Are you scared of hostels? Do you fear pre-booking a budget hotel, only to walk into the bedroom and find stains on the sheets and cockroaches in the corner? Fear not, there are tons of great budget hotels and hostels in Central America, South America and Mexico.
I’ve traveled through this region for years, staying in every type of accommodation - hostels, guesthouses, airbnbs, as well as budget and boutique hotels. So I want to share my best tips for finding great, comfy and clean budget hotels and hostels in Central America, South America, and Mexico.
Find Flight Deals to Latin America:
View from my budget hotel on Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Hotel Jinava - from $25/night. Click to book.
Cute courtyard at my hostel in Quito, Ecuador. Casa Agua Canela - from $20/night. Click to book.
Another pretty courtyard at our boutique hotel in Guadalajara, Mexico. La Fe Hotel & Arts - from $50/night. Click to book.
My adorable Airbnb in Guanajuato, Mexico. 2 Bedroom apartment from $54/night. Click to book.
The view from Mamallena Hostel, in Rincon del Mar, Colombia - from $20.50/night for a private room. Click to book.
The lush grounds of my boutique hotel in Tulum, Mexico. Huitzical - from $69/night. Click to book.
The ocean view balcony from my hotel in Puerto Escondido, Mexico. Hotel Buena Vista - from $30/night. Click to book.
The bright courtyard in Oaxaca, Mexico at Casa de los Abuelos - from $45/night. Click to book.
5. Search Travel Blogs for Recommendations
- One of my favorite ways to find the best budget accommodation is to see what other travel bloggers recommend. They are usually seasoned and expert travelers, so they know how to pick a good place and evaluate it reasonably. Google search for keywords like “travel blog hostel in Central America” or “travel blogger budget hotel in Mexico” or even simply “travel blog Guatemala”
- Many travel bloggers are longterm travelers, so they tend to stick to budget accommodations.
- I find I can trust their opinions because they have an online presence and personality, rather than the random Tripadvisor reviewer who sounds disgruntled and possibly a little crazy.
- Travel Bloggers will often post lots of photos of the place they stayed and give you any other tips like which room to choose, or if the on-site restaurant serves good food.
Search my Lodging Tips category or my Hotel Reviews category for more ideas, hotel recs, and tips.
Find Flight Deals to Latin America:
Watching the sunset from the rooftop lounge at my beautiful budget hotel in Quito. La Casa Toleña - from $30/night. Click to book.
Sunset view from my budget hotel rooftop in Puerto Vallarta. Villa del Mar - from $20.75/night. Click to book.
Ann Fisher
Susan, Great post! I think this post will be helpful to many travelers considering whether to try hostels. Whenever I’m budgeting for a trip, I try to balance more expensive & less expensive accommodations — it can really drop the average price-per-night the trip is going to cost. Your tips are great. I think cross-referencing reviews is particularly important.
Susan Ripley
Thanks for the comment! I agree – I love to have a mix of accommodation – boutique hotels mixed with more moderately priced hotels or hostels + apartments are a nice mix for me, and I think they each give you different perspectives on a place too.
Julie
You are always finding the cutest places! I’m just going to follow all your hotel reviews once I head down to Central and South America! Great tips honestly. Pictures are definitely really important and I always look for good ratings!
Susan Ripley
Thanks, Julie! I love finding cute places to stay – whether they’re nice boutique hotels or cute hostels or guesthouses – there are so many good options out there if you look hard enough. 🙂
Juliann
These places look more like boutique hotels than hostels! I will definitely refer back to this post when I book my next trip to south America. I always like staying in places that let me meet other travellers.
Susan Ripley
I love finding budget hotels or hostels that can double as boutique hotels – and there are a surprisingly large number of them in Latin America where the American dollar can go far. Glad you found the post helpful! 🙂
Jenn and Ed Coleman
Icky and moist are two words that just kind of stick with you. You don’t want icky. It’s amazing how you have been travelling so long and you are able to avoid that icky feeling regularly now. One of the tricks we use is to not only look for the star rating but also the number of reviews. I just don’t trust lightly reviewed properties or restaurants. We’ll have to remember the bedroom picture suggestion. That sounds like a real gem.
Susan Ripley
Haha! Those are two unpleasant words. 🙂
I totally agree about the number of reviews – that’s a great point. If a place only has a couple reviews I’m suspicious, or at least know it hasn’t been around long enough for there to be a balanced opinion. Thanks for sharing!
Cat
It has been many years since I stayed at a hostel, but many tips apply even for general hotel booking! I agreed to always check Trip Advisor, especially for the photos that travelers took (so you don’t get fooled by staged hotel photos)! And like you, I usually book on the hotel’s website to avoid any handling issues 🙂
Susan Ripley
Agreed! Think these tips work for any kind of accommodation booking. 🙂
Allison Wong
I’d been doing most of your tips suggested here and will always check Tripadvisor for the real recent pictures posted by the travellers. That’s probably the most important step to avoid disappointment.
Susan Ripley
Totally agree! Travelers photos are the most current and honest description of the hotel.
Dave @ Travel Transmissions
These are some rock solid tips, thanks for sharing! Brilliantly titled piece too, I think a lot of people who’ve traveled far in the developing world will catch on that one right away. I especially like the tip for only booking for places with a bedroom photo. I’ve been shafted on this one myself in the past!
Susan Ripley
Glad you found it helpful! To me the bed is the most important part of the hotel – if it doesn’t feel clean and welcoming, I’m not going to be comfortable. And if there are no photos of the bed, it feels like the hotel must have something to hide!
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