Apr 14, 2014

As Jen mentioned in her post about about Hostel Riviera Maya, we hadn't intended on staying there. Rather we were hoping to stay at Hostel Sheck, located at Satelite Norte and Sagitario, 77780 Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico but when we arrived sweaty and tired, we were told there was not enough room for us. 

After staying instead at Hostel Riviera Maya, we were able to get into Hostel Sheck for two nights. Overall there were some great things about this hostel, and some not so great things about it. The owner, Mike, a young backpacker type with long hair and no shirt ever, definitely had his shit together. It seemed like he ran a pretty tight ship and had sort of thought of everything. He was always around and was always asking if we had any questions or needed any tips, which is exactly what travelers new to the road need. It was clear he knew what it was like to be a backpacker first hand and was obviously trying to make their experience easier for you.

The place felt pretty secure with high walls surrounding the compound with a gate that locked after a certain hour (you are given a key for this as a guest so no worries about being locked out), and our room had wooden lockers in it with locks for rent if you didn't bring your own. There is a shaded area of hammocks and chairs in the front where the bar is located which is quite nice, although the walls are so high and the compound so heavily populated with tall plant life that virtually all wind is blocked. This made it so hanging in a hammock out there, at least for me, was just too hot during the day, although it's possible this was just worse on the days were were there.

The shared bathrooms consisted of three stalls and one urinal in a hut with almost one full side open towards the bar area. They were clean enough and toilet paper and soap never seemed to be out so that was nice. There certainly could have been more privacy but that is sort of the way of a hostel. The showers were right around the corner from the toilets and were also completely open with only your shower curtain to block you from the rest of the hostel, and were also clean enough from what I could tell. The lights were on sensors to only turn on once a certain time hit or it was dark enough (I'm not sure which) in both the toilets and showers to conserve energy which I thought was awesome. Although sometimes for whatever reason, the sensors hadn't kicked in yet and you had to deal with low visibility, but that's no big deal.

The kitchen was big and fully stocked for your use, with breakfast included and drinking water was provided with a donation if you were willing.

The bar was hopping and was a fun atmosphere for sure. The drinks were cheap and there was good music playing. This hostel is also located just off the main strip, but close enough that it is a quick walk around the corner to several other bars for when people wanted something new.

We stayed in a four person dorm, which cost us 180 pesos (approximately $13.79 USD at the time) per person per night. The mattresses were on the thinner side but I am not a picky sleeper so I found it comfortable enough. The problem with the room, was that there was no fan and only a couple of tiny windows. As I mentioned before, the compound had virtually no breeze running through it so we were essentially sleeping in a concrete hot box. It was not pleasant to say the least. Even just one fan in there would have really made all the difference.

The other negative thing was that we encountered a lot more bugs than at the first hostel. Again I think this is partially because of the lack of breeze, but also because there seemed to be a lot of crap around the grounds. Right outside our room, there was a giant pile of logs and random wood that seemed to just be a breeding ground for mosquitos. Along the back fence, there were piles of...just crap...broken chair parts and rocks and constructiony looking things, which again, just begs for bugs to put up shop. 

Overall, this is a perfect hostel for backpackers who are looking for the typical party hostel with really decent amenities for the price. Just remember the bug spray and maybe a fan!

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