San Pedro La Laguna · Guatemala
Mr. Mullet's
Suspicious-review evidence
≈527 possibly bought · 2050 top-rated reviews scanned
Explain how it works
We compare every 5★ review's word count against the global distribution. Hostels where unusually many top-rated reviews are suspiciously short — way under the typical length — start to look like the staff (or a boost-my-listing service) is padding the score with throwaway praise.
The detector flags reviews that are both top-rated and below a length threshold, then estimates how many of them statistically shouldn't exist. For this hostel we scanned 2050 top-rated reviews and 1% were suspiciously short.
Length z-score: 24.44. A z-score measures how far this hostel's distribution of 5★ review lengths sits from the global average, in standard deviations. 0 = perfectly typical. 1–2 = slightly unusual but within normal noise. 3–5 = strongly anomalous. Anything 10+ means the pattern is so far from the global norm that it's effectively impossible to get there organically.
This is a heuristic, not a verdict — it surfaces hostels worth a second look, not proof of fraud. Read the actual reviews below and judge for yourself.
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free shots for good review
Amazing hostel, they give out free shots for good reviews. I love Violet
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review you get a free shot
Muy bien, BTW if you write a review you get a free shot(:
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Free shot for a review
Good place to meet people. Free shot for a review. Spin that wheel baby
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Free shot if you leave a google review
Ruben a legend behind the bar, fun hostel. Free shot if you leave a google review
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reviews for free shot
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Fake reviews
Fake reviews for free shots. Disgusting hostal without any privacy. Private room are not worth anything, don’t waste your money there
Canada MIXEDGROUP 25-30 -
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review and u get a free drink
Blaine and tommaso are the most handsome bartenders ever. We had the best time at mr mullets. We had a great time on the pub crawl and we want to return as soon as possible. Leave a review and u get a free drink
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refund our deposit, there was no one. See other review
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Review-authenticity complaint
reviews here may be fake
5 REASONS NOT TO BOOK. 1. We had an early checkout time and despite staff assuring us the day before someone would be around to refund our deposit, there was no one. See other reviews - this seems to be a common scam. 2. Positive reviews here may be fake. 3. You can still do the bar crawl they host without staying there. 4. The main staff are miserable and unwelcoming. 5. Tours/shuttles/laundry are all at inflated prices. Avoid
England MIXEDGROUP 25-30 -
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reviews for free shot
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Fake good reviews
Don’t make the colossal mistake of booking a private room in this party hostel. Imagine incredibly loud music until 11PM, people throwing up all night, sharing a gross bathroom with dorms, waking up to a toilet clogged with throw up, waking up to a toilet that is all pissed over, and the hardest bed you’ve ever slept on. Fake good reviews for free shots. Do NOT book anything through this hostel, they charge 30-70% more than agencies on the street
Netherlands MALE 25-30 -
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free shots for good rating
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Pressure to leave a review
asked a question). Also FYI they give 3 free shots for good rating
Found it hard to socialise here as a solo traveller. Especially because the room they put me in was literally the size of a hallway closet with 6 beds stuffed inside, even though I booked an 8 bed. Only a couple of bathrooms and showers for such a huge place surprised me. Free water & pancakes was good & the staff at reception were generally helpful (apart from one guy who looked confused everytime I asked a question). Also FYI they give 3 free shots for good ratings on HostelWorld
Australia FEMALE 18-24 -
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reviews is because they bribe the guests with three free shot
DUSTY MUSTY AND CRUSTY. The only reason they have such high reviews is because they bribe the guests with three free shots if they write a review. This place is not clean at all. The sheets are crusty and the rooms smell like mold. There are little bugs crawling all over. The internet is also horrible. The hostel is run mostly by volunteers who just want to party. Which to be honest the party is more like a high school baseball teams overnight retreat wanna be frat party. I would rather sleep outside than spend another night here.
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Free shot on review
Free shot on review!
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Free shots if you review
Free shots if you review the hostel!!!
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free shot if I write this review
They give you a free shot if I write this review
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Reviews are only good because they give you free shot
Okay hostel. Reviews are only good because they give you free shots for writing them
England MALE 31-40 -
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5 stars = 3 free shot
5 stars = 3 free shots for the pub crawl lol, says all u need to know
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free breakfast! the staff are incredible and they have hot water. 10/10
love this hostel! very social and includes free breakfast! the staff are incredible and they have hot water. 10/10
USA FEMALE 18-24 -
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for positive review
shots for positive reviews is a ethically poor practice. Also I wonder how many local children are kept up by the insanely loud music every night. Shame
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free shots for a good rating
This hostel gives you 3 free shots for a good rating on hostelworld and has a dildo sucking challenge. Pretty much sums up the place. More bathroom facilities would be ideal especially when they're occupied by guests shagging in them
New Zealand COUPLE 31-40 -
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rating on Hostelworld is because they give free drink
Dark dingy hostel, probably the worst hostel I’ve stayed in 6 months throughout Latin America. Only reason for the high rating on Hostelworld is because they give free drinks to people who leave good reviews… Free pancakes for breaky was OK and location was great. Stayed in a private room which was gross, worst bed I’ve stayed in, dorms looked better. Everything felt dirty, in the bathrooms and the main communal area.
