Las Galeras · Dominican Republic
Hostel La Ballena Backpacker
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HW prices from today
Worst reviews
good: close beach, kind staff bad: everything else i confirmed w/ the owner in advance that they had water (for laundry) and it was cheaper to pay pesos. Once I arrived, they said no laundry for 3 days. They upped the price midmorning, so I paid 100 more than the person who paid right before me, but we were both extending. The toilet was broken often, (e.g., shit was left for ~12hours in the toilet). There was no soap in the bathroom and no matches in the kitchen. Its not worth more than $9 US...
No recomiendo para nada este hostel, la habitación de hombres era pésima la cama estaba muy cerca al techo no podías pararte. La habitación estaba conectada con la sala común y con el exterior por lo que no se podía dormir bien, además de el poco espacio para caminar entre las camas. El baño no tenía regadera solo un tubo oxidado, cuando te apoya en la pared de la regadera se cae la cortina. Cuando llegue no tenía información de mi reserva por lo que perdí el deposito en la aplicaci�...
Les volontaires qui était là bas lors de mon passage étaient top, l’emplacement de l’hostel également en revanche les salles de bains ne sont vraiment pas propre, bcp de bruit comme tout est ouvert sur la route principale et je suis repartie avec des punaises de lit, a priori la direction est au courant car plusieurs matelas sont dans les espaces communs mais aucuns traitements effectué…
The volunteers who were down there when I was there were top notch, the location of the hostel was also top notch however the bathrooms are really not clean, bcp of noise as everything is open on the main road and I left with bed bugs, a priori the management is aware as several mattresses are in the common areas but no treatments carried out...
The staff was sooo nice however i feel the hostel is a bit tiny for the number of bed available Having only one shower and bathroom for roughly ten people is not really worth the cost The kitchen is very tiny as well … Wifi worked perfectly and you’re near the beach !
Super nice Hostel. Close to restaurants and relatively close to the beach. Nice staff and clean rooms.
Gut fand ich die Mosquitonetze über dem Bett und dass es viele Möglichkeiten gab, handtücher etc aufzuhängen. Das Personal ist sehr nett. Es gibt nur einen Wasserspender, der unten bei der Rezeption steht und die Tür dahin wird um 21 uhr geschlossen, für Gäste die oben schlafen also nicht mehr zugänglich, da fände ich einen zweiten oben gut.
I liked the mosquito nets above the bed and that there were many options to hang towels etc. The staff is very nice. There is only one water dispenser, which is downstairs at the reception and the door is closed at 9 o'clock, so it is no longer accessible for guests who sleep on top, so I would find a second one on top.
Empfang freundlich, eher laut da an der Hauptstrasse. Für eine Nacht ok
The reception is friendly, rather loud than on the Hauptstrasse.
L'évacuation de la douche se faisait très mal, la chasse d'eau des toilettes ne fonctionnait pas, aucune intimité dans les dortoirs, le bruit environnant est élevé. L'emplacement est plutôt bien ainsi que le personnel à l'accueil.
The shower drain was very bad, the toilet drain didn't work, no privacy in the dorms, the surrounding noise is high.
Good vibes, decent facilities and nice room size. It's a shame that the colmado across the road played such loud music so late at night, but hey it's DR! XD. Good place to spend a few days exploring the surrounding beaches. The staff are friendly and helpful
The hostel was nice and the staff was so nice and welcoming. I made new friends there and we spent a lot of time together. Unfortunately some things were broken and not fixed like the toilet flush and the shower sink. It was really loud as well but I loved the atmosphere which was like being with family and friends
Recent reviews
It was nice, very cheap. There were stains on the bedding and also they misses our reservation so they didn’t have the room we booked. Therefore we had to pay extra for a nicer room, when it was their fault.
Super nice Hostel. Close to restaurants and relatively close to the beach. Nice staff and clean rooms.
Les volontaires qui était là bas lors de mon passage étaient top, l’emplacement de l’hostel également en revanche les salles de bains ne sont vraiment pas propre, bcp de bruit comme tout est ouvert sur la route principale et je suis repartie avec des punaises de lit, a priori la direction est au courant car plusieurs matelas sont dans les espaces communs mais aucuns traitements effectué…
The volunteers who were down there when I was there were top notch, the location of the hostel was also top notch however the bathrooms are really not clean, bcp of noise as everything is open on the main road and I left with bed bugs, a priori the management is aware as several mattresses are in the common areas but no treatments carried out...
Gut fand ich die Mosquitonetze über dem Bett und dass es viele Möglichkeiten gab, handtücher etc aufzuhängen. Das Personal ist sehr nett. Es gibt nur einen Wasserspender, der unten bei der Rezeption steht und die Tür dahin wird um 21 uhr geschlossen, für Gäste die oben schlafen also nicht mehr zugänglich, da fände ich einen zweiten oben gut.
I liked the mosquito nets above the bed and that there were many options to hang towels etc. The staff is very nice. There is only one water dispenser, which is downstairs at the reception and the door is closed at 9 o'clock, so it is no longer accessible for guests who sleep on top, so I would find a second one on top.
Empfang freundlich, eher laut da an der Hauptstrasse. Für eine Nacht ok
The reception is friendly, rather loud than on the Hauptstrasse.
