Mapache Hostel

PROS: * Location — close to main square, bars, restaurants, beach, minimarts, fruterias, etc. * Activities & tours * Clean bathrooms/showers * Breakfast is included (unless you book an early tour) * Reception open until 10pm * Fans in tents and tipis - good temperature overall CONS: * Noise — There are basically no walls so you are out of luck if you end up near loud neighbors (mine had a REALLY good time – I could hear as if they were in my bed); also, the restaurant next door blasts music all day until 10:30pm at night, so perhaps not the best place if you want to rest. * Bed — I was shocked when I saw the state of the mattress and sheets: holes, stains, damaged fabric… they should be replaced. The absence of mattress protector means there is only a thin, almost transparent, old sheet between your skin and the previous occupants sweat, cum and blood. I asked for other bed sheets; they were even worse. * Lack of shelves (in tipis) — I was surprised there was absolutely nowhere to put my stuff, creams, watch, earrings etc. Everything is on the floor, so pray for your things not to fall in between wood planks. I was told the original shelves shown on their website are broken and should take a few days to repair (first version), then that every tipi is different and that is just how they are supposed to be (second version). I’m not sure which version is true, but from my point of view, I was sold a cute (expensive) glamping tipi, and I got a run down wood shack. Lots of ping, not much glam. They did give me hangers, after all. Not that it helped much. * Broken light — My bed light was broken (it was flickering constantly, making it impossible to read at night), so they kindly "fixed" it, except it was still broken. I was told it was to be expected given the humid climate. Not what I expected for the price. * Bugs (in tipis) — Let me start by saying, I don’t mind a few bugs, I’ve slept under a palapa in the Mexican jungle, but we had good nets and good beds — it was an amazing experience. The main problem here is that the tipis are old and full of bugs who crawl onto you and make a feast of you since they go through the planks, and that the net doesn’t cover the whole bed. After night 1, I had a few bites on my legs so I suspected wood fleas (not the end of the world), but after night 2, I got many clustered bites on my upper body, which got me worried about bed bugs. I was told they currently have an issue with "no-seeum" bugs (chaquistes) on Holbox, which means the Tipi is a bad idea in my opinion on this island. I would rather sleep in a tent to be honest, where bugs cannot enter. * Theft — Somebody took my Rayban case from the common room when I was there. My bad for leaving it unattended, I guess. * Overall — It is an OK place to stay if you don’t mind noise, bugs, travelling "cheap", and mingling with others, but I would rather book a tent or dorm bed, rather than an expensive tipi. It is really not worth the money in my opinion — there are beautiful and extra friendly hotels for about the same price in the south of the island.

We liked our stay very much. The atmosphere was great and we stayed for five nights. For every night we got more and more bites. Unfortunately we just found out that it is bites by bedbugs :(

The hostel is quite nice and the breakfast is very good... But what was my surprise when I got into my bed and found a bed bug (and stains that belong to them?), I then woke up with several bites in a row (so no doubt, they are bed bugs). I told the front desk and they were nice and explained me that there is insecticide put on every month, I thought that I was just out of luck and that someone must have brought a bed bug the night before I arrived. I WAS EVEN MORE SURPRISED when I came across a couple sleeping in the shed in the backyard, and they were also covered of bedbug bites ! So this is not a small incident but the beginning of an infection?! I'm really disappointed, in 2 months in Mexico, this is the most expensive hostel I've paid and I end up with bedbugs...