Trudy Suites Hostel is located on the Main Street in Utila, just ten minutes' walking from the harbour. Like most of the hostels there, it also offers diving classes and collaborate with Underwater Vision, which is one of the island’s main and most famous diving schools.
The Location
As mentioned, the hostel is located on Main Street a few minutes from the harbour and about fifteen minutes' tuk tuk ride from the airport. Next to the hostels there are many other hostels and diving schools, a few supermarkets, and many local restaurants.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The hostel is very big and has a lot of rooms. It mostly offers four-bed dorms, in bunks, and has the option for private rooms. Rooms are located in the main structure and also on the opposite side of the road. There is not air con in the room but only fans, and it can get quite hot at night. Also, the space is very limited and with the backpacks on the floor it is almost impossible to move. In addition, there are only a few plagues for electricity, next to the floor, so for those staying in the upper bunks it is a bit hard. Lastly, no lockers are available, but CCTV are all over the place. Toilets are shared by each floor and hot water is only available at times. Cleanliness is taken seriously both for rooms and bathrooms, and common areas.
Common Spaces
Common spaces are by far the best characteristic of this hostel. It is a large diving resort with a big area with sand, palm trees, and sun beds where guests can relax during the day and evening. There is also a bar with tables and hammocks where to drink or have meals. It is a great hangout place and it is very easy to meet other fellow travelers there. There are many events organized such as movie nights, sushi nights, trivia, or similar events that help to mingle with others. There is not a real beach but the sand faces the water from the dock and it is possible to go for a swim or dive into the water. It has a beach volleyball court available for guests to use.
The hostel also has a shared kitchen on the other side of the road but it is very badly equipped, small and dirty. Nobody seems to take care of the kitchen and not even cutleries are available (you need to go and ask the bar). While the entire hostel always seems clean, the kitchen is definitely not. In general the vibe is great and social during the day, with many people chilling around the bar or playing beach volley in the afternoon. At nighttime, after 10 p.m. it gets very quiet as many people go diving early in the morning
Summary
In conclusion it is a great hostel, especially for the common areas. Rooms are below average, but the large space with sand, sun beds, and hammocks around the bars make a difference. Unfortunately, they don’t offer free drinking water and Wi-Fi seems to be extremely slow, if it works at all. It is a good choice for those that enjoy to stay in a sociable environment and interact a lot with the staff and the other travelers .