Montevideo presented us with all sorts of cultural wonders; from tango bars and beachfront discos to the Rambla’s beautiful waterfront and high-end beach communities and suburbs, one of which we decided to take refuge in.

Pocitos is a beach suburb this is ranked #6 out of 89 attractions on Tripadvisor. It is a wonderful neighbourhood this is filled with seaside malls, cinemas (both indoor and outdoor), restaurants and bars that are sure to please even the pickiest of travellers.

While exploring accommodation options in Pocitos, we came across the Destino 26 Hostel. Given its resounding positive reviews on Tripadvisor and great location, services and facilities, we knew it was the perfect spot to suit our needs.

Its location is ideal; the shorefront of Pocitos Beach is only four hundred metres away, the Old City is just a mere fifteen minute journey and General Cesáreo L. Berisso International Airport is just under twenty kilometres away from the hostel.

Clean, comfy, cosy, homely and full of charm, we could not have asked for more from this hostel. It had a 1930’s feel to it with cobblestones lining the streets outside it, craft beers at our fingertips and a traditional open courtyard at the back of the hostel.

We stayed in the double attic room; a private spot, which had a unique and cool feel to it. It had an incredibly comfy bed, a private bathroom, a window that looked out into the garden, and the room also had a powerful heater too (which we were so grateful for having come in from the cold weather).

The outgoing and pleasant member of staff, Nacho, could not have been more friendly and welcoming to us upon our arrival. The managers, Mauricio and his wife who are also seasoned travellers that have worked on cruise ships around the world, went completely out of their way to make us feel as comfortable as possible during our stay.

Given their experience in working in the hospitality sector, they sure know how to run a good hostel!

Every member of staff at the hostel is dedicated to making the place as friendly and homely as possible. They are extremely approachable, helpful and they work hard to ensure that each of their guests feel right at home. We will forever remember how accommodating they were to us.

The facilities made us feel as much at home as the service did. We were greeted with piping hot, powerful showers first thing in the morning and last thing at night. We are usually put off by some hostels as they can be loud and it can be difficult to get work done and sleep well at night.

This was not the case at Destino 26.

We found it extremely easy to do our work online as the Wi-Fi is of lightning speed and even though there is the opportunity to socialise and mix with other travellers in the hostel, guests respect each other and loud noise and disturbing behaviour was something that we did not have to worry about.

There’s a fully equipped kitchen for all to use and free breakfast is provided by the hostel. It was nice to have the chance to cook for ourselves and Carlo cooked us up a scrumptious plate of pasta and salami in the kitchen.

As we were busy doing tours and exercising by taking long walks by the beachfront, it was great to be provided with a tasty buffet breakfast that set us up for the day ahead. Our choice of breakfast foods consisted of a wide selection of breads, jams, fruits, coffee, tea and breakfast cereal.

The living area had comfy couches, nice lighting, a TV, DVD player, an assortment of games and a free-to-use computer. Most of our time was spent in the common area mixing with Nacho and some of the other guests; it was lovely to hear of Nachos exciting travel escapades in Europe while also getting the chance to mix with some fascinating and like-minded people.

If our word isn’t solid enough for you, check out some of the great reviews on Tripadvisor – the first one you’ll come across is “top class hostel!“, and it really sets the tone for most of the reviews that follow suit.

Should your travels venture you to Montevideo like it did us, Destino 26 Hostel is your number one stop for comfort, location, great facilities, an outstanding service and friendliness – all of which comes nestled in the beauty of one of Montevideo’s most relaxing and charming beach suburbs.