Where to stay in Quito (Ecuador): The Hump Day Hostel

As part of our 5 month trip through South America, we spent a few days in Quito – the beautiful capital of Ecuador. I first came across the Hump Day Hostel on a booking website and thought that’s a cool name, why not stay here?! Good choice, because when I entered the hostel for the first time, I knew we’ll have a good time here… the hostel is spacious, bright, clean, and centrally located. Plus, it was a great place to socialise with other travellers, and the staff.

Check-in & Staff

The reception is located on the left hand side upon entering the hostel. We got greeted by a friendly staff member who did the check-in for us and shortly after showed us the room. The reception staff spoke fluent English which made things much easier for us since our Spanish is… well, let’s say basic. The room itself can’t be locked, but we got a key for our locker. You can only pay in cash, but this is fairly normal in South America and banks are only a 5 minute walk away.

Our Room

We stayed in the 14 bed dorm room on the first floor: Virgin of Pancelillo. The room is called after the aluminium monument of Virgin Maria that can be seen from the room at the top of the hill. This is the largest room of the hostel and is split across 2 levels, 3 bunk beds on the first level and 4 on the second level, which gives the room a cosier feel. Every bed comes with a socket, reading lamp, and 2 blankets.

The lockers are large enough to put a whole backpack inside, but there is also enough space in the room to put them in the corner without being in the way. The room has 2 private bathrooms on the first level which gets shared with the whole room. I first thought that’s going to be a problem, but it surprisingly worked out well. The hostel has 6 other rooms ranging from private single and double rooms to 9 bed dorm rooms which all come with private bathrooms.

 Common areas

The common area consists of a well equipped kitchen and a living space that comes with a flat screen TV and a comfy sofa. I loved the original decoration and the wooden floor that can be found throughout the colonial building. On the first floor are more opportunities to relax and grab something to read from the bookshelf that has books from around the world.

At the top of the hostel is an outdoor rooftop terrace – another great place to socialise. Unfortunately, the weather was very unsteady while I was there, otherwise this would have been to perfect place for a BBQ.

Breakfast

My expectations are low when it comes to breakfasts in hostels, but this time I was very impressed with the variety each morning. The breakfast gets served between 7.30 and 10am in the kitchen which means there’s no need for an early start if you like to take it slowly. You can help yourself to tea and coffee and besides the usual toast with butter and marmalade, we got freshly squeezed juices, fresh fruits, and we could choose between scrambled egg, omelette, or a boiled egg. But what I liked the most: the juices and fruits varied every day, so it didn’t feel like eating the same every single morning.

Amenities

The hostel offers complimentary wi-fi and breakfast as well as towels for $2 (free in private rooms) and a super quick laundry service for $3 which was much appreciated – we left our laundry at 10am at the reception and picked it up at 4pm. Trust me, if you have travelled for a while, this is a big bonus.

The hostel also organises daily events such as roulette nights and salsa classes and you can book day tours through the reception to places including Cotopaxi, Quilotoa, and Otavalo market. On our first day we wanted to do the free walking tour, and they were very helpful and pointed us into the right direction how to get to the meeting point.

Check out is at 11:30am but we still had some time left to explore the area a bit further, so we left our backpacks at the hostel free of charge. There’s no storage room, but we could leave them next to the reception which seems safe as the front door is locked and there’s always somebody at reception.

Location

The hostel is located right in the historic centre and is only a quick walk away from Plaza Grande and the bohemian neighbourhood La Ronda where you can find great restaurants, bars, and the best chocolate of Quito. All the main attractions of the old town are accessible by foot which is great if this is your first time in the city. For great views over Quito, the Virgin of Pancelillo is only a $2 dollar taxi ride away from the hostel.

Overall, we had a great time at the Hump Day Hostel and enjoyed the cosy, friendly, and clean environment. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly, yet cool place to stay in Quito, check out the Hump Day Hostel. You won’t be disappointed!

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A big thank you to the Hump Day Hostel for making our stay possible. All thoughts and opinions expressed are 100% my own.