Angel Hostal, Valparaíso

Located on the colorful Cumming Street and covered in street art, Angel Hostal embodies the quirky, bohemian spirit for which Valparaiso is famous. The location is fantastic, with many areas of interest within walking distance. It has everything you need for your trip to Valparaiso -- clean facilities, fast Wi-Fi, and a free breakfast.

The Location

Angel Hostal can be found on Cumming Street, a lively street covered in street art and in close proximity to the city centre and heritage areas. This area has plenty of bars, restaurants, quirky shops, and fast food shops. There is street art around every corner and the place has a cool, bohemian vibe. One of Valparaiso’s famous funiculars is just a couple of minutes away and takes you up to Cerro Alegre, a protected heritage area. The starting spot for most of the free walking tours is just a few minutes’ walk away.

The hostel is a forty-minute walk or short taxi ride from the bus terminal.

Rooms and Bathrooms

There are several private rooms and a couple of dorms. The private rooms are quite popular, but the dorms are rarely full. Rooms are clean, fairly modern, and brightly decorated. There is high-speed internet within the rooms. There is excellent security -- guests receive a key to the front door and to their room (including dorms).

Dorms contain bunk beds with privacy curtains and bedside reading lights and plug sockets. There are also large lockers, for which you will receive a key (there's no need for a padlock!).

The eight-bed dorm and one of the private rooms face directly onto an outside courtyard. This can get noisy, since guests sometimes gather there for a few drinks in the evenings.

There are just two bathrooms in the hostel, only one of which contains a shower. This means that you may have to wait for a shower, although the hostel is rarely crowded, so there is usually no problem. The bathrooms are clean and in good working order, although the shower has a tendency to be either burning hot or cold.

Common Spaces

There are three common areas -- an indoor seating area with sofas and computers, an outdoor patio, and a communal kitchen.

Despite being small, the communal kitchen is very good. It is clean, modern, and well-stocked (it has a kettle, toaster, microwave, stove, oven, and blender, plus free oil, salt, pepper, and spices for guest use). A decent breakfast is included with toast, cereal, milk, cheese, and yogurt. They also try to provide for special diets if requested in advance.

Indoor and outdoor seating areas are pleasant enough, with funky art on the walls and strong Wi-Fi signal throughout. There are two computers for guest use.

Despite being fairly quiet, there is a friendly atmosphere. The common areas are quite small which helps with socialising, since guests are forced together!

Summary

Angel Hostal is located in a really cool part of town, with many sites of interest within walking distance. It is a fairly quiet hostel with a friendly, relaxed vibe, and provides a great base for a few days in Valparaiso.