Selina Manuel Antonio

I loved the property, the friendly staff, the activities, and the help arranging excursions outside the hotel. I especially loved Minnie, my Pole instructor, and Celeste for ecstatic dance. But a bed bug incident turned the last few days of my birthday trip in CR into a stressful, sleepless time. I had started in a shared room, then upgraded myself to a private room with an en-suite because the top bunk made me uncomfortable. When I went to bed, I found bed bugs. I ran to the security guard working the night party, and he came to check. Since reception was closed, they offered clean sheets, but I wasn’t comfortable with that. The bed bugs in the room next door were even worse, and we finally found a room without them. I’d had all my clothes and things on the bed, so I was anxious about carrying bugs into the new room. The next morning, I asked the front desk to let me speak with management, but they said nobody was available because it was the weekend. I submitted an online form and still haven’t heard from anyone at Selina. I had to expedite my laundry through a secondary courier because they couldn’t guarantee it would be ready by checkout, and I was nervous about traveling with bed bugs in my clothes. I’m pretty sure people checked into the rooms I left because of the bugs the next day, so check the beds. I wish they’d handled this better.

The pools were nice, even if they aren’t big. Our deluxe room looked great, but quite a few useful things were missing: a kettle, cushions for the stone-hard sofa, and even a duvet cover when I arrived. Towels were also repeatedly missing. At happy hour, the waitress didn’t mention that two cocktails would be served when I ordered just one. For this kind of hotel or hostel, the prices are on the high side. It felt like the service could have been better.

The staff are all amazing, and this is a great hostel for solo or budget travelers. The bar is extremely pricey, so I’d only eat there if you have no other options. Don’t miss the welcome drink, though. I realized too late that it’s a good way to meet like-minded people.

Helpful staff, good food, and a nice pool made for a great stay 🤩 I liked that they had a welcome drink and a chance for new arrivals to meet one another. The room was a bit dated and untidy, and could use a fresh coat of paint, but we still had a great time.