Kawabonga Hostel

The pool is great, but there are hardly any sunbeds and loud music plays all day, the same six songs on repeat. The longer we stayed, the more problems piled up. The bathrooms were dirty, the showers barely trickled, and the top-floor roof was very low. Our room wasn’t cleaned once, and the bed’s rubber cover made us sweat a lot. At night we could hear something living above us in the roof, though we never saw it.

After hours of arguing with the administrator, we still couldn’t get a full refund. Instead, they offered us 200 000 pesos to spend on food at the hotel. Since it was the weekend and we had little time, we stayed, but the room for the next three nights was barely better: cockroaches, mosquitoes, and no hot water. We had to ask for cleaning and fresh towels. We’d booked four nights as a couple and paid the full amount on arrival, before seeing the bedroom. That was a big mistake. Even though we arrived well after check-in time, they made us wait 15 minutes, then said our room was under maintenance and put us in a family room for the first night. It was filthy, with dead insects and plastic rubbish on the floor, mosquitoes everywhere, no air conditioning, no curtains or privacy, and doors and windows that didn’t close properly. The shower was just a pipe with no hot water. There were no towels, and the ones they gave us had holes, dirt, and red stains. We wanted our money back and planned to leave after that first night, but they refused. Service was nonexistent, and the staff showed shameless disdain when we raised problems. They acted as if we were asking for something extraordinary, though we expected only the basics. We felt robbed and treated with contempt. Stay away from Kawabonga Hotel.

I came for breakfast but never got it because the person who took my order forgot. While waiting, the repetitive spa music got on my nerves, and the sitting area away from the music was dirty. I don’t like leaving bad reviews, and I’m sharing this in the hope the place improves. The pool and outdoor seating are great. Better cleaning would make a huge difference. I get the idea of having a yoga-like mood in the mornings, but the music could be better suited to it and played more quietly. I’m trying to help the business, not damage its reputation, so don’t take my word too seriously. Check the latest reviews and see how the place has improved :)

We spent three nights and four days at this hostel, and I’d tell other travelers not to book it. Our first night, the room we’d reserved wasn’t ready, so they gave us another one. It had rubbish on the floor, cockroaches and other insects, and dirty corners throughout. The towels they brought had yellow stains and torn edges. There was no privacy: the sliding glass door had no lock, and a gap let insects into the room. The shower was only a pipe because the top part was missing, and the water was cold. The pool was okay, but as dirty as the rooms. We spent most of our time outside looking for surf and going out at night, but the service still made the stay miserable. Staff seemed unwilling to understand the towel issue or why we needed a proper shower. Management had a bad attitude and kept asking sarcastically how things were going. After the first night, we asked for at least a partial refund. They said they couldn’t give us even half of what we’d paid. Instead, they offered either a credit for food at their not-good kitchen or a refund worth less than one night. The whole stay was a poor experience and not worth 700 thousand col pesos for three nights. The hostel should clean better and treat guests with more care. Pay a little more for a decent place with clean rooms and towels, or spend less somewhere with the same problems. Good luck, but Kawabonga is not okay.