Mountain House Hostel in Manizales

Brians says on Dec 17, 2007, 08:15:

car1 I think he is just making a point and not saying that is bad she didn't speak english.

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Brians says on Dec 17, 2007, 08:33:

That is a Pet peeve with me as well GIB but car1 jumped on him for no reason. Brian has lived in Colombia a while and has been studying spanish so he is not that type. I bet Brian's spanish is better than car1's english.

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Colombiche says on Dec 17, 2007, 08:39:

Never heard of that hostel before, but I do know of a few very good hotels in Manizales, ranging from posh to budget. I will grab the list later and post it (it's on paper so I have to type it up).

BTW, the best time to visit Manizales is during La Feria, which takes place in early January. Accomodations are probably more expensive, but it's a good time to visit my little city :)

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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bogotabrian says on Dec 17, 2007, 09:13:

Wow, I did not mean to touch off this huge debate. It wasn´t so bad that the girl in charge didn´t speak English. The owners were on vacation so I am sure that they are there most of the time. The girl was VERY sweet though. I do, however, think that you need to have people who speak English there if you are running a hostel but that´s just me. I don´t run a hostel. Also, I think that it is natural for travelers to want to run into other travelers. I felt like I was in the private home of Colombians having a family dinner, and I thought that the owners could have done a better job keeping the place up. Again, I am not a hostel owner. I am just observing as a traveler who has stayed in many a hostel. You can take the comments as you may.

My Spanish is good enough to get what I want though it would be a lot better if I didn´t have so many gringo friends in Colombia! I am trying though. =)

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RUV says on Dec 17, 2007, 10:47:

Brian,

Thanks for the info. I was planning on going there. I guess I will have to go to plan B. You see your post was useful.

Before moving into an apartment, I stayed at Black Sheep in Medellin, and the girls working there did not speak English or not much of it. The owner was out as well. He was on a Vacation trip I think. I dropped by later and he had just arrived. Nice guy. Regardless, the gringos seemed to get by with the non speaking reception. I did have to translate once.

Colombiche really appreciate any info on any other hostels.

Peace.

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morphus says on Dec 17, 2007, 10:58:

Could'nt get into the bathroom? You could have pissed in a jug and made doody in a bag. THats what I would have did. When they find (and smell) the doody bags in the garbage maybe they will learn their lesson.

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kalder says on Dec 17, 2007, 11:01:

car is bazucojoe, i no dis good

"kalder- have you ever had a woman?"--Sam Salmon

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Brians says on Dec 17, 2007, 11:12:

kalder jajajaja!

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bogjudge says on Dec 17, 2007, 14:49:

Back on topic - Mountain House in Manizales. I live here in Manizales. In fact I live within 3 blocks of the Mountain House which is located in a good part of this nice small city. That is the primary attraction I suppose. It is exactly what it advertises - a small inexpensive hostel. I see young backpackers from all over Europe and North America gathered there almost daily. If you want a cheap warm place to stay, this is it. If you want frills,including English speaking service, go somewhere else.

What Lies Over Yonder Horizon?

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bogotabrian says on Dec 17, 2007, 15:44:

I am not joking! This happened to me! Car1, I am sorry but I did not enjoy my one hour at your hostel but your sister was VERY nice to me. I speak some Spanish so it was not a huge deal. You seem to have your whole family there watching TV and having a big dinner in the kitchen. There were babies crying, it did not seem like a hostel. There were no foreignors there.

RUV - I did see some other hotels in the area, and if you want I can check around for you. What is your budget? I am staying now in a two bedroom beautiful apt but it is expensive. I am leaving to go back to Medellin tomorrow but I can post the options here before I leave.

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RUV says on Dec 17, 2007, 17:14:

Brian

Do not worry about it. Enjoy your time there. It is nice offer though. I was going to stay there for the location more then anything. I stayed at the following hotel when I was in Manizales.

