Hostel La Choza Inn

This is a backpacker hostel, so don’t expect anything luxurious, but I met lots of cool people and would recommend it. The place itself is beautiful, on a quiet street, and breakfast is good. The reception guys were eager to help, even when I needed to ask the same thing again because I wasn’t sure. The employees gave me useful tips on where to go, what to do, and how to avoid scams or paying too much.

We’ve had a really good seven-night stay at La Choza Inn and are just about to check out. The rooms were clean and had the basics we needed, and the location made it easy to walk to lots of places. We ate at three sodas suggested by the guy at the desk, and all were yummy. I’d stay again and recommend it, as long as you know it’s a simple place, not a five-star hotel. The free breakfast was good, and all the staff were friendly. The desk guys were especially helpful. We got the shuttle pass and went to the volcano, hanging bridges, and waterfall. Guests can also visit the hot springs free every day at 1, but sign up ahead of time because the shuttle may fill up. We met travelers from all over. At first we thought there was no hot water. The heaters are tankless, so turn the tap on just a little instead of opening it all the way. That lets the heater warm the water, and it was VERY hot once we figured it out. We didn’t have any negative interactions during our stay.

I spent four nights in a private room. It was a cozy, budget-friendly place, with a quiet location that’s still within walking distance of the centre. Staff were nice and helpful, breakfast was good, and I could book tours at reception. There’s free transport to the hot springs as well as rides to the main attractions, though the schedule is strict and there’s only one driver. I could have used more time at a few sites. The room had air conditioning and was cleaned daily, including fresh towels, which I hadn’t expected. It was large but basic, as in the photos, and could use some renovation. I sometimes didn’t have hot water.

Update: breakfast here is pretty good, and the breakfast staff were very nice. It seems like the night staff member was the rude one. About the owners’ reply below: a fan doesn’t make up for the AC. There weren’t enough outlets to plug it in without unplugging our phone chargers and the refrigerator. We had to store our child’s milk in the common fridge, which meant a trip to the kitchen around 4 a.m. to get it. It was inconvenient. We were told we’d get a refund for that night, but still haven’t. The AC was fixed the next day, but it should have been checked before the room was given to us. Don’t make the mistake of staying here. The service was bad and the rooms worse. We paid for a room with AC, but the front desk guy gave us one where it didn’t work and showed no apology. He said to find another place if we weren’t happy, as if that were possible during the busiest time of year. We were there with a toddler who couldn’t sleep in the hot, humid weather and refused to even go into the room, which felt like a hot oven. We had waited patiently in line for hours, yet the guy gave the last room to someone else instead of offering us another one. He also smirked and asked why we didn’t sleep in the dorm, which would have been inconvenient for us and the other guests with a toddler.