Hostel Mamallena
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Hostel Mamallena

Parque Central, Light Blue House, Boquete 0413 Panama
Traveller (87)
Cooking in the clean, spacious kitchen
Room & Suite (31)
Dining (6)

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About

#4 of 25 hostels in Boquete
4.8 of 5 bubbles
Location
4.1 of 5 bubbles
Rooms
4.3 of 5 bubbles
Value
4.2 of 5 bubbles
Cleanliness
4.3 of 5 bubbles
Service
3.8 of 5 bubbles
Sleep Quality
Mamallena Boquete hostel is your home away from home! Here it is the atmosphere and the service that makes the difference! Everything is made to make you feel comfortable and happy. Our friendly staff composed by locals has an answer for anything you wonder. It is also the most reliable source of information about Boquete and surroundings, ATM, transportation, travels and hostel facilities. In a colourful colonial wooden building with strong character, we provide different types of private rooms with en-suites and dorm beds, we've got a room for everyone. Add to that our great beds, free pancake breakfast, free internet and movies, great customer service and you have the perfect hostel for your stay in Boquete. Whether it's for a night, a week or a month, you're more than welcome.
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Property amenities
Street parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Free breakfast
Bicycle rental
Shuttle bus service
Baggage storage
Non-smoking hotel
24-hour front desk
Wifi
Shared kitchen
Shared lounge / TV area
Laundry service
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
2.0 of 5 stars
HOTEL STYLE
Budget
Centrally Located
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish

Location

Parque Central, Light Blue House, Boquete 0413 Panama

Reviews
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Traveller rating
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  • 71
  • 25
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Detailed Reviews
Aleksandra P wrote a review Nov 2020
Poznan, Poland
+1
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Hostal Mamallena is a colonial building at the main square of Boquete, a provincial town in the north-west of Panama. The room with a private bathroom is ok and quite clean. There is a big bed, a bunk bed and a sideboard. The light is dim and gloomy. You can rent towels for 10$ deposit. There is also a 5$ deposit for the key. Water isn't hot, it's lukewarm. Breakfast is included in the price, it's tea/coffee and pancakes but you have to fry them yourself. And I don't like them. We pay 25$/night for a double room booked with Booking.com which is cheaper because at the reception the price is 33$! The internet connection is good. There is a TV room and a few other places with sofas to have a rest. The staff is kind and helpful. They offer some trips and activities but you can organize them yourself, it's cheaper.
We check out when we climb Baru volcano at night and when we are back we get another room which is bigger and better.
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Date of stay: December 2019
3.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
3.0 of 5 bubblesService
3.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kpgreynomads wrote a review Apr 2020
King's Lynn, United Kingdom
4.0 of 5 bubbles
We were part of an Intrepid Group and had our own room and bathroom. The Hostel was quiet, sitting area near to us with comfy chairs. Good amount of spaces around in and out to sit and eat or just sit. Kitchen good, well equipped with utensils. Pancake mix and coffee on offer each morning which was a lovely touch. The staff were very helpful and spoke good English. Its centrally positioned too. We would recommend staying here.
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Date of stay: March 2020
5.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
Room Tip: Room 12. 1st floor, ensuite, two single beds and 2 bunk beds, fair amount of space .
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sadeeyor wrote a review Mar 2020
Glasgow, United Kingdom
