Selina Puerto Viejo

This felt like a worn-down, badly run version of the Selina I've known in San Jose and Mexico City, where I've stayed before. It's an okay budget hostel, but go in knowing what to expect. The room had a comfortable bed and good AC, and we booked a solo room. The coworking area was mostly empty and had good WiFi, so we could take Zoom calls. The location is middling: about a 15-minute walk into town, but near Cocles beach. A lot of the advertised things weren't there or didn't work. Our room had no desk despite the photos, there was no welcome drink, and happy hour had apparently stopped for reasons nobody on staff could explain. Half the restaurant menu was unavailable, including coffee drinks apart from self-serve black coffee. The listed game night didn't happen, and nobody announced a cancellation. The room coffee maker, shampoo bottles, and rental bikes weren't working either. Staff seemed disengaged and unwelcoming. Nobody showed us around, and they couldn't explain or fix the problems. We had breakfast there a couple of times, and the food wasn't good.

The beds were comfortable and the AC was great, and the staff were sweet. The location is a lovely, quiet stretch of beach, though getting to and from town after dark means paying for bikes or tuk-tuks. The nonstop music was the biggest problem. It played loudly from 10 in the morning until 10 at night, and you could hear it in your room and everywhere else on the property. To get any quiet, you have to leave. The walls are thin and a few things are a little broken. Some guests' food was taken from the fridge, which matters in an area where food is pricey. I like the Selina chain, but this was my least favorite.

The property was closing while I was there, but I didn't find that out, or learn about the missing amenities, until check-out when I asked. I felt that lack of transparency was unacceptable, and my stay was nowhere near the relaxing start to my Costa Rica trip I'd expected. I paid for a much better hotel experience than I got. The room was old, moldy, poorly cleaned, and smelled bad. There was no hot water, and the windows wouldn't close properly. The restaurant was shut, leaving the nearest restaurants a 15-minute walk away along a road that felt unsafe. There was no WiFi one evening, and none of the activities or social scene I expected from Selina were available. The property also appeared nothing like its online photos, which felt misleading, and although advertised as oceanfront, it wasn't accessible to the beach. The stay fell far short of the property's advertised standards and the Selina brand, with the social life, reliable amenities, and quality accommodation I expected entirely absent.

The pool and common areas were well looked after and made it easy to spend time with other guests. My room was spacious, clean, comfortable, and had what I needed. The property sits in a lovely green setting just steps from Costa Rica's beaches. Emmanuel made my stay especially good. She was helpful from the moment I arrived, answered questions, and suggested places to visit. I also had a fantastic stay at Selina Hotel in Puerto Viejo and would gladly recommend it. If Emmanuel or Lua assists you, you'll be in very good hands.