El Castillo Divertido

I wholeheartedly do not recommend staying here. I had a very negative experience with the owner, and my time in Playa Junquillal would have been ruined if I hadn’t found another place to stay. My confirmation email said check-in was between 1 and 10. I arrived at 2:30 after six hours of travel, in 30-degree heat, as a solo female traveler. Nobody was at the hotel, and the front desk gates were shut. I called out and waited almost an hour, but no one came. I left my bags with a note, took my valuables, and went to the beach. When I returned, the owner was there. I told her I’d arrived a few hours earlier and no one had been around. She immediately became hostile and said I should have told her when I was coming, though nobody had said that was required. She also told me that if I wanted perfect service, I could go somewhere else. That was the first thing she said to me. She stayed hostile and unwelcoming, and because I was the only guest, I felt extremely uncomfortable. The hotel itself was dirty and had clearly been neglected for some time. There was a cockroach in the room, and it was unbearably hot at night. The fan looked like a health hazard to switch on. I left in the morning and found another place to stay, which saved my trip to Playa Junquillal. Since then, I’ve found other reviews mentioning the owner’s hostility, which I somehow missed when I booked. This seems to have been an ongoing issue.

The castle has a unique appeal, with beautiful woodwork, balconies, and a rooftop terrace. It was clean and quiet, and monkeys forage in the trees. Silvia was extremely hospitable and helpful. The price was very good, though the mattresses were too firm for us and the room was too warm. The secluded beach has an astonishing sunset.

At 8pm, with my one-year-old already asleep in my arms, we were told we couldn't stay because we had a dog. The woman who greeted us was very cold and sent us back to the car to look for somewhere else in the middle of the night, without showing any concern. They said the no-dogs rule was clearly stated, but when we checked afterward, we found it only in the FAQ. Poor service and attitude.

You’re just a hop from the beach, and the rooftop is beautiful for watching the sunset. The place is clean and the owner is adorable. Definitely go!