Hostal Plantas y Blanco (Plants and White Hostel) has a relaxed, backpacker atmosphere. The highlight of the establishment is the rooftop lounge, which serves breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and, during the rest of the day, functions as a community kitchen and lounge with a CD player, magazines and games.

The rooms are simple and priced according to size and views. Rooms with private baths are $6.50 or $7.50 per person. You can pay an extra dollar if you want one of the seven rooms with a view. In rooms with a private bath, the shower is not separated from the rest of the bathroom. The owners of Plantas y Blanco also run Hospedaje Santa Cruz around the corner, which offers rooms at the same price, if one of theirhostels is full, they may ask to put you in their other location.

The only real oddity about this hostel is the Ecuadorian management’s strange and discriminatory policy towards potential Ecuadorian clients. As a way of supposedly protecting foreign travelers from theft, they refuse service to all Ecuadorians. In the end, the policy only manages to stop tourists from experiencing one of the most important aspects of traveling to another country -- meeting local people.

Location:
12 de Noviembre y Luis A Martinez
Baños, Ecuador

Hotel Types:
Bienvenidos/as !!!!, Cheap but adequate

This Hotel is: Budget

Hotel Amenities, Services and Facilities Community Kitchen, Laundry Service, Internet Facilities - Free, 24-Hour Reception, Safe in Reception or Rooms, Book Exchange - Free, Luggage Storage, 24-Hour Hot Water, Meeting facilities, Pets Allowed, Spa, Room Service, Wake-Up Call, Telephone/Fax Facilities, Taxes Included in Price

Credit cards accepted
American Express, MasterCard/Eurocard, Visa

Currencies accepted
US dollar

Getting There:
you go first to the church and after in the direction of Virgen falls

Room Prices:
Lower:$6.50
Higher:$9.50
Price Description:$6.50 per person - bed dorm with shared bathroom

$8.50 per person - room with private bathroom in low period

$9.50 per person - room with bathroom in high period

Contact Information:
Phone: 593-3-2740044
E-mail: option3(at)remove-this.hotmail.com

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Reviews

Traveler Reviews of Hostal Plantas y Blanco

Excellent

I've been in this hotel and i really enjoy this place. It's very clean and very secure.The personal is very friendly an all the service exist for your commodity.Highly recommended.

Traveler from France on Jul 07, 2008

Recommended

This place has been recommended to me by various people. I just want to add that in a backpacker hostel with dorm rooms, it is essential to have a non-Ecuadorian policy unless they are well known by other guests . People always leave money, cameras etc. lying around and it is only when they are stolen that people complain. If most backpacker hostels allowed locals off the street to stay in shared dorm rooms then it would quickly be known to thieves. Can't blame poor Ecuadorians for stealing but dorm rooms should only generally permit foreigners unless you want problems.

Traveler on Oct 23, 2007

not all it's cracked up to be...

We stayed at Plantas y Blanco for three days and found it mediocre at best. However, it is cheap and caters to gringos. (In fact, friends of ours were told their Ecuadorian friend was NOT allowed in the hostel.) As we had some relatives coming we thought would be more comfortable with an all-gringo atmosphere, we made reservations to stay again for one night--TWO MONTHS in advance. When we arrived, we were told that the rooms were booked and we couldn't have what we had been promised--three rooms, two of which matrimonals. While my husband and I went to search for another place, the people working bad-mouthed us the entire time. These people know NOTHING about business, are rude, and really think their hostel is much better than it is. There are LOTS of nice places to stay in Baños... skip this one.

Natalie Ballard from EEUU (live in Quito) on Jun 12, 2007

LOVED Plantas y Blanco

We came back several times to stay there. It was right in the heart of Banos, the volcano adventure town, it was incredibly cheap, very clean, GREAT roof top restaraunt, an open fridge full of water/soda/beer, etc that operates on the honor-system of "write down and pay later" whatever you take. Use it like a hostel-wash your dirty nalgenes, or use it like a resort- schedule a Turkish bath steam water treatment for three dollars! The internet works and there are two computers for free to email, etc.

Traveler from Chicago on May 22, 2006

This makes me sick!!!!

I can't belive that in an Ecuadorian hostal an Ecuadorian can't enter because he is Ecuadorian. There are bad people in every part of the world. Ecuadorians don't ROB. If someone has morals, he won't go to that hostal ever. THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THIS HOSTAL MAKE ME SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Traveler from Quito, Ecuador on Feb 23, 2006

I like it! ...

I like it!

Traveler from Liverpool, UK on Jan 20, 2005

This place is what its name says it ...

This place is what its name says it is \"white\", and pretty sterile and cold feeling. Usually lots of backpackers hanging out though in the rooftop restaurant that has decent food.

Crit from Denver, Colorado on Jan 19, 2005