The vast majority of hotels in Honduras charge between US$3 and US$25 per night per person. In cities and large towns, these hotels—called pensiones, hospedajes, or simply hoteles—are often grouped near each other in the downtown area. In many smaller towns and villages, rooms at the lower end of the scale are the only choice. Hospedajes are often the bottom of the lot, and not necessarily clean or safe. Take a good look around before deciding to stay.

Rooms in cheaper hotels are extremely basic, often merely cement cubes with a fan, a light bulb dangling from a wire, and a bed of wildly varying quality. Take a look before you pay—key elements to check for are a good mattress, a working fan, hot water if you’re supposed to have it, a quiet location, and, of course, cleanliness. With heat and mosquitoes common in many parts of Honduras, especially the north coast, a fan can be a key component to a restful night. Overhead fans are usually preferable as they stir up the air in the entire room and keep the nasty bugs at bay.

Budget hotels frequently offer the choice of baño privado (private bathroom) or sin baño (without bathroom; that is, shared bathroom). Taking a room sin baño is a good way to save a few lempiras, but be sure to wear sandals into the communal bathroom to avoid athlete’s foot or other fungi.

The better quality low-priced hotels—there’s usually at least one in every town—send maids out every day to scour the rooms and place fresh sheets on the beds. Many also have free purified drinking water in the lobby and provide pitchers for guests to fill up and bring to their rooms.

When a hot shower is offered, it’s often in the form of an in-line water heater attached to the shower head called an electroducha, affectionately known among frequent travelers as “suicide showers.” These contraptions usually (but not always) provide a stream of scalding water. Don’t get too close to all those dangling wires unless you’re looking for an unpleasant zap. The units can be so poorly wired they manage to electrify the entire showerhead. Beware.

Haggling over room price won’t get you too far in the lower-end hotels, as prices are rock-bottom as it is, but it’s worth it to ask if there’s anything less expensive (¿Hay algo más económico?) than the first price quoted, since owners often assume a foreigner wants the best room.

While there are many cheap hotels, there are few that are backpacker-style hostels, with notable exceptions in San Pedro Sula, the Bay Islands, and Copán.