My husband and I stayed here three nights on our way to and from Patagonia. The private room with a double bed and private bath was a good deal at $50/night -- clean, cheery, decent-sized and had cable TV. We also stayed in another private room with a bunk bed ($38/night) that was literally size of a tin can. We didn't mind since we had an early flight out the next morning, but I can see how it wouldn't be ideal.

The hostel is within walking distance to the Central Mercado, Plaza de Armas and Santa Lucia. There are laundromats, a supermarket, Internet cafes, restaurants and good cafes all within blocks. Breakfast was simple and served in the basement. There's a nice lounge area to just chill out, surf the Web or play pool with other guests. There's also a cool local restaurant across the street that offered ice cold liter-sized beers and piping hot cheese empanadas. Yum!

One last note: the service here was erratic -- the English-speaking staff was either super friendly and helpful, or they couldn't-be-bothered. It depended on the time of day. We were lucky to get one young guy who helped us with some travel planning, stored out luggage, gave us advice and called us a cab when we needed. Overall, it was a good experience and I would return here.

Great place to with regards to decor and location (check out Torro Restaurant past art gallery over river on right hand side).

We stayed in a double en suite room which cost 25 pounds a night - reasonable for Santiago. The dorm bathrooms looked good too - but as a couple we wanted some privacy.

Breakfast was not great - cheese toasty and slice of cake with orange juice - always in a dirty glass.

It was winter when we stayed and the temperature was cold. We had a radiator in our room which was not turned on (the other radiatiors in the hostel were also turned off) we had no heater and single glased windows. We asked at reception how to switch the radiator on, but were told this was not possible and we would have to request a blanket in the morning. This was not acceptable as it was winter time and the lack of heating should have been made clear at time of booking. We can only assume the central heating either did not work or the hostel owner chose not to use it. The staff did not enlighten us.

Check out was slow and the staff seemed to be annoyed that we booked through hostel world and not through their website. Hostel world rates were slightly less than those advertised in the hostel. The receptionist was very rude and blanked us when we said goodbye when we left.

Do not stay here in winter.

Loved the place. Was there for about a week and must say being there made all the difference. The hostel is brand new (they said it had been working for a few weeks), everything is pristine and the staff were of tremendous help. They told me where to go, where to find what I was looking for and had great tips on nightlife (there are some cool restaurants and pubs nearby).
Getting there (for the first time and on my daily touring) was a breeze since the hostel was less than 50m away from the subway.
All in, a must stay place in santiago. I guarantee you´ll love it