Hostal Kaia

The owners have clearly put their heart and soul into the place. They took it over after it had been run almost into the ground, and every day they’re decorating, building, repairing, adding things and improving it in ways that aren’t so common on the coast. Give them a few weeks and it should be even better. The owner is excellent, friendly and accommodating, and I had a very nice stay. Highly recommended.

Jason and Gloria were kind and helpful, and speak both English and Spanish, so they can help everyone. I loved this hostel. It’s in barrio jardein, a relatively safe, quiet area, away from the caos of el cento but still close to the action, with a quick taxi ride to el centro. The main avenue is right outside for catching buses anywhere. Our room was clean and comfortable, the AC worked great, and the pool was clear and clean. We made use of the two shared kitchens, which had the basic cooking equipment and a good refrigerator. Fantastic hostel!

I was exhausted and recovering from an illness after the lost city trek, and this quiet place with its pool, hammocks, beds to lounge on, and lovely flowers was just what I needed. My private dorm was clean and peaceful. There was hardly anyone around while I was there, which surprised me. Maybe not many people know about it, but I was glad to have the quiet while I recovered. I had a great stay. Diana was very kind and professional, and even gave me a lift on her moto to the ATM. I wish more people knew about this place!

We arrived yesterday after booking through Hostelworld and discovered the space we had reserved wasn’t available. The staff said they couldn’t log in to their hostel world account because the person needed to verify it is often traveling and hard to reach, so they can’t keep their Hostelworld calendar updated. We ended up taking a taxi there, then spent 2 hours finding another place at the last minute, which was harder and could be more expensive, and paid for another taxi to the new hostel. I’d strongly suggest checking twice before you arrive in case your booked space isn’t there. They showed us a private room with a shared toilet. For context, it was a small 4/5 square meter chamber inside the dormitory, on the 2. Floor of the dorm building. You have to cross the dorm and go upstairs each time you leave or come back, for example to use the toilet, so it didn’t feel private. Personally, I was disappointed they made no effort to compensate us, not even paying for the taxi to the next hostel. We also bought some chip because we were hungry, but had to wait another 2 hours for the new accommodation, and they charged us for that too.