Alojamiento Chalet Villamar

The views and pool were lovely, but after staying in places around the world, I found this one overpriced and a bit run down. I was there just one night. The shower had no screen, so water spread across the floor and seemed to be making the wood flooring swell. It looked like this had been going on for a while, and the room smelled a bit moldy. The hot and cold taps on the basin were reversed, and I burned my mouth while brushing my teeth. There was no electric kettle in the room either. I lost the room key and couldn't get in. The owners had no spare, so I had to wait for a new one to be cut.

I arrived at the stated check-in time, 3pm, but couldn't find anyone. The place is very isolated, with no road or any kind of signage, so at first I wasn't even sure I was in the right spot. I wondered if it was someone's house, then parked and walked around looking for someone. It didn't look like the pictures: the photos seemed old, the property was run down, and the pool was quite dirty. As a woman traveling alone, I felt uncomfortable about staying there for the first time, so I got back in my car and drove on to Granada, the only place I could book at such short notice. My dealings with the manager were terrible. He was rude and unhelpful. When I explained why I wouldn't stay, he only said he'd sent me a WhatsApp earlier that day to ask when I was arriving. I told him I hadn't seen it because I'd been driving, and he had no other response before becoming rude. I've traveled all over the world and stayed in all sorts of hostels, and I don't usually leave bad reviews, but this was the first time I decided to move on straight away after seeing the accommodation. I felt uncomfortable as soon as I got out of the car. I wish I'd stopped to take current photos of the problems, but I just wanted to get back in the car and leave.

The pool is warm and refreshing, and the balcony is nice. The cooking equipment is pretty limited, though there's enough to make instant noodles. If you're visiting in summer, watch out for the bugs flying around. This hotel is a good base for places you plan to visit by car, since it's a couple of kilometers from San Jose and in the middle of nowhere.

The hut overlooks the beach, and the sunrise over the sea is stunning. The pool and its surroundings are lovely, though a bit tired and in need of care. The tiles around the pool need weeding, and there were large bugs in the pool filler areas and at the bottom.