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Stayed here 8 years ago when climbing Volcan Baru. Not so much fitness needed this time round, yet required a fair bit of stamina to get here in one day from Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. The natural first stop in Panama: no point staying in bland David, when another hour takes you up into the rarefied mountain rain.
Still felt familiar & ever-busy though still helpful. Boquete's more commercial & has lost some of its charm. Not all. Doesn't help that it rains in July; March was ideal last time.
Might have tried a different hostel this time, but a touch of nostalgia got me back. Different staff but similar friendly attitude. Ok-priced dorm bed, facilities fine, and always well set up for onwards movement. And hardly time to drip from the bus stop across the square.
The toings & froings with Bocas shuttles were relentless though, so not the most relaxing place to hang around, especially in the morning. No room to swing a kitten. (Of course I wouldn't.)
That aside, a happy return to Panama. Bocas is wonderful, as is Lost & Found. But that was then & done. Now other fish to fry en route to Colombia. Missed out on Santa Fe last time, and El Valle: these are two very different mountain settlements well worth breaking the journey to El Canal.
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Date of stay: July 2019
4.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
4.0 of 5 bubblesService
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tinethy wrote a review Sept 2014
Stuttgart, Germany
2.0 of 5 bubbles
bed bugs everywhere! The staff is average. The dorms are large and bright. If you come here you should be aware that it is hard to sleep, because a bar is right there. The hostel offers many tours and shuttle services
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Date of stay: September 2014Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Hostel M, Owner at Hostel Mamallena
Responded 30 Oct 2014
Hello hope you having a good trip and good day....been thinking much about your review and for sure I remember very well both of you girls....you came to the hostel with your friend and we showed you a dorm bed and then you said that was bed bugs in the beds, then we showed another dorm room and even just you walk into the room and you said the same thing, that this room was with bed bugs also , then to keep you satify we give you a private bedroom a bedroom for 4 people and you wanst satify...I remember both of you sitting in the computers talking very friendly with the staff, specificly with the guy who sell the tours and now you said our staff in not interesting and not helpful??? Dont bite the hands of who help you...as my staff were fine and helpful with you. Is completly unfair from you to try to destroy us with this not scense review that you wrote...again and then we dont have BED BUGS AT ALL...the bugs you saw in the bed were complety and only TERMITE... WE DONT HAVE BED BUGS AT ALL EVERYWHERE AT ALL... 5 years running this place more than 50,000 thousand traveler we had in the past years and just 230 review...basicly everyone have been happy with the hostel and with the staff...so this comment review is NOT ACCEPTABLE AT ALL... For who are reading this message, thanks for taking the time to read our reviews on trip advisor... HOSTEL MAMALLENA BOQUETE have been and still the hub of the traveler in Boquete, the only place in town with 24 hours reception with staff that have been traine to help and give as much info possible and to make your stay great... dont let this review to turn you down to stay with us where you will have a good stay and good experience...thanks again for read this review.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
elly.m wrote a review Feb 2015
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
4.0 of 5 bubbles
This is a cute place located right in the heart of Boquete, in front of the city square. It is a small, cozy hostel with a nice staff. Bring a padlock or 2 because the lockers are located outside the dorms.
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Date of stay: June 2014
4.0 of 5 bubblesValue
4.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
4.0 of 5 bubblesService
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lee K wrote a review Mar 2014
Helsinki, Finland
3.0 of 5 bubbles
We spend 2 nights in private room at hostel Mamalena.

