Hostal Casa del Angel was recommended to us by a local hostel owner when his hostel was overbooked. We were upgraded for free to a private room, which turned out to be very pleasant. The place feels very comfortable, clean, and colourful! One unique feature about this hostel is that the entire place is decorated with large, vibrant-coloured canvas paintings made by the owner.
The Location
Casa del Angel is located near the Cathedral and Palacio de Gobierno. The bus (Ruta 8) from Centro Camionera goes along Avenida Hidalgo. Get off in front of the Cathedral, and then it is about ten minutes' walk passing a lane between the Cathedral and the Palacio de Gobierno to one of the smaller roads on an incline, Calle del Angel, after Tacuba. It might be slightly difficult to find, but we think it is worth the effort.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The hostel offers limited accommodation. Our private room had two single beds. There is a dormitory with three bunk beds. It is not very spacious and there are no lockers in the dorm. There is also another larger dormitory with many single/double beds with sofa, table, and a TV in the room. There is also another room in the courtyard next to the kitchen, near the bathroom.
We found that one issue with the rooms is that the wall is very thin and it does not cover up to the ceiling. You can easily hear people talking from the other room and if you are unlucky enough to have a loud group of young travelers returning to their room early in the morning (like we did), it would be difficult getting a good night's sleep. But on the positive side, there is obviously no curfew!
There is one toilet and a bathroom to share. The bathroom is at the courtyard with tiled floor and plenty of potted plants. It was interesting to see the water flowing from the shower into the courtyard, presumably due to poor drainage, but it was really not an issue. Both toilet and bathroom are clean, and hot shower is available.
Common Spaces
Outside the rooms, there is a sofa where you can sit and admire the paintings but it is just a small hallway, instead of a lounge. In the courtyard, there are plenty of garden steel chairs and benches where you get a good amount of indirect sunlight.
The kitchen is our favourite common area. It has a dining table and a stereo CD player. All utensils for cooking are provided although it might take you a while to figure out where things are. Coffee and tea are also complimentary. There is a family (of the owner or caretaker) living in this hostel and sharing the kitchen. You might occasionally find their children working on a school project in the kitchen.
Summary
We really like the atmosphere and the paintings that gave the place its own touch. Although we have stayed at hostels with better rooms and facilities, this place felt like you are staying with a Mexican family, except that you only run into them (if you want to) in the kitchen at certain times of the day.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
March 2009
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