$19 for double w/private bathroom, 7th - 10th September 2014
Vibe
As we were staying in the second-most dangerous city in the world, we were less concerned about the atmosphere of the hostel, and more focussed on it being in a safe location. Ximena's is a little dated, a little dark and requires some TLC.
Location
Our most important consideration, and we were very happy with it. Based in the Boulevard de los Heroes area, which is basically a large highway with malls and restaurants, Ximena's five minutes from the main-road. Overall, it was safe, secure and well-connected to all of El Salvador's bus stations by taxi or public transport.
Best thing
Location and there's a good wall with routes and city information on it. The manager, Lena, is available (often by phone) to give you travel ideas for the city and elsewhere in El Salvador.
Worst thing
We weren't expecting anything to write home about, and we really didn't find anything. This could be a perfectly fine hostel if somebody decided to just freshen everything up a little, make the kitchen more open and suitable for guests to use with some newer pans and get the staff to make a little less noise at 6.30 a.m!
The dated practice of charging $2 for wi-fi and dorm lockers should also be scrapped.
Value for money
Poor. As we've said, we weren't expecting great things and wanted somewhere safe to come back to as darkness sets in. We did get a deal on the room ($19 instead of $23), but even with this saving it was poor value. Overall, the rooms, unless improved, should be around 10-20% cheaper.
The dated practice of charging $2 for wi-fi and dorm lockers should also be scrapped.
Recommended for
Not a bad option for travellers if you have one to two nights in El Salvador, but this isn't a good option for anything more long term.
Top tip
Two minutes walk from the hostel, near all the waiting yellow taxi, is Maya Burger. This is a really decent option for a cheap and tasty sandwich.
Amenities
Kitchen (sort of), restaurant (sort-of) paid Wi-fi, hot showers in some rooms, tourist information, 24-hour security, paid lockers, towels, social area, cable TV, roof terrace, English-spoken.
