The dorm isn't separated from the communal areas, and situated on a mezzanine so gets quite hot during the day. The main issue with the lack of separation is that the kitchen is within a few meters of the sleeping area, and every night I stayed there I was woken up at 2am by drunk people cooking, laughing, speaking loudly and not making any effort to be quiet with the kitchen utensils. The staff didn't seem to mind (possibly since they sleep elsewhere), there are no warnings when you check in that this could happen, and there are no signs or encouragements for guests to be mindful of others. So if you're coming to Santa Catalina to chill and party, that's probably ok, but for those who get up early for activities and need a good rest, $30 for a mattress on the floor on an open mezzanine is quite steep. The facilities themselves are quite basic (no hot water and v little pressure on the tap), but that's to be expected for the area and didn't impact my rating.

The property was well located, and the staff generally quite nice. The breakfast was simple but good.

Stayed in February 2024

I paid an absurd value just for a bed in a dorm. It was the only option available on the village, doesn’t make any sense to rase the values without the quality that supports it.

Stayed in February 2024

Really really basic furniture in the rooms, the bunk-beds are no really beds, it is more wood and they put a matress on it. We just stayed one night and had two times a cockroach in the “dorm” room, furthermore the room smells like gasoline and the ac was not working (it was making the whole night sounds and blinking) so we had to sleep with a open door. The rubbish bins outside don’t have a cover, so it is quite sure that it will attract more cockroaches and that is also not really comfortable if you have to sleep with a open door. The property has only two bathrooms for 16 people and one bathroom is inside a 4 bed dorm so not really useful if you don’t want to disturb other guests in the morning or in the evening. On the evening there was a line to shower and for the toilets. The big dorm is just above the kitchen with really spacious beds it has no sound walls or privacy to the kitchen. Some mattresses were just on the ground and not on a bed. I think the property has potential, but they don’t use it and everything feels like it is under construction. It is a way tooooo expensive for what you get

The first impression was good, the hostel looks good from the outside, but when you see the rooms, than it looks a bit like a prison. The staff was okay, they offered help with tours.

Stayed in February 2024

First time traveling to Santa Catalina, Panama and the first time choosing a hostel instead of hotel! To my surprise, it was beyond my expectations. Great Staff and very friendly environment. Many activities to do there.

Stayed in February 2024

The hostel is really nice, the breackfast amazing and Franck took great care of us. He was very available a and helpful !

Stayed in February 2024

This is just detaiisl but I had an upper bed and it was a little wobbly and there were no socket to charge the phone beside the bed.

Lovely place, amazing vibe, the perfect place to stay in Aanta Catalina!

Stayed in February 2024

Great stay ! Love it . So helpful they help me extend my stay when needed . The rooms are perfect . Cold and cozy .

Stayed in January 2024

Friendly and helpful Staff and atmosphere.

Stayed in January 2024

Location and folk of the hostel was amazing. Lovely place to spent vacation days..

Stayed in January 2024

The Family Vibe hang out cook together beach together sunsets are unreal it’s a feeling I’ve never felt the connection before like this in other hostels. Best night is BBQ night we kept extending & doing more nights in Catalina

Stayed in January 2024

The Steep ladder to the dorm room The openspace dorm to all other facilities, where you can hear everything from the kitchen and the living room

Friendly and helpful staff Single bed (no bunk bed) in the dorm

Stayed in December 2023

Lockers are so small that only few small items fit in. Therefore necessary to leave some luggage in dormitory, which is in same space as kitchen and common room. Item was then stolen from bed. Manager frank tried to ignore the theft, was not sorry, but insulted me in front of other guests. His main objective was to play the theft down and try to get me out of the hostel, avoiding any bad publicity. No help whatsoever was offered to get back the stolen item. Frank was also seeing a request to increase the low aircon temperature at night as troublemaking. If you do not fit into a behavior pattern he can relate to, he will not know how to react and will eventually become aggressive. He has an overly dominant personality to work in this service-oriented position. When I asked for a refund, frank wanted me to sign a paper confirming that I wouldn't give any bad reference, threatening with a large financial penalty if I would. Incredible as it sounds, all of this is true. Other facts such as the largest distance from the beach of all hotels, the bad snorkeling tour company they work with (touching and disturbing protected species), lack of separation of the dorm from common area and kitchen, no temperature control at night, inaccurate description (6 person dorm is in fact 8 person), having to transverse steep stairs to reach dormitory and bathroom from dormitory, ridiculous breakfast were all much less critical than the totally inappropriate and intimidating behavior of the manager.

