Uruguay Hotel Tips by alza

Colonia: Posada del Río: a budget hotel

Extremely pleasant welcome, nice cool lobby opening on an indoor garden with rooms all around. Quiet place. Ideal location in the Barrio Histórico, near the beach and the great views on the Río de la Plata.

Colonia really is a jewel of a place! The pic looks somewhat like the hotel but it was taken nearby, on Calle de los Suspiros (Street of Sighs), a cobbled street.

Address: Washington Barbot 258

Comparison: about average

Directions: Barrio Histórico (aka Colonia Portuguesa)

Other Contact: delrio@colonianet.com

Phone: 23002

Price: US$20-40

Theme: Hotel

Youth Hostel in town: In Monvevideo

I'll spare you the long, feely stuff. This hostel is close to everything downtown, has a kitchen, a large community room and a terrace overlooking a quiet street, where I spent lots of time dreaming away the night while watching the huge leaves shivering in the night wind.

I got to Montevideo in the middle of the Carnival, sometime in February, and the town was spooky quiet. Someone from Montevideo told me later that folks leave town during Carnival. That explains the empty streets. I think I was alone in my dorm at the Youth Hostel. I thought this would be fanTAStic... but trying to sleep there was worse than a night in hell. First night, a horrible deep throat sound erupted from the ceiling, all night and every minute of it. I couldn't figure out what it was and where it came from for a long while... Around 5 a.m., I realised it was the Hostal Keeper, who slept across from my dorm.
I mentioned this to him the next day and he said, off-handedly... "Yeah, I have a bad cough. Hope it didn't bother you!" Man, it drove me crackers!
He was worse on the second night... It was sooo bad that really, I should have written to the Hostal managers and asked for a refund. They shouldn't allow anyone THAT sick to work the night shift.

Anyway, so there was a huge kitchen. I had to scrub the teapot for an hour before it was clean enough to make tea in but then I was the only one using that teapot afterwards so it was worth it. Met a few interesting travellers, until an American took to me and relished in sharing his vision of America and its economy with me... in English, which I had avoided speaking by then for 5 months. Honestly, I never like to discuss American monetary policy or anything related to MONEY, so I particularly dislike being taken hostage by a guy who just needs to hear himself speak English because he can't speak anything else and no one is talking to him... except stupid me who was crazy enough to be polite and answer his "hello there!" The guy went wild when he realised I understood English and never stopped to breathe for 5 minutes in his excitement at telling me about the superiority of the American economy etc etc etc. I finished my cup of tea and left for my dorm -- I heard him carry on for a full 5 minutes.
The next morning, when he said hello, I pretended I was Brazilian.

Unique Qualities: One thing good, this place is downtown. Kind of cool looking too. Very inexpensive, just like most hostels.
There is Internet, but it was taken over by staff or their friends all the time.

Address: Canelones 935

Comparison: least expensive

Directions: Central

Other Contact: almont@adinet.com.uy

Phone: 908-1324

Theme: Hostel