Yira Yira is by far the best hostel I have ever stayed at. Period. I came to Buenos Aires to teach English, didn't have a place to stay, knew no one, and upon arrival at Yira Yira, I felt like I found my home away from home. The place is spotless, with the perfect amount of sunlight indoors and a cute little patio, you may never want to leave. The owner, Paz, is an intelligent, traveled and well-rounded "portena", and was always available to answer questions. Even better, she does everything possible to make sure you're comfortable. I was weary about sharing a bathroom as this is usually a disagreeable experience, but this is definitely not the case at Yira Yira. I liken the whole experience to staying at your really good friend's house. You come and go as you please, and are always welcomed warmly when you come back. I stayed at Yira Yira until I found an apt. and stayed there a month and two weeks. I was not the only one who "accidentally" stayed longer than planned. It was just that easy to stay...

We spent two months in Argentina and used Yira Yira as our homebase in BA. The house was beautiful, clean, and almost always filled with fun, interesting, and respectful travellers to get to know. It was a great place for us because we were not looking for a rowdy hostel but a quiet "tranquilo" atmosphere. Yira Yira is small (only has 4 rooms), but it makes it feel more like a home away from home and allows you to really get to know the people you are staying with. There is wireless internet, which is a big plus. My favorite part is the patio where we would bring our bottles of Malbec, olives, and cheese every afternoon and practice our spanish with Paz, the owner and whoever else wanted to join us. I wish I could go back right now!

Paz was a wonderful host and in the end became a great friend. She made sure that we always knew where we were going, that we were safe, and even showed us around the restaurants and sights of the city! We spent 9 months travelling through South America and Yira Yira was easily the best place we stayed. If you go, tell Paz "hola" for me!

Look no further; Yira Yira is the best place to stay in BA !! I just read the last review and I'm shocked, because I had the exactly opposite experience.... Yira Yira is the perfect friendly environment where you can relax make friends from all around the globe and sleep well at night, is cheap, perfect located, walking distance to almost every touristy point, subtes, colectivos, oohh and did I mention super clean...
Yira Yira is my first experience in a Hostel, at first I was nervous to book it but Paz gave me confidence with her prompt and concise answers, when I got there and saw the place all my doubts disappeared, the place was perfect I loved it !! to stay at the Yira Yira was the best decision I made because otherwise I hadn’t had the chance to know the places I went, the places only locals know and us tourists don’t get the chance to know, all this because of Paz, if you spend half an hour talking to her whom is always happy to converse will save you hours and hours of looking trough guide books and not to mention way better advices !! The place has a great location walking distance to almost every interesting spot, 10 min walking to the Recoleta cemetery 8 to shopping mall Patio Bullrich 2 to Sta. Fe street (shopping avenue) 5 minutes to the Obelisk, 10 to Plaza de Mayo and Casa Rosada, and so on…besides it’s only 4 blocks to the subway where you can get to Palermo for only US 0.30 cents. I recommend this place to any family, independent traveler who wishes to live Buenos Aires, Paz will be the Friend who will receive and orient you in this cosmopolitan city. I’m sure if Ebert and Roeper stayed here they will surely give it two thumbs up !!!!!! ☺

in a nutshell: think of this as a homestay, else incur the *wrath* of paz.

initially i was going to stay at yira yira only for my last night in BA/argentina because i needed a b/b that would allow me to arrive after midnight (when i would be returning from patagonia). but i ultimately ended up booking yira yira for my entire time in BA because of problems w other places where i had made reservations and would have stayed (palermo viejo b/b = did not honor my reservation, i've written another TA review; mansilla 3935 = cats, i'm allergic).

what i didn't realize from the other reviews and/or the website is that all of the guest rooms are immediately adjacent to the reception/common area. doors for at least two of the rooms have windows (i.e., do not block out light -- then there's light coming in from the street). i got the smallest of the 3 rooms (about 6' x 8' -- 2 very small twin beds + desk + dresser).

my first night, paz and the other guests were talking in the common area -- because of the physical environment i described, i felt like i was still on the plane (i.e., they were talking right outside my door, much ambient light) -- except that i was horizontal on a bed not much larger than a massage table. the posted house rules said that there should be "silence in the common area after 11p." exhausted, i socialized a little and waited...at 12:30 am, i asked if they could please move the discussion to the kitchen. the mexican couple said it would be fine, paz said they would speak more softly.

as i was about to leave the next morning, paz knocked on my door and said that if i wanted to move she would refund my $$ (she had asked for payment for all 8 nights immediately upon my arrival) but that she wouldn't be told what to do in her own house. when i cited her own posting, he *took down* her *own* house rules and said they didn't apply to me and that if i wanted to stay there i would abide by *her* rules. she yelled at me extensively in spanish -- when i said i didn't really understand and another guest stepped in to interpret, she walked away. the other guest said that ***paz does have a temper and that he's seen her yell at other guests.***

traumatized, i spent a couple hours checking out another place in palermo -- but decided to stick it out at yirayira since i didn't want to waste more time on housing and b/c i really just wanted a clean, safe, relatively inexpensive place to crash while in BA.

in addition to being temperamental, paz is also nocturnal. my cousin (whom i was *visiting* -- i.e., raison d'etre for the trip) called one morning multiple times between 9-10 am. paz said i was still sleeping (but i would have taken the call because this would have been the only time we could make plans). i politely apologized for having to wake up early on 2 days -- paz told me to shower the night before and did not offer to call a cab for me when i'd be leaving before sunrise.

additionally, on my way back from iguazu, i emailed paz to let her know my flight schedule had changed + i would be delayed returning. *when* i arrived late sat night, she told me the entire bldg had lost water and that all the other guests had had to leave. she 'took the liberty' of making a reservation at recoleta hostel (which was nasty and had cat), so i ended up scrambling (again). i think she should have at least contacted my cousin (my emergency contact in the area) asap. before leaving for patagonia, i did ask her to keep me updated on the water situation so i wouldn't have to make emergency arrangements again. a couple days later, she said there was still no water, so i had to keep looking for hotel rooms when i was supposed to be enjoying patagonia...

on top of that, she did *not* offer laundry service (since one of her assistants had left, or something or whatever), so i had to make a special trip across town to pick up my laundry after i was no longer staying there.

finally, look at hostel search engines, you might get a better rate than if you contact her directly. once she's given you a higher rate, she won't honor the other rate, or even the lower rate on her own website....