area and on-site security can feel uncomfortable at night.
- The social scene is not automatic: rooftop/activity moments exist, but solo travelers may find thin hangout momentum and early common-area closures.
- Wi-Fi, kitchen, laundry, and other extras can be unreliable rather than polished hostel infrastructure.
- Staff/service is inconsistent; helpful moments sit next to hostile handling and weak problem resolution.