Sea Tower Hotel

The bungalow had a working fridge-freezer, and the TV connected to Netflix, Prime, and live channels. The shower was warmer than I expected in this area, and the air conditioning was seriously powerful. Best of all, howler monkeys, sloths, and agoutis came right past the room. WiFi was a little patchy, though it always worked at the reception next door, which was easy to use.

The bed in our king-size room was really comfortable, and the rooms are generally clean. We did find a cockroach in the bathroom on the first day. I told the cleaning lady, and I think she put chlorine in the sink, which usually helps. Breakfast was included but only so-so. At $60 a night, I can give it three stars.

We booked an economy room for one night, then upgraded to an air-conditioned room when we arrived. We liked it enough to stay six more nights. Our room was number 14, with a lovely private balcony where we could have wine and listen to the birds. It was quiet at night, and the WiFi was strong. The bathroom was spacious with hot water, and there were lots of shelves and places to hang things. The location feels peaceful despite being just two blocks from the main street. The beach, supermarkets, banks, restaurants, and bus terminal were all about a five-minute walk away. Housekeeping came daily, and there was free coffee all day. There's also a shared kitchen and dining space, though we didn't use them since we were on holiday. I'd definitely recommend the place.

We left feeling ripped off. The room we were first taken to was in a separate building at the back, very basic and old, with window frames but no glass or mosquito screens. There was a bed net, but that doesn't help when you're not in bed. We asked to see another room and were shown one in the main building, but it cost an extra $20. That room seemed newly built or renovated, yet unfinished, with no towel hooks or hanging space and wires dangling from the ceiling. We had booked through bookings.con based on the photos, so arriving to find something different was a bad start. The place was incredibly noisy too. You could hear every footstep, voice, and animal sound. For $56 for one night, I'm sure there are much better options. It was horrible to leave feeling swindled.