+ Rooms are simple but nice with wooden floor
+ location is great.
+ pancakes

- they DON`T have hot water at all. Only cold water.
- part of the staff is too laid back, they talk with you and same time keep they feet on table.
- cockroaches
- it is right place for you if don´t mind about kids playing loud they music at 1.30 am. Staff
don´t do anything about it. It is annoying because walls are very thin.

Would I go again? No.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2014
3.0 of 5 bubblesValue
3.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
3.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
3.0 of 5 bubblesService
1.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
blablublabla wrote a review Mar 2014
Dortmund, Germany
2.0 of 5 bubbles
We stayed 3 nights at mamallena. It's located in the center of boquete and was the only hostel which had free beds during carnival. We got a 4 bed room which was nice but the next day we had to move to a dorm (they did not tell is when we arrived). In the dorm one of us got bed bugs and the stuff did not really care about that. It was unorganized and dirty there.
The pancakes for breakfast were good.
The showers only had cold water.
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Date of stay: March 2014Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brigid M wrote a review Jan 2014
Minneapolis, Minnesota
4.0 of 5 bubbles
We arrived at Mamallena at 430AM after two flights and a very uncomfortable seven hour overnight bus ride from Panama City Albrook. Although we found out our private room would not be ready until 11AM, the guys at the front desk were kind enough to let us crash on the couch until our room was ready. The private rooms are $30 a night, and are clean and comfortable. Mamallena is also chock full of information about the area, and had a $5 shuttle to take us to Volcan Baru for a midnight climb as well as the Almirante shuttle to Bocas ($30, which includes cost of the water taxi to Bocas). Mamallena is easy to find as it is in the main square of Boquete. My only complaint was the noise volume coming from the DJs at the Festival del Cafe y Las Flores that lasted from 6PM-5AM, but there is nothing that could be done. Fellow travellers come from all over the world. I definitely recommend this hostel to anyone staying in Boquete, as their services and organization made our stay in Boquete so pleasant.
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Date of stay: January 2014
5.0 of 5 bubblesValue
4.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
4.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
2.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Melody S wrote a review Jul 2012
United States
2.0 of 5 bubbles
I found the staff at this hostel rude, unwelcoming, and not very helpful. Every time I had a question, they made me feel like they didn't have time to help me. Facilities were nice but basic, and the walls in the dorms were like paper: I could hear each whisper from neighboring rooms. Sad because I found the Mamallena in both Panama City and Cartagena to be very lovely! Also sad because Boquete is such a beautiful city, but there weren't (as far as I could see) any quality hostels. Maybe that's why Mamallena staff doesn't really feel the need to offer high quality customer service. I would never stay here again.
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Date of stay: July 2012
4.0 of 5 bubblesValue
3.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
4.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
1.0 of 5 bubblesService
2.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SGTA2012 wrote a review May 2012
Chicago, Illinois
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Just know what you're getting into: a bit dirty, very loud, lack of hot water showers bc of overuse or bad pipes or who knows and super packed common areas and kitchen. Definitely a lot of interesting travelers and staff members who are all nice and helpful, even if they don't always shower on a regular basis. My husband and I are a little older (30) & and are traveling together, so the party hostels (which this is) are not for us. Our private room was pretty disgusting (mold and hair on the rug). There are other hostels in Boquete for same price or even cheaper which are a much better value in terms of room, cleanliness, and amenities.
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Date of stay: April 2012
3.0 of 5 bubblesValue
2.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
2.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
1.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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tamic59 asked a question Apr 2017
Wailuku, Hawaii29 contributions11 helpful votes
How much was shuttle to Vulcan Baru?
Boquete, Panama3 contributions
It depends, if we have more than 4 people is just $5 USD each, if we have 2 people is $10 USD each (we usually have more than 4 people).
kpgreynomads wrote a tip Apr 2020
King's Lynn, United Kingdom177 contributions71 helpful votes
4.0 of 5 bubbles
"Room 12. 1st floor, ensuite, two single beds and 2 bunk beds, fair amount of space ."
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Reginald S wrote a tip Dec 2018
California, United States1,222 contribution106 helpful votes
3.0 of 5 bubbles
"Quieter on the stores (right) side of the building."
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Camilo C wrote a tip Aug 2018
Santa Catalina, Panama363 contributions77 helpful votes
5.0 of 5 bubbles
"Get a room on the other side of the restaurant that is on the left side of the hostel"
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Ba8ydriver wrote a tip Mar 2017
United Kingdom222 contributions53 helpful votes
3.0 of 5 bubbles
"Private room with ensuit was wdequate"
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CindyBrisVegas wrote a tip Feb 2017
Brisbane, Australia203 contributions41 helpful votes
5.0 of 5 bubbles
"unsure about the dorm rooms, but the private rooms with shared bathroom were very small, pay the extra and get private room with ensuite"
Read full review
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LOCATION
PanamaChiriqui ProvinceBoquete
NUMBER OF ROOMS
17
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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HOSTEL MAMALLENA | Reviews (Boquete, Panama)

Frequently Asked Questions about Hostel Mamallena
Which popular attractions are close to Hostel Mamallena?
Nearby attractions include Chox Artisan Chocolate (0.2 km), Boquete Tuesday Market (0.2 km), and TapOut Sports Zone (0.2 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Hostel Mamallena?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and laundry service.
What food & drink options are available at Hostel Mamallena?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast during their stay.
Is parking available at Hostel Mamallena?
Yes, street parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Hostel Mamallena?
Conveniently located restaurants include Buckle Tip Coffee Studio, Boquete Sandwich Shop, and Ngädri Gastronomía Panameña.
Is Hostel Mamallena located near the city centre?
Yes, it is 0.3 km away from the centre of Boquete.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Hostel Mamallena?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Spanish.
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