El Caite - Hostel

The place itself is quite nice, but the rooms fell short. They were small and smelled of dampness and wood, and we couldn't control the air conditioning. The pool was kept off, and the beds had old, dirty linens. There weren't any towels either.

We ended up giving it five stars, though there were a few odd things. The beds were comfortable and sturdy, with individual fans, and our clean, spacious dorm had lockable drawers beneath them. Since it was low season, we had the room to ourselves. The pool looked cleaner than the other ones I'd seen in Granada, though still dirtier than I'm used to back home. For crusty backpackers like us, it was delightful. Breakfast was supposed to be waffles, but we got the usual gallo pinto with eggs and toast instead. The dorm was $10 a night in June, and the price hadn't gone up like at other places. The strangest part was the free rum and orange juice from 3 to 5 every day. We asked for our first drink right at 3. It looked orange, but smelled and tasted a bit like nail polish remover. We struggled through the first glass over an hour, then ordered another. I remember it was 4:45 and we still had time for a third; next thing I knew, it was after 8 and I was waking up in bed in my swimwear, with the untouched third glass on the floor. We were still drunk at breakfast at 9:30 the next day. No idea what was in those drinks, but that cocktail really packed a punch. We skipped the free drinks on day two. Alcohol isn't that expensive, and we didn't want to risk that moonshine again. One concern: my boyfriend got two bad electric shocks from dodgy cables in the first half hour. He was fine, but he's in his prime, so take care if you have heart problems or are travelling with kids.

For the $49 I paid, this was a joke. The room had almost nothing in it, not even a nightstand, and there was nowhere to set a shampoo bottle. The bathroom light worked on and off, and the sheets were worn so thin they were nearly see-through. The bed was decent, and the water and shower were okay. Breakfast was included, just two pancakes, coffee, and juice. The location was good, the room quiet, and the staff nice. Spend another $10 and stay somewhere nicer.

The group room was kind of dirty, though the beds were clean. Apart from that, it's a good place to relax, with a free breakfast and a great location, especially if you're taking the shuttle to the treehouse rave. And if you stay here, eat at Granada’s Grill nearby. Some of the best food we've had in Central America.