Cali · Colombia
Viajero Cali Hostel & Salsa School
Bed bug reports
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Confirmed Google Maps
Probably shouldn't be writing a review hungry but when the waitress doesn't tell you to take your receipt over to the kitchen to actually order your own food because she's busy gassing with friends... 2 dorms are closed being fumigated because they have an infestation of bed bugs. Customers are obviously unhappy about it. They have a big and a small dance room, both with mirrors. Worn out yoga mats they let you use for free. When arriving I wasn't told where toilets, showers etc are or when the bar closes. Pretty awful. Lots of cleaners cleaning when I wanted a shower this morning but why wouldnt you clean at 8am. Burger was very good. They have many activities on. Gringo Tuesday bus trip is a con, the chap who runs it charges women less, the free drink on the bus is one vomit inducing horrendous 'cocktail'. The music throughout the evening from the bus to the bar is...so poor words can't describe.
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Confirmed Hostelworld
Awful, absolute awful. Not only did facilities resemble a soviet bomb shelter, but there was a lingering smell of sewage. Further one of the guest a few dorms left early becomes they discovered bed bugs in their bed, and the hostel seemed in no haste to do anything about it.
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Confirmed Google Maps
Usually I don’t post reviews, let alone negative ones but I need to for the safety of others. It was my first viajero and despite wanting to like it, and all the positive reviews it wasn’t great at all. Fernando was amazing. That’s without question. However I found cockroaches in my bed. The next morning after we got rid of them there was a fumigator with a gas mask walking about the hostel spraying pesticides everywhere during the day while everyone was in close proximity and without warning. Next he pulled out a fumigation gas and pretty much hotboxed the hostel and all rooms. Again no warning. A quick google search will tell you it’s highly toxic and can cause seizures and death. The hostel was telling guests it was for “bacteria”. While packing up my bag to leave the hostel (before my reservation was up) I found a bed bug on my bed, and learned a friend had bites.
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Confirmed Google Maps
BED BUGS
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Vibe Analysis
Viajero Cali is a salsa-first, bar-and-pool social hostel in San Antonio. The best fit is a traveler who came to Cali to dance, meet a crowd fast, and treat sleep as a negotiable variable. Free group salsa classes, private lessons, dance rooms, organized nights out, a pool, and a busy bar/restaurant are the core of the place; when it works, it feels young, loud, easy to plug into, and very Cali-on-the-dance-floor. The location gets a lot of love: San Antonio puts restaurants, cafes, landmarks, and daytime wandering close by. Staff energy swings hard. At its best, lovely helpful people and standout salsa teachers make the stay; at its worst, reception is slow, activity organization feels confused, and the chain-hostel upsell vibe creeps in. Book this for salsa lessons, pool/bar hangouts, and a ready-made backpacker crowd. Do not book it expecting quiet, spacious rooms, dependable hot showers, or a polished boutique-hostel sleep lab. Rooms can be hot, small, humid, noisy, and close to the action; bathrooms and showers are a repeated weak point. Best use case: arrive with dance shoes, earplugs, and a tolerance for beautiful chaos.
Signals to check
- Noise can run late from parties, music, the bar/pool area, and rooms near the action; this is a poor fit for light sleepers.
- Some rooms can be small, hot, humid, under-ventilated, or moldy.
- Bathrooms and showers are a weak point: limited toilets, unreliable hot water, and showers that may not work well.
- Service and activity organization can be frustrating, especially check-in, event communication, and paid activities.
- Room and entry security has had serious complaints; check locks and store valuables carefully.
- Cleanliness and pests are uneven, with recent complaints about bed bugs, rats, roaches, and dirty rooms.