Emily Boone Home Hostel & Guest Home

"Turn Back Now"
That line from Stephen King's "It" was what went through my head when I pulled up to this place. I'm by now a fairly savvy and calloused traveler, so when I saw the accommodations, I had no problem saying no thanks and walking out. I've spent a lot of time traveling around Central and South America, actually seeking out the dingiest/cheapest hotels in various countries, but never, I repeat never, did I ever see anything like "Emily Boone" even in the worst (think Managua or Ciudad Guatemala). This place should be shut down immediately.

Ditto! THIS IS NOT A HOSTEL. Emily Boone's "guest house" is her garage. It is a cement floor. Dark, dank, and cold. In fact, it flooded while we were there. There were bikes hanging above our heads. The "futons," are old egg crates, like the kind you used in college and then THREW OUT. These get put on the ground. The cold ground. But not to worry, she has a large selection of dirty 50 year old blankets to choose from. She woke us up at 7:40 am and our "chores" were WEEDING HER GARDEN. She only told us this when we arrived, and you have no choice - you have to abide by her schedule. The shower is made of cement - perhaps something from wartime barracks? You enter through the garage door. ALSO, and this is important - as two women, we assumed anyone else staying there (in the same open room) would be women. But no, there were two strange men there. Nice men, but nonetheless, that was sketchy. Emily Boone, "a well-known local eccentric" I would guess is well-meaning, but not particularly nice. Trust us. It's worth the extra $20 apiece to stay at the travelodge. Don't make our mistake.

This is not a hostel. The "hostel" is in the basement/garage. It is not heated and the "futons" are disintegrating egg-crate cartons from the 70's. You sleep on cement floors and are warmer when you walk outside. The second night I slept upstairs in Buffy the cat's room -- in the morning I was locked out of this room and had to climb through the doggy door to get my things. Also, if you don't like huge, smelly, oily dogs running over your things, don't stay here. Finally, the twenty minutes of chores -- rather than wanting me to clean up after myself, she wanted me to clean up after her dog. Ridiculous experience!