Hostel Amigo, Mexico City

Kept coming back

Nice atmosphere in bar and common areas, helpful and friendly staff, easy to meet people, decent breakfast included, and decent price for a great location. No alcohol policy very stingy but obviously simple to work around.

Consider Hostel Amigo if you are looking for a relaxed hostel with great breakfast in the historical center and also a good base to go out? Right away we felt welcomed and at home in the hostel.

The Location

Hostel Amigo claims that it's central in the old town in Mexico City and it is. Just a few blocks away is the central place; you can expect a lot of tourists in this area and a good amount of people on the streets as well. Therefore there are a lot of places to eat, dine, and have a drink or two. Also the hostel is located quite close to the metro (Linea 1), which helps you to get around. Also the area is inviting for a walk around, just to see where you end up. To sum it up, the hostel is very easy to find once you are on the Isabel la Catolica -- it is number #61. It's right next to a hotel and restaurant Isabel.

Rooms and Bathrooms

The dorm rooms are very spacious and are equipped with double bunk beds and lockers. Depending on the room you have booked, there can also be single beds. The rooms are also equipped with fans and ceiling ventilator. During the day, it can be a bit warm and during the night it's just fine. Beside that, the rooms are good and fit the amount of people. For additional storage there are also some lockers located in the hallway on the second floor. The bathrooms are clean and kept this way as well; please understand that these are Mexican facilities and are different from Western standards. Saying that, the showers are still clean and the warm water works as well, but it might just take some time.

Common Spaces

The main common space is in the bar and reception area. In this area there are some sofas next to a TV. In the evening, they play some music there and also show movies. In this area there are also some computers available, which are free of charge. If you want it a bit more quiet, you can go to the first floor, where there are some seating sacks and tables with chairs next to the pool table.

There is also a kitchen available, which is fairly poorly equipped.

Summary

In conclusion, the hostel offers everything a traveler needs -- a good base to explore the surroundings and what Mexico City has to offer. At the same time, it invites you to have a good time at the hostel and meet other friendly backpackers. The facilities are kept clean. Also there are tours, lockers, and computers available.

The hostel can be a good first stop for a night out and still is quite after 12pm for the ones who want to sleep.

Friendly, helpful, clean & good location but a bit dingy

The staff here are great, really helpful, friendly & welcoming which sets the tone for the hostel. The breakfast is adequate, the facilities good. It's clean but the rooms are dark and a bit noisy. Bring ear plugs, you'll sleep well. It's in a good location with a few cool cafs just around the corner. I would return.

Hostel Amigo is definitely a hostel with personality and atmosphere -- some might even call it a party hostel. However, unlike many other hostels that rely on the atmosphere they provide, Hostel Amigo actually offers clean amenities and good extras as well.

The Location

The hostel is located a few blocks south of the Zocalo (the main square) and a few blocks north of the nearest metro stop Isabela la Catolica. Although the hostel offers a pick-up service from the airport, it is easy enough to take the metro and safe yourself some pesos. Many sights in the city can be easily reached by foot.

Rooms and Bathrooms

The hostel offers different sized dorms, the largest of which holds ten beds. Note that some dorms do not have windows, but that those that do sometimes encounter more noise from the street below. In any case earplugs are advised, because the rooms are not really soundproof, and it is often noisy, either because of street noise, or music coming from the bar below. The dorms come with lockers as well, but you need to bring your own padlock. There are two bathrooms on each floor, one for men and one for women, both with numerous toilets and showers. There is warm water all day, although it might take a while for the shower to get warm. Some showers have curtains, others have locks with doors, but they all have some hooks to hang your clothes on.

Common Spaces

There are two main common areas -- the bar on the ground floor and another common area on the first floor. The are on the first floor common area holds several couches and is mostly for those seeking to relax and read. Twice a day the area is transformed into a communal eating area where free breakfast and dinner are served, whose contents vary daily. For breakfast there is always some kind of bread and marmalade and cereals, plus some extras like scrambled eggs, fruit, or french toast. Dinner is always vegetarian and can be described as simple but filling. Furthermore, as long as there is food left, you are always welcome to go back for seconds, which make these meals a great money saver for the budget traveler.

The common area on the ground floor consists of several couches and a bar serving cheap drinks. The bar is the main place to watch TV in the evening, listen to the music and meet other travelers. Most nights the barman will give away free shots of tequila (straight from the bottle), which some might say improves the atmosphere even more. Other amenities included are free use of internet and free luggage storage.

For those not wanting to stay in, the hostel organises various activities, although most of them will be cheaper if you arrange them yourself. However, for those preferring to do it the easy way, or rather go with a group than alone, the hostel offers trips to archeological sites during the day, and a trip to Lucha Libre (Mexican Wrestling) and pub crawls at night. In addition they also offer a free walking tour three times a week.

Summary

All in all this is definitely a social hostel, with plenty of people who love to party, whether in the hostel or in town. Furthermore, rooms and bathrooms are decent, drinks at the bar are cheap, and the meals included are a great money saver. However, the bar from downstairs often produces quite a bit of noise, which carries to the floors above. Therefore, those simply looking for a quiet place to sleep might prefer an other hostel. But to those looking for a central place to stay, value for money, a good atmosphere and wanting to meet other travelers, Hostel Amigo is definitely recommend.

Great atmosphere -- good amenities

This hostel is definitely a good place to start a trip in Mexico. The hotel organises many activities (although not always very cheap), and the bar downstairs is a great place to meet other travelers. The only downside is that at night the music of the bar also reaches the rooms on the floors above, which might not be so great if you arrive completely jet lagged and just want to sleep. However, the amenities are good as well, which make this a really good place to stay.

Great hostel

Well located, clean, nice wooden floor in the rooms -- some have private bathrooms. great bar, good atmosphere, loved it.

Place to stay!

I was very satisfied with my stay in Hostal Amigo, I felt home there. Not expansive and clean place, good location (close by City Center). the staff was very friendly. nice atmosphere, party downstairs in a hostel bar every few days! I warmly recommend it as a place to stay.

Nice hostel all around. It's as cheap as you get in D.F. [distrito federal - federal district]. It was $10 US when I stayed here in August 05. It's in a great location in the Centro Historico [historic district]. They seemed to have plenty of beds available.