HI - Montevideo - Che Lagarto Hostel is a place to stay for a couple of nights or for long term if you are looking to party. It is a great place to meet people to talk or to stay with longer. There is a bar and nightclub in the hostel where even people who are not staying at Che Lagarto come at night for the loud music and party atmosphere. The staff is friendly, coming from both Chile and Uruguay, and helpful with a great command of English.
The Location
The hostel is located in the center of Montevideo, about a twenty-minute bus ride from the bus station. Many buses pass through the main square where Che Lagarto is located. The hostel is in the middle of the old city and new city which makes it convenient to explore many parts of Montevideo. If you are looking for a party location, the hostel is really the only place around (however most people come to you anyway).
Rooms and Bathrooms
The dorms and rooms are basic. They are painted white with wood beds and do not give any atmosphere. The door rooms have beds placed in no specific order in a large room with one fan. The double rooms do not have any fans, which in the middle of summer makes all the rooms very hot. The beds include sheets but you need to bring your own towel. There are no lockers for guests. Security in the hostel does not appear to be a problem, but there are many people in and out of the hostel who stay there and who are there only for the late nights and parties.
The bathrooms are all shared and located at the end of the hall from the dorms. Sometimes showers and bathrooms are not available when you need them -- even at 4 a.m. the bathrooms were locked and in use for hours at a time. All rooms are located around the bar area so if you would like to sleep before 2 a.m. when the music shuts down, this is not the hostel for you.
Common Spaces
The common area consists of some thrown in places to sit such as cardboard boxes and broken benches with a chair and ripped couch. The kitchen is big and appeared clean, with everything you need to cook. The eating area is in the bar area with a few tables serving breakfast between 7 and 11 a.m. consisting of a roll with cheese and two apple slices, coffee, or tea. Also in the bar area is two pool tables for gusts use at a small price and a computer free of charge, which is usually in use.
Summary
Overall, we did not like this hostel due to the loud party atmosphere every night until 2 a.m. and couples using the bathrooms at 4 a.m. for hours at a time. Also, the rooms are very hot and as if the music is not enough, the heat keeps you from sleeping as well. The male staff are very friendly, however the woman who works there is very rude (she was mean to us for the entire time we stayed at Che Lagarto).
If you are ok with the noise and want a party atmosphere and do not care about the cleanliness of the place, this is a great place to meet people. The hostel does not feel clean and tidy as the rooms smell of mildew and it is hard to fall asleep in the room with our mild allergies in the room.
-- Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
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