England FEMALE 25-30 -
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reviews are this good because you receive three free shot
This is not a party hostel, this is a drugs hostel. First of all, the reviews are this good because you receive three free shots when you leave a good review. Second, the staff is arrogant, always drunk and using drugs. The manager knows about it but doesn’t care. Besides that, the dorms are smelling bad and there is a lot of noise during the night (drunk people coming back). Never ever going here again.
Netherlands FEMALE 25-30 -
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free shots to give them good rating
Its a party more than a hostel. They give people free shots to give them good ratings. If you are looking for a party, its nice, But everything is Very worn Down, not clean, the common area quite bad. On top, its super expensive and you dont really get anything besides your bed for your money. They also have quite a weird and corny party culture (d*ldo sucking competition, kiss the bartender, flash your t*ts etc), just really embarrassing tbh.
Denmark MALE 18-24 -
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reviews are due to people being given free shot
The amazing reviews are due to people being given free shots for doing so. Please do not stay at this hostel - even if you want to come to enjoy the social aspect you absolutely can do that without subjecting yourself to staying here. The cleanliness is genuinely horrific, bins are never emptied which made rooms smell and attract flies, floors are genuinely filthy, bedding is stained/worn and unhygienic. Please don’t overlook bed bugs and poor hygiene for the sake of a free shot.
England FEMALE 25-30 -
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free drinks for positive review
A pretty good hostel overall, but my last stay left a bad taste in my mouth. The water didn’t work for two whole days—so no showers or even toilet access—and the owner refused to so much as give us a free drink, let alone a partial refund or ability to cancel additional nights booked. I get that these things happen, and the staff didn’t do anything wrong, but it just feels disrespectful to not even offer some token of apology for this inconvenience. For an owner savvy enough to give 2-3 free drinks for positive reviews on Google and Hostelworld... you’d think they’d at least be wise enough to offer a free drink to avoid a bad one!
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free shots for 5* Hostelworld / Google reviews. Keep this in mind when reading other review
We weren't so happy with our stay: 1. We booked 4 nights but wanted to leave after 3. We asked whether we could shorten our stay by a day on the first day and were told to wait until they asked the manager/owner. On the last day we were told that it's not possible. When saying that it's a bit annoying, and asked to check in with the manager again, we were told that "this is a bad idea because the owner is already in a bad mood". 2. We booked a "large private". Picture attached. No comment needed. 3. Showers/bathrooms OK but not great. 4. You get free shots for 5* Hostelworld / Google reviews. Keep this in mind when reading other reviews and looking at the overall rating. 5. Bed uncomfortable af.
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free drink in the situation when you can get three free shots for writing a Hostelworld review
We were here for two nights - the first night there was no water at all (including lots of the toilets not flushing), the second day there was cold water for about two hours in the morning and the third day no water at all again (and no flushing toilets). If you went out on the second day like we did that means no shower for three days. The hostel owner refused to give any kind of refund, discount, ability to cancel future nights outside of their normal 72 hour cancellation policy or free drinks. When we checked in, we were asked to pay before we were even told about the water situation. These things happen and travellers are always very understanding…but to not even offer a free drink in the situation when you can get three free shots for writing a Hostelworld review seems a bit twisted!
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HostelPunk native reviews
First-party field notes
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Vibe Analysis
The boat party is the big draw here, with pub crawls, evening activities, beer pong energy, free salsa, and a bar scene built for getting loose in San Pedro. Mr. Mullet's is central, close to the dock and main street, with cafes, restaurants, and lake transport within easy walking distance. This is a party hostel first and a comfort hostel second. It works best for a short, social stop if you want drinking games, loud music, easy nights out, and a young crowd. Free pancakes are part of the morning routine, and drinking water may be available. The tradeoff is pretty sharp. Rooms can be tiny, dark, hot, humid, poorly ventilated, and not very comfortable. Bathrooms and showers are a recurring weak spot, with too few facilities, cold or unreliable water, and cleanliness problems. The place can feel grimy, overpriced, and short on calm hangout space. Noise is part of the deal until around 11pm, when San Pedro's curfew usually cools things down. The party side can be fun, but the bar and activities are often accessible without sleeping here, so this is mostly for people who want the chaos right outside the bunk.
Signals to check
- Not a good fit for quiet sleep, remote work, early mornings, or a clean-and-cozy reset.
- Dorms can feel cramped, hot, dark, and basic; beds and mattresses may be rough.
- Bathrooms, showers, and kitchen areas can be dirty or unreliable, with limited toilet and shower capacity.
- Bedbugs, cockroaches, vomit, bad smells, broken locks, and weak upkeep have all appeared as serious risk signals.
- Tours, laundry, card payments, drinks, and activities may feel expensive compared with nearby options.
- Staff energy is uneven, ranging from helpful to rude or inattentive.