Stayed at the Hotel Fundadores (http://www.hotelfundadores.com/):
1) Took a cab from the bus terminal to the hotel. Cost was 3000 pesos.
2) Cost
a. 85,000 con discount. Just ask for it. This is for one person. 50,000 for additional persons.
b. 180 regular price for one person.
c. 168 regular price for 2 beds. 50,000 for additional person.
3) Nice / clean little hotel. Rooms are nice. Warm water with little water pressure. TV with cable.
4) Wifi is available, if you have computer with Wifi access. I had problems connecting from a room in the far back. Ask for a room closer to the front of the hotel.
5) Restaurant is available. Breakfast is included. I did not try it; there are lots of other options.

Brian, thanks again for your post.

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missbels says on Dec 17, 2007, 17:51:

Hi

I stayed at the Mountain House in Manizales twice this year. It is true that the owner didn't speak English but she was so sweet. It was a bit like staying in a Colombian house, it is true, and it wasn't overrunning with backpackers when I was first there. But I met some people, including some that I had met in the Black Sheep.

I loved the Mountain House for the warmth, the location and the fact that they gave me a free t shirt when I left:) I liked it so much in fact that I stopped there again on my way back to Bogota and the owner greeted me with a big hug, like I was a long lost friend.

i am sorry to hear that your time there wasn't great but I would hate to hear of other people being put off- or of them feeling as unhappy with the place as you were. Maybe it is better when the owner is there
happy travels!
H

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bogotabrian says on Dec 17, 2007, 19:12:

I am sure that the owners are great. Heck the sister was super sweet to me. I just thought that they didn´t put anything into the house and having the whole family there with babies and such was a put-off for a first impression.

Not to be critical of Colombians, because I love them all, but they tend to run businesses very short-sighted and not put a lot back into them. I think this is the case with the Mountain House. It has all the potiental in the world because of the location and staff but seems they have let the house go. The rooms were dirty and just had no furniture (other than a bed) and trash and cables running across the floor, etc.

I went to meet the owner of Casa Kiwi, for example, and he seemed to run a tigher ship. It is a hostel and not a five star hotel by any means but you can tell he is keeping the house up, making improvements, etc.

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Atrevido says on Dec 18, 2007, 19:28:

Mountain House sounds like a shitty dump. Thanks for the heads up.I´ll stick with the Tama Internacional.

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bufalo says on Dec 19, 2007, 19:03:

I'd take a look at the original OP - it was a customers honest opinion. The owner should take that into consideration, doesn't matter if it's family or not. A customer spoke up.

This being said, I've never beent here myself, but have heard that the place had been empty and even asked if it was still running. Could be a great place, maybe get there soon, but if I was the owner and heard several customers talking like that, it'd be a heads up.

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

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kristofski says on Dec 20, 2007, 09:04:

haha, I live in Manizales and actually happen to know the girl. She speaks english fluently

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kristofski says on Dec 20, 2007, 09:10:

Moreover, she uses it in the hostel in case you do not speak spanish or you prefer to communicate in english. So I guess there must have been a misunderstanding or you must have told here that you prefer to speak spanish to learn some.

Moreover the place is very clean and warm. They recently moved,that is perhaps why you saw a cable or two.
I lived there myself for two months and a half recently. I never saw families and babies. Normally it is filled with backpackers. So, when you were there, it was just an exception.

Main message:Mountain House is a very nice hostel. And next time, before spreading a message on the internet, perhaps you should not base your opinion on a very short stay. People get the wrong the idea then. That is a shame. Moreover, she does speak english, so you are even spreading lies. Next time be a little more careful

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bogotabrian says on Dec 20, 2007, 09:56:

Kristofski,

First off, I don't like being called a liar so quit it. I was there and left because the room only had a bed, no furniture, and was dirty. There were things on the shelves not picked up. There was a crying baby being changed in the shared bathroom. There were no back-packers. The girl in charge (another member posted it was the sister of the owner because the owner was gone to Medellin) didn't speak English. The time I went there were a family of Colombians who brought in food and were eating in the kitchen while three or four Colombians lying around watching TV.

This is what I saw, kristofski, so next time listen to the little monkey before you post.

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bufalo says on Dec 20, 2007, 11:17:

Don't know him at all, but I don't see the big deal with bogotabrian's post.

He was a customer who showed up and gave his honest opinion about a business - what's the problem? Kristofski spoke in favor on the internet yet he says bogotabrian shouldn't talk against the place - good for the goose...... Think, what are these pages for? To talk about our experiences and help others out. If several people say the same thing bogotabrian says, then I wouldn't go either.

