The beautiful town of Baños is responsible for a huge amount of the tourists in Ecuador, so it makes sense that the place is littered with budget hostels. Despite this, finding a good one to stay in isn’t always that easy – thank goodness for Erupcion Art Hotel and Hostel!
Erupción Art Hotel & Hostel – A Review
Location
Baños may not be a huge town, but there is still a main strip which is home to everything your average backpacker needs. Teaming with bars, restaurants and tour agencies, it is important to choose a hostel which is within walking distance of all of the necessary stops.
Luckily, Erupcion Art Hotel and Hostel is located in the heart of the city, so nothing is too far away. There is a taxi rank situated in the plaza nearby, as well as an ATM which accepts most international credit and debit cards directly opposite.
Clean and Colourful
The main appeal of Erupcion Art Hotel and Hostel is definitely its cool factor. The whole place is kitted out in bright colours and vibrant artwork which makes for great areas in which to relax with other travellers. There are humorous signs displayed throughout the hostel and a list of games available from reception, including backpacker favourite, Cards Against Humanity!
All of the rooms are clean and comfortable, with housekeeping staff coming in daily to make beds and clean the bathrooms. The hostel has some great communal areas, in particular, the rooftop overlooking the main plaza and the Netflix room equipped with wide-screen television!
Great Staff
The staff at Erupcion Art Hotel and Hostel are both welcoming and knowledgeable about the city which is great for a backpacker trying to get their bearings. Upon our arrival, the receptionist greeted us and told us where we were located in relation to all the main attractions around the city.
We were also given a tour brochure to take to our room with all of the trips that can be arranged by the hostel directly and other information about the city. The staff were happy to explain the benefits of going somewhere with a tour versus going independently and also gave us some handy tips about getting the most out of our time in Baños.
Fabulous on-site restaurant
The reception area of Erupcion Art Hotel and Hostel is located at the entrance to the Mestizart Restaurant, one floor below. The restaurant is definitely in fitting with the hostel style and uses bright colours to draw the eye.
There is the option to be seated inside or alternatively, you can grab a spot on the outside terrace. Guests get 10% off of all food purchased at the restaurant and prices are already very reasonable.
During our time in Baños, we ate there in the morning and ordered two of the Mestizart breakfasts which were absolutely incredible. Who doesn’t want cheesy chips for breakfast?! At just shy of $6US pp (without our discount), we were impressed with the price and the quantity of food which kept us full right through to dinner time.
Budget-friendly
Perhaps the greatest allure of Erupcion Art Hotel and Hostel is its price. Filtered drinking water is supplied at no extra cost and beer can be purchased for consumption on the rooftop from the restaurant downstairs.
There are a number of different room options, all of which work for backpackers on a budget. A night for one person in a six-bed dorm room starts at $8US and couples can easily split the cost of a private en-suite double room which comes in at $20US per night.
Book your place at Erupción Arts Hotel & Hostel here!
Sheree Hooker | Editor @ South America Backpacker + Winging The World
Sheree is the awkward British wanderluster behind wingingtheworld.com, a travel blog designed to show that even the most useless of us can travel. Follow Sheree’s adventures as she blunders around the globe, falling into squat toilets, getting into cars with machete men and running away from angry peacocks.
