Téva Eco Retreat - Hostel

I've traveled all over the world, and this was by far my worst hotel experience. The two rooms we had were equally awful. They were filthy, with stained sheets, rock-hard beds, old lumpy pillows, and walls covered in scuffs and dirt. The light switches looked like they hadn't been scrubbed since the hotel opened, and there was a strong mildew smell. The showers only had cold water and were moldy. The rooms are several flights up, with no elevator or ramp, so you have to carry your luggage on the stairs. That was a problem for one person in our group who has trouble getting around. The pool looked cloudy and gross, so we didn't try swimming because it probably wasn't safe. The hotel is inconveniently located on a narrow road without sidewalks or shoulders, and up a steep, narrow driveway. We couldn't walk anywhere, and had trouble getting Uber drivers to come up the drive, even though someone in our group had mobility issues. The kitchen was open to view and looked clean. Breakfast was decent but small, just one egg with rice and beans. A second egg cost extra. We would have changed hotels if we could, but it was Christmas and we couldn't find anything nearby. I'm sure the hotel will answer with some snarky comment about how wonderful they are and how wrong I am, but most recent reviews show that it's truly awful.

I stayed here in January 2026, booking through Booking.com. The reviews were mixed, and the hotel was dirty, outdated, and cheap in every sense. The old building needed repairs. Maybe it was a good place 10-15 years ago, but not now. There were no trees in the back yard, and we didn't see any animals. Our room wasn't cleaned properly and had only the bare basics: a bed, chair, and table. No hairdryer, fridge, microwave, or iron. There was no shower curtain or door, so you had to be extra careful or water got all over the bathroom and room. There were no shelves for soap or shampoo, so I had to put them on the floor. The entry was gravel, rocks, and dirt, and the parking lot was all dirt. There was no elevator, so we had to carry our bags up and down the stairs. The pool area was okay, with cheap chairs, and the pool itself was fine. Breakfast was the worst part. There wasn't much to eat, portions were small, and the food didn't taste good. The kitchen and restaurant weren't cleaned properly and smelled like rotten eggs. The kitchen staff only rinsed dishes instead of washing them. Disgusting.

The grounds were beautiful, with red ginger and bougainvillea making everything lush. Our mattress and the pool both need improvement. Breakfast was good, and the staff work hard.

When we arrived, we were told the pool was closed for repairs and offered a larger room instead. It had a king bed and a single bed, which didn't work for us as two friends who had specifically wanted separate double beds. There was a lot of mold in that room. Reception said it was probably an old paint job and that housekeeping cleaned daily. When I pointed to mold on the ceiling and asked if staff cleaned ceilings, the reply felt dismissive. I was asked whether it was causing breathing problems, as if it only mattered if it did, and told it was probably mildew. I explained that mold can cause health issues over time, but nobody investigated. They offered another room, which I accepted. At first it looked like there was less mold, but as we stayed, we found more because the room was bigger. We had booked three nights but left after the first. Around 8:50 the next morning, we tried to check out and ask reception for a refund on the remaining two nights. Nobody was there. Kitchen and cleaning staff said the receptionist came at different times each day. Not knowing when he'd show up, we went on with our day and came back around 2 p.m. We were told we could only get a refund for one of the two nights because we'd missed the checkout deadline and should have left our keys. Nobody had told us that was an option.