Actualy kristofky just became a member so what do we really know about this person? bogotabrian has been here at least a year or so. Not saying that that automatically makes him right, but at least we have some history to go by.

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

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static says on Dec 20, 2007, 11:30:

I was going to say the same thing, but bufalo beat me to it. This medium is called a FORUM.

We exchange ideas here. Many of them are true. Some are not. Some are plain conjecture.

However, in this age of the Internet, savvy guesthouse owners have learned to pay attention to what impressions people are having in their establishments. This is only one of many travel forums. These days, it is not necessary to rely solely upon Lonely Planet or Footprint guides; word gets around much more quickly than ever before.

The honest opinions from members are why many of us come here.

Also, I wouldn't put any stock into the comments of a pissant newbie who joins just to make a rebuttal.

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billyb says on Dec 20, 2007, 12:57:

And moreover, Kristofky uses "moreover" way too much.

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bufalo says on Dec 20, 2007, 13:13:

To quote the great Caroll O'Connor playing Archie Bunker:

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it."

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

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Man Tequila says on Dec 20, 2007, 19:43:

Sorry about your experience BB. I have found most people in hostels do not speak English, but I really do not expect them to either. Most people in hostels in Canada speak little Chinese. I also do not know what the staff could do about a baby with diarrhea or whatever, but they should have had another bathroom?

Hostels -- I have stayed in very good and very bad. The problem with Colombian hostels is so few are reviewed on-line. So many American kids go to the other ones outside of Colombia (then review them) that you know what to expect.

Aunque no me creas/ si me lo propongo/ lograre olvidarte/ porque a fin de cuentas/ no soy tan cobarde./ Y termino todo una de estas tardes/ no sera dificil buscar algún sitio donde refugiarme/ donde nunca mas vuelvas a encontrarme. (Polo Montañez)

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bogotabrian says on Dec 21, 2007, 06:16:

Hey, I didn't not have a big problem with the girl not speaking English. My Spanish is good enough, though I wish it were better to be honest. The main point was that it didn't seem like a hostel but more like a Colombian family gathering because I guess it was slow. I have stay at many hostels in my life and never had this experience.

Thanks for the other posters for backing me up. I didn't like being called a lair. You can call me other things but a liar I am not.

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Brians says on Dec 21, 2007, 06:23:

A liar you are not but striking out with Paisas you are:) Just joking and couldn't help myself.

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Man Tequila says on Dec 21, 2007, 14:02:

In Europe, hotels can be quite expensive. The hostels there are full of college kids travelling relatively cheaply. They see tons of tourist so talking English is a big priority.

Hostels in South America are also a cheap form of accomodation, but hotels are often avaialble for $20-$50 so many tourists stay at those. Hostels do indeed seem to attract more families. Speaking English is a little less of a priority. Colombian hostels in particular are not widely reviewed on the Internet, which is a good way to know which ones are popular, secure, fun, well located, etc. I have nothing against hostels but would want a recommendation from someone before doing so, if possible.

Aunque no me creas/ si me lo propongo/ lograre olvidarte/ porque a fin de cuentas/ no soy tan cobarde./ Y termino todo una de estas tardes/ no sera dificil buscar algún sitio donde refugiarme/ donde nunca mas vuelvas a encontrarme. (Polo Montañez)

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bogotabrian says on Dec 21, 2007, 14:08:

Car1, I would LOVE to teach the girl who was working there English. She was very sweet to me and very cute too. Also, and I feel bad to say this given my Spanish, but I don't quite understand what you are trying to say. I will be in Manizales on Sunday and I'll be happy to give both of you an hour or lesson over coffee if you like.

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pedro says on Dec 21, 2007, 14:51:

Hmm Brian, you might have just arrived on an off day.

I stayed there several times and my experiences have always been good.

It seems they recently moved... I have no experience with the new place, so I can't comment on that. The previous house had three bathrooms. Are you sure there was only one bathroom in the new place? If so, that's not ideal.

Also not great that there are babies, it does tend to destroy the ambience a bit.

On the other hand, I don't care too much if there are Colombians staying there. I've stayed in hostels in Australia with Australian guests, hostels in Israel with Israeli groups. So what?

