I dread nothing more than rolling into a new town and not knowing where to sleep. I hate beating the sidewalk with my 65-liter pack and going from hotel to hostel, looking for beds without bugs and rates that don’t rip me off. I loathe taking a poor valued room just because I am too tired to hike down the next side street for a better option. I like options and I like knowing what I am walking into, which is why I use my guidebook, blog reviews, and Trip Advisor for the best travel advice. But when traveling to a developing country (please don’t call it a Third World Country) on a budget, remember that nothing is perfect and sometimes you’ll have to trade amenities that you like for amenities you need.
For US$25 we had a triple room with balcony and private bath at Hotel Riviera Sucre in Otavalo Ecuador
Finding a Room is Like Playing Go-Fish
In developing countries like those in South America, shoestring and mid-range budget travelers will have plenty of options. You’ll have hostels, hostals, guesthouses, and even 2-star hotels. But like most cities and barrios in Peru and Ecuador, everything maintains a binary nature. You’ll have glass-atriumed highrise hotels just blocks from dirtroad slums. On one block, white aproned waiters serve sashimi and sake while four blocks away a homeless drunk will be passed out against the side of a church. Similarly, accommodations will have 5-star hotels half a block away from family run hospedajes.
Most backpacking travelers will make a sprint to the cheapest digs into town. But if you’re like us (with a more flexible budget for accommodations), you’ll select a hostal or guesthouse. In just our first 5 months in Ecuador and Peru, we’ve stayed in over a dozen guesthouses. Some places offered excellent value with rates as slim as US$10 per night. Other establishments were a blatant scam to capture tourists and render them of all cash. One example was in Chachapoyas, where we paid US$30 for a room with a broken window. When we asked for a repair, we discovered that the staff had waited for our next door neighbors to leave for the day and then swapped our window for theirs—awful!
US$10 per night, The Abad Lounge is on the Beach and has private balcony and bath in its rooms.
Luckily, Neil and I have avoided these situations for the most part by doing extensive research. Sometimes, if I really needed a place to rest, I’d spend days looking for the perfect places to squirrel myself away for a week. After the days of online research, I realized that looking for a mid-range hotel room was a lot like Go-Fish, except I was playing three ways. One party was the hotel and the other two were me: the part that just wanted a room for godsakes and the other part of me that was holding out for some semblance of comfort.
The research usually entailed me perusing my list of needs like a fistful of cards.
Do you have any private rooms? With private bath?
Ah, ok. Go fish.
Well, do you have any common areas? A kitchen to use?
The Best Hotel we've had in our stay, Hospedaje Oceano was 15 Soles (US$6) per person per night.
Fine, fine. How about towels? Do you have any towels?
No? Really? Go fish.
How To Find the Best Rooms in South America
After several disappointing rooms that promised to be pristine, Neil and I realized that no room will ever be perfect unless you are willing to dish out mega green backs. Since we’re not on that budget, we devised a list of amenities that we need and those that would be nice. Necessary amenities are (*).
*Private bath
*WIFI (optimally in the room—many hostels say there is WIFI in the room when it’s only in the lobby; Lies!)
-Fresh linens
-Bath towels
-Good natural light from a window
-Communal kitchen
For a city room, Hostal Amigos was the best value in Chiclayo, Bright rooms with private bath: US$20 per night.
We learned quickly that a TV is nice, but not a necessity especially with our travel and writing schedules. We hardly ever have time for the boob-tube. A communal kitchen is always a plus, particularly if you are curbing a budget or have a stomach sensitive to Latin foods. The other three guesthouse aspects are in no particular order. But good light is something that can really change the effect of a room. Walking into a well-lit room is like a welcoming hug and a warm smile. For me, this is a little more important than a kitchen for short-term hostal stays (2-4 days). But longer stays require more dining options especially since I write better with eggs and strong coffee in the morning. For two of our friends on a very strict budget ($30 each per day), a communal kitchen sat on the top of their list.
When you plan a move to a new town, check the internet for the best reviews but also prioritize your needs. In many ways, budget backpackers have an easy time choosing their rooms in developing countries. Their budgets will rule out many of the mid-range options in any given city. Regardless, travelers should consider their wants and needs; be it inclusive breakfasts, white sheets, front desk security, or proximity to main squares. Money is not the issue when looking for good valued accommodations in South America. Research, be realistic, and don’t hesitate to move. Two of the best hotels that we’ve ever stayed in cost under US$15 per night and had almost everything on our wants and needs list.
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