Frank, the current manager, created serious problems by his behavior, so that the overall experience was the worst I ever had in any place I traveled to, and I travel quite a bit

Stayed in January 2024

Great stay!!! Always good vibes woth paplo!! Cant wait to visit again

Stayed in October 2023

Urbanos is awesome. Really fun social vibe, but still not too loud at night. I stayed in one of the cabins behind the main building and it was great. Pretty rustic but nice to have my own space and it was budget friendly. They have their own air conditioning unit in them which is really nice. Pablo and Frank are great. They are both very nice and helpful. Pablo especially was really helpful when my plans got a bit off track. It’s a bit far from the beach but they have skateboards you can take which is nice. This hostel was amazing and I would recommend it to anyone going to Santa Catalina.

Stayed in October 2023

Pablo is super nice, friendly and tries to help you with everything. He also has really good recommendations for everything. He even joined an adventure trip to coiba island with a group of hostel residents for some real quality time.

Stayed in October 2023

A really cool place, the guys makes you feel very welcome! I can highly recommend it!

Stayed in September 2023

The best hostel in Santa Catalina if you want to connect with other travellers, Pablo and Rasta Man are amazing hosts and make everyone feel right at home. Close to everything on the main strip

Stayed in September 2023

This is definitely a social hostel and considered one of the few places to go in Santa Catalina if you want to socialize. This means that people from other hostels also use the outdoor common space in the evenings. The main dorm room is in a loft above the kitchen so noise definitely travels easily but in general after 10:30/11pm they close the doors to outside which are surprisingly sound proof. The first night I stayed there I thought everyone went to bed soon after me but I later heard they stayed up until 5am. The ladder up to the loft is definitely the biggest issue. It's a rickety ladder that is not very easy to climb, especially because there is one rung that is on its way to breaking. The steps are wide so it's manageable but definitely not the ideal way to reach your bedroom.

A great hostel, especially if you're looking to make some friends. When I arrived they were making a BBQ dinner that evening for anyone who wanted to join. For just $10 we were treated to an assortment of foods: three different salads, potatoes, yuka, beans, fried bananas, lobster, fish, and chicken. I immediately was welcomed and well fed. The breakfast was toast and fruit but they happily gave me extra helpings of fruit when I explained I was gluten free. The staff is extremely helpful and friendly and always around if you have a question. The beds were incredibly comfortable and the space was really nice. There's one beach a less than 5 minute walk away and then another, the one more popular for surfing, about a 20 minute walk. There was also a kitten when I was there which was an added bonus.

Stayed in September 2023

The vibe. Pablo and Rasta are the most dedicated and adorable guys ever. Still can't believe this bbq... thank you for everything.

Stayed in September 2023

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The host pablo was great

Stayed in September 2023

We were with a group and in the reservation it was like we were staying together only with our group. The fact is that the advertised dorms are misleading. He advertises a 6 and 3 bed dorm, however the 6 bed dorm has 11 beds (some are just mattresses on the ground and it is an open area above the reception). So it was an open place above the reception and we had to share it with others. The dog had fleas and was walking around (also in the bedrooms!). Furthermore we didn't have electricity and water on one of the 2 days, and the reception was not informing us and he did nothing to solve it (not trying to solve it at all or explaining the situation).

Stayed in August 2023

As the cheapest option on Booking, this hostel receives a high rating according to its price for value you'll get. The hostel is very authentic - especially the host Pablo himself. He is a super chill, kind and helpful person - a great guy with a passion for music. We went surfing together at Playa El Estero which was a blast haha. I feel like I found not only a host but a friend!

Stayed in August 2023

If you like human relations, good music and sharing a glass of alcohol, you have to meet Pablo, the owner of Urbanos ! And the beds are confortables. The best breakfast I ever had in my life 😉

Stayed in August 2023

Staff is really nice

Stayed in August 2023

First the host couldn't find our booking when we first arrived. He still managed to host us for the price and choosen "room". Sadly the electricity went out shortly before we arrived which included the water supply. At the end that happened twice during our stay so we didn't have water for 1.5 of 3 days and no electricity for 2 out of 3 days. Even though the host was not the reason, it made the stay quite uncomfortable. The room we booked was a tent which ended up being a wood tent outside of the actual house which can be quite cosy when finished. Even when the electricity was working there was no light available.

Nice outside area and central to trip organisers. Good area to go for some food and drinks. Looks cozy from the outside. The host offers trips and help. He made some music when we arrived. The breakfast is made each morning from fresh fruit and toast. We extended our stay for one night without any problem.

Stayed in August 2023