The house can often be pretty vacant. Manizales is not a huge destination on the backpacking circuit. That said, any time I've visted there were always a few other guests in the house, and during the feria it's always full. People tend to travel up from Cali and do the ferias back to back.

The staff and owners are worth their weight in gold. They've always been great to me. Yeah, the night attendant C is the sweetest girl you'll ever meet and she's a little hottie too.

que nota!

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bogotabrian says on Dec 21, 2007, 22:19:

Car1 you're being hostile now and I don't deserve it. There was a SIGN called the Mountain House out front. I was in the right place and my experience wasn't good. Sorry if you're not happy about it. Also you might want to try spreading your insults in Spanish, it might be understood that way.

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billyb says on Dec 22, 2007, 00:06:

I think bogbrian went out of his way to not be judgemental and tried to be fair in relating his experience at the MHouse hostel. There's no need to to attack him. If you disagree, just explain why.

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bogotabrian says on Dec 22, 2007, 07:19:

Car1, the sign was attached to the front of the house. The girl inside was very sweet and told me that this was the Mountain House and explained everything in Spanish which is ok because I need practice. I promise that I will stay at the Mountain House on my next trip and stay the whole night and only report on the postive experiences. I will stay in the best room you have if it is available. I hope you have a very merry Christmas too! Cheers. Brian

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Dec 22, 2007, 09:24:

Brian, never mind....this is getting quite silly. You gave your honest opinion about a hostal and have not insulted anybody.. ,

Car1, what are you trying to do?

"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them."-President George W. Bush

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bufalo says on Dec 22, 2007, 17:34:

don't charge him on his next trip!

but gotta agree with Desi. If I was the owner and read what you wrote - which seemed just an honest opinion to me, I would take it into consideration. Isn't it true that the owner wasn't even there that day? Maybe his/her family showed up and made the place a mess, who knows? I don't see what the reason would be for yourself to come on a public board and just make up negative experiences so I don't believe you are doing so. Maybe it was an off day, maybe when the cat was away the mouse did play, who knows?

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

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Robert Jorge says on Dec 22, 2007, 21:52:

BogBrian, I think you have gone out of your way to make clear you were just sharing an honest experience from your recent visit to the hotel. You have been beyond "nice" about it. I wouldn't sweat it anymore. You were never out of line, didn't say anything innappropriate, and you clarified many times your original post. You have nothing to apologize for. Thanks for the information.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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Robert Jorge says on Dec 24, 2007, 00:42:

Oh boy. Another one.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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bufalo says on Dec 24, 2007, 08:44:

I teach here at an English speaking-school based on the US system. It isn't a school to learn English, rather a regular high-school where they speak English (for the most part). I have recieved plenty of term papers that were written like chorizo above writes - besides the spelling, no idea of format, there is also a lot of:

"My final evening I produce a wonder of modern science my ..." the kids try to write in a poetic form and end up saying absolutely nothing.

Looks the same here. Like RJ said, don't sweat it, you've been overly nice.

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

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bufalo says on Dec 24, 2007, 17:36:

to quote RJ once again:

"Oh boy. Another one."

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

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eywed says on Dec 24, 2007, 17:43:

Ahhhhh man I did not know we were being graded on our spelling and grammer. What happens if I score too low ?

Ay Hombe!!!!!

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bufalo says on Dec 25, 2007, 11:27:

that wasn't the point. Rereading my post one may figure out what I was trying to say. The local kids here write the exact same style as chorizo - a newbie all of a sudden defending the mountain house. do you think he is car1 or one of his buddies who signed up to help out????? HHHHHHHHHHHHmmm, maybe.

I spell things wrong too, but you missed the whole point.

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

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bufalo says on Dec 26, 2007, 09:40:

Never said I was an English teacher. IMO the two of you tend to write quite similar in this post ipso facto (if that is the right saying, another Archie Bunker quote) seems to me it's the same person or a close aquatence. You just popped up right around when MMH needed defending - doesn't seem all that credible - could be, but doesn't look like it.

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

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bufalo says on Dec 26, 2007, 17:07:

yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn.

(also helps to put a quote in quotations - quite a coincidence, the similarity in the words, no?)

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

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