MI Casa Hostel & Hotel El Tesoro

My favourite hostel in Costa Rica so far. It’s right by the beach but still in the forest, with an outdoor kitchen and dorm-style rooms and bathrooms. There’s electricity in all the rooms. Wi-Fi is free, though it only reaches some rooms, and there’s no free breakfast. Tasty Waves is right out front, and girls get free drinks after 10 on Tuesdays for ladies’ night. Reception wasn’t staffed when we arrived late, but the owner drove in as soon as he heard we were there. Town is a 10-minute walk, though we rented bikes for $7 a day. The Wi-Fi isn’t why you come here.

Awful place. Don’t stay here.

Good.

The location is spectacular and the beach is beautiful, which makes it a shame that so much else was wrong. We booked the suite advertised with a TV and air conditioning, but our room had neither. They said the other one cost more, and seemed to charge whatever they wanted for the rooms. The place was dirty, the shower was bad, and the towels smelled and were stained. My friend booked another room with her 2-year-old daughter, but there was no water. She tried calling the main house and nobody answered. We didn’t like the place and wouldn’t come back. A little effort could fix these problems.