I love hostel living… but when you stay at hostels constantly, you will inevitably encounter a range of good and bad hostels. So, where does Hostel Poc Na stand? Keep reading to find out.

There were very few hostels to choose from on Isla Mujeres. In fact, I think there are only two. Poc Na seemed like the better of the two.

One thing is for sure, this hostel is super cute.

It’s a giant space right on the beach. Most of the hostel is on top of white sand. It has a tiki bar on the sand surrounded by luscious palm trees with hammocks you can swing from all day. What more could you want?

Let me clear one thing up. You cannot swim at the nearby beach. It’s a jagged rock break with a strong riptide. You’ll cut your feet as you drown. But, I suppose some people are into that. It’s like they say, there’s something for everyone.

Another Great Thing About Hostel Poc Na

The staff is beautiful. All the men have six-packs and never wear a t-shirt. Their sun-kissed skin glows, and their Caribbean sea-laced hair looks like it’s beckoning you over.

The people you meet in hostels are always great and very kind. This hostel was the same.

You get free continental breakfast every day. Toast, hard-boiled eggs, cereal, coffee, the basics. It’s great. I always look for breakfast included.

The structure of the hostel is typical of the Yucatan. The walls are all concrete because of the humidity. There is a large dining area, along with a restaurant and an indoor bar.

The hostel offers lots of tours such as diving with whale sharks, snorkeling, and even yoga classes.

Sounds great, right? I just mentioned a bunch of great things, but what about the bad things?

Negative Number One

Online, I read that it has a kitchen. Most hostels have kitchens, which I love. Cooking your own food is way cheaper than eating out every day when on vacation. I definitely take advantage of that. What the website doesn’t say is that the kitchen is for the restaurant only, not for your use. Therefore, you have to buy all your food from the restaurant.

Negative Number Two

There were several hostels online that read, AC is only turned on at night… I must have skipped that part when I was reading the reviews because not only is there no AC, all you have is a fan. The walls are all concrete, which means there is absolutely no airflow inside of your room. It’s VERY HOT INSIDE.

The hostel has a great party vibe, which isn’t a bad thing. They have a live band every night, followed by a party at the Tiki Bar at 11 pm.

It was pride weekend in Long Beach the day I left… I flew hungover from partying too much at home.

What I really wanna do is just relax for a day… but you’re unable to be outside of the party. They immerse you in the band and music. It is heard throughout the complex and inside your room. My room didn’t have windows. It had square holes through the concrete with mosquito mesh. The music flowed inside very loudly.

The only negative review I read online is that the wi-fi doesn’t work inside your hostel room. I’ve encountered that before. It doesn’t bother me. I expected that, and yes, that’s correct. I think the concrete walls don’t allow the signal to travel far.

However, I think there’s a cap on the wi-fi. When everyone is on, it just stops working… or that’s what I experienced. The wi-fi only works in the dining area.

Negative Number Three

Speaking of the dining area…You have no outlets inside your hostel room. Let me rephrase that. There is one outlet in your room. It’s for your fan. Do you wanna die of heat exhaustion, or do you need juice for your phone? Those are your options. The only outlets are in the dining area. There is a mad dash all times of the day to plug in and stay connected. But there is plenty to choose from, so that’s cool.

The hostel is filled with awesome people. People you usually find in hostels. Cool-looking guys and girls that revel in a somewhat hippy lifestyle. I’m kinda like that, so I love that kind of people. But, now that I’m 32, I find that I’m the oldest guy around. Not here. There are people in their 50s here. It’s a nice thing to see older people getting some hostel loving too.

However, I have to draw the line at the families that are staying here. I’ve seen a few kids running around, and I am not all that keen on that. The kids look like they’re having a blast, which is nice to see. But when do you draw the line on vacation? Do you want to be comfortable, or do you want a cheap vacation? To be completely fair, I think one family I saw was an employee who brought her kid to dinner. That’s cool in my book.

Check out my video review of Poc Na Hostel below!

Let me break it down for you:

Hostel Poc Na: $9.75 a night. I paid almost 20 USD for two nights. It’s a good deal. Would I stay here again? No. I miss air conditioning.

Pros:

• Great people

• Free Breakfast

• By the beach

• Very cheap

• Free Wifi

• Beautiful staff

• Party vibe

• Free concert every night

• two bars

• lots of hammocks

• Restaurant

Cons:

• Can’t swim in the beach it’s next to

• No Kitchen

• Kids

• NO AC!

• no power outlets in your room

• Wi-fi only works in the dining area
• Can’t escape the party if you want to relax (party is only at night)

I suppose it depends on what you’re looking for.