The staff was sooo nice however i feel the hostel is a bit tiny for the number of bed available Having only one shower and bathroom for roughly ten people is not really worth the cost The kitchen is very tiny as well … Wifi worked perfectly and you’re near the beach !
I spent 5 night in this hostel, one in the dorm and then in a private room. The dorm is a bit small and you don’t have a place to charge your phone close to your bed. The room was perfect. The kitchen is a bit small, and there’s no really social place to meet people.
Très bon hostel. Du charme, à 5 minutes de la mer sur l'avenue principale, personnel sympathique, et ai rencontré des voyageurs super. Point negatif pour les sanitaires, deux périodes de quelques heures sur 4 jours sans eau...et pas seulement sans eau chaude !! L'eau de la douche ne s'evacuait pas bien non plus, ce qui m obligeit en tant que personne propre de repasser derrière plusieurs fois pour y enlever le sable. À part ça,et un prix un chouille haut, j'ai vécu un séjour paradisiaqu...
Charm, 5 minutes from the sea on the main avenue, friendly staff, and met super travelers. negative point for the toilets, two periods of a few hours on 4 days without water...and not only without hot water !! the shower water didn't drain well either, which required me as a clean person to go over the back several times to remove the sand. aside from a very high price, I had a paradise stay here !
One of my favorite hostels arround the world! Staff was absolutely amazing and we loved every single minute of our stay! We will definitely come back. Special thanks to Ramirez, he's lovely ❤️
L'évacuation de la douche se faisait très mal, la chasse d'eau des toilettes ne fonctionnait pas, aucune intimité dans les dortoirs, le bruit environnant est élevé. L'emplacement est plutôt bien ainsi que le personnel à l'accueil.
The shower drain was very bad, the toilet drain didn't work, no privacy in the dorms, the surrounding noise is high.
good: close beach, kind staff bad: everything else i confirmed w/ the owner in advance that they had water (for laundry) and it was cheaper to pay pesos. Once I arrived, they said no laundry for 3 days. They upped the price midmorning, so I paid 100 more than the person who paid right before me, but we were both extending. The toilet was broken often, (e.g., shit was left for ~12hours in the toilet). There was no soap in the bathroom and no matches in the kitchen. Its not worth more than $9 US...
Bon établissement, l’accueil se fait rapidement, beaucoup de bruit mais endroit agréable.
Good establishment, the reception is quick, a lot of noise but pleasant place.
It was a really nice stay. Very friendly and helpful and the Hostel is super cozy.
Good vibes, decent facilities and nice room size. It's a shame that the colmado across the road played such loud music so late at night, but hey it's DR! XD. Good place to spend a few days exploring the surrounding beaches. The staff are friendly and helpful
The hostel was nice and the staff was so nice and welcoming. I made new friends there and we spent a lot of time together. Unfortunately some things were broken and not fixed like the toilet flush and the shower sink. It was really loud as well but I loved the atmosphere which was like being with family and friends
Overall- worth the price! The atmosphere of the hostel if good, near to the beach, located on the main road. The staff is great, a lot of them are volunteers from worldpackers ☺️ The balcony and the view from it is gorgeous! 🥰 The only contra: kitchen is not very hygienic (insects in the fridge, fridge not really working, the fridge inside smells bad..). Not the best equipment to cook available. No hot water to shower.
Isa es un encanto, nos ayudo en todo lo que pudo la chica de la puerta ni siquiera se presentó. Nos vio que habiamos llegado y pasó de largo corriendo a las 11. Entiendo que el checkin es a las 15 horas pero… bueno para el caso volvio a aparecer tarde y hablando por telefono y sorpresa ignorandonos otra vez. A eso d las 20 de la noche el hostal se quedo sin agua y no le podiamos avisar a nadie. Repito Isa la chica que hace el desayuno y la limpieza es un encanto y nos dio muy buenos conse...
Isa is a charm, she helps us in everything she can the girl at the door didn't even show up. she saw us had arrived and ran by at 11 am. i understand the check-in is at 3 pm but... well in case she shows up late and talks on the phone and surprises ignoring us again. at about 8 pm the hostel ran out of water and we couldn't even tell anyone. i repeat isa the girl who makes breakfast and cleans is a charmer and gave us very good advice
The location is good. close to the town beach, supermarkeds and resturan.
Nos encantó quedarnos en el hostal La Ballena. La atención de Zac fue genial, nos ayudó con lo que necesitábamos y toda la gente que conocimos ahí era súper amigable. Está ubicado como a 8 minutos caminando de playa grande y se encuentra en la calle principal de las galeras, por lo que todos los restaurantes y bares están cerca. Si regresaramos a Las Galeras nos volveríamos a hospedar aquí.
We loved staying at La Ballena hostel. Zac's attention was great, he helped us with what we needed and all the people we met there were super friendly. it is located about 8 minutes walk from playa grande and is on the main street of las galeras, so all the restaurants and bars are close by. if we return to Las Galeras we would stay here again.
Super nice hostel ! Nice to stay on the village, close to the beach and nicely decorated. The bed are not really confortable and it s super noisy (no real walls) and the kitchen is not well equipped but ok for 2 nights. Volunteers are super friendly, thanks Francesca ! ☺️ manager kind of rude but not a lot around and don’t mix with the guests so ok. Nice vibe around still !