Travelling soon - any advice if hostels accept cards in Ecuador or I have to give them cash
In small guesthouses in the Amazon region they insisted on cash only. Urban hostels in cities are fine with cards. I just make sure to have at least 50 USD in cash for backup.
I stayed in hostels in Manta and they took cards no problem. But I saw others leave a note that they preferred cash payments to avoid fees.
Yup they usually take Visa or Mastercard at bigger hostels. I paid with my Revolut card in Guayaquil at a hostel that looked fairly local yet still accepted it. But once I checked in late at a mountain lodge near Otavalo, they simply wouldn’t process cards. I always carry some cash for backup.
Most hostels in Quito and Cuenca were cool with card payments at check‑in, especially places like Selina or community-style hostels in the Historic Center 🙂 enjoy your stay!!