Island Life Hostel

I had a short and brief stay at the hostel. Good location, very friendly staff. Basic breakfast but included. Modern bathrooms, lockers quite neglected. Wifi in the room does not work. Good value for money. Several bars and gastronomic options in the surroundings.

Excellent location by the Colonial zone, easy check in, nice spacious back garden, bar for drinks, food, large sofa upstairs, excellent wifi connection. superb breakfast for a hostel. beds were ok, safe mix dorms, I would stay here again but in smaller dorm with AC, it gets too hot and humid during the night and the fan is not enough. The receptionists were friendly and happy to answer all questions, free street parking. 2 nice large dogs live there which didn't bother me as I am an animal lover. Small swimming pool at the back, liked the traditional colonial type of house. in the big dorm, no AC, in the smaller dorm you will get AC, small and broken lockers, no privacy curtains, small fan next to my bed was not working, no side tables next to the beds. Only walk towards the colonial zone, the receptionist said if we walk the wrong street away from the Colonial zone, we will get robbed, they will say where is this or you can ask for details, the short walk from the Expresso bavaro bus station to the hostel is not safe, negotiate a good taxi price before getting in and only agree to that, safe to walk around the hostel and the Colonial Zone at night, just make sure to not get lost and go into the wrong street, use google maps, make sure you know where you are going and where is not good to go.

This place is absolutely awesome. 10/10 time with a great crew that works hard for making you feel welcome. Chris is a good guy and you can tell he has put a lot of effort into making this hostel a very happy place to visit and come back to. I will be returning next time I visit Santo Domingo.

Island Life Hostel is in a perfect spot of Santo Domingo that made it easy to walk around town. The hostel itself is clean, good amenities, and friendly staff!

While I just stayed here one night, I enjoyed it. Nice bar and restaurant, great empanadas, cold beer, I stayed in a 4 bed hostel, but I was the only one there. The owner Chris was interesting to chat with, he is a traveler and was pure friendly. The facility is in the Colonial Zone and is a classic hostel. They are creating some private rooms in these days. That was the what made me switch hostels as it is just dormitory beds right now.

Nice place but not a good fit for us. The room had a damp smell and was only separated from the noisy busy common area by a glass door. This made us anxious and also we were just not in the right demographic for the place. Since we were 't comfortable, the proprietor was kind enough to give us a refund even though it was past the cancellation date and could have potentially lost him money. We are extremely grateful for that and it deserves a positive review for that kind of flexibility alone!

This was my first ever experience in a hostel . At first when I arrived I thought as though I may of made a mistake from the entire environment. Very different from a hotel . I was here on a couples visit . But as I settled in I realized I was getting exactly what I paid for and I got the hostel experience. The owner and manager are really great guys and will do everything within their power to make you feel welcome and feel like a home away from home . Hostels unlike hotels really push for a more social atmosphere and I meet some really great people .Had a lot of fun at the bar and one day had there Nachos (and they are very good ) I ended up loving this place . But know exactly what you are getting .

Great place to stay, staff was very welcoming and friendly. Great vibe at this location, I’ll definitely stay here again.

No hot water. Smelled bad. Dirty mattress. Dogs living on the property barked all night.