El Pital Chocolate Paradise - Hostel

The location is dreamy, the space is lovely, and I really enjoyed the yoga. Most of the staff were sweet and helpful. The bread was especially good, maybe the best I've had in four months in South/Central America. The menu is limited but tasty, and although it's vegan they seem to offer veggie swaps such as eggs and mozzarella. I stayed two nights before moving to another hostel, which was just right. As of 02/26, construction noise could be heard from the four-person lake dorm, and we could hear the dorm above too, so sleep wasn't great. At least the beds are all singles. They hold your passport as a deposit. I was told it was completely safe, but while I was shown to my room it was left unattended on the reception desk, which didn't feel safe. Taxi quotes were high compared with other hostels nearby. I also found a bee in my cocoa, and it got into my mouth before I spat it out. When I asked for another drink, they initially seemed reluctant, then brought one with less in it than the original. Odd service. Still, thanks for a good stay!

The rooms are pretty standard, but the hostel's views and location are phenomenal. I especially loved the chocolate tour. I've taken plenty of chocolate classes, and none came close to the experience at El Pital. The kayaking and yoga were great too, and the hostel itself is nice.

El Pital was such a lovely place to stay. I booked the deluxe six-bed dorm and it felt dreamy, definitely worth the upgrade. The beds were comfortable and there was an ensuite. The food and drinks were great, and all the staff were pleasant and helpful, especially for someone like me who doesn't speak much Spanish. The views and hospitality are hard to beat. I'd absolutely recommend it.

We had a good time swimming and watching the sunset, but the food we ordered was disappointing and felt overrated. The chocolate cheesecake didn't live up to the reviews and was underwhelming, though perhaps the passion fruit one is better. The chocolate smoothie bowl was thin and tasteless. All I could taste was the huge amount of coconut on top. The Sandia Fresh smoothie was great the first time, but the second was a completely different drink and was disgusting 😅. The taste and texture had changed, and it was full of hard, unblended bits. Maybe that inconsistency explains my smoothie bowl too. The menu doesn't mention that extra charges are added at the end. They replied to one review that it's a service fee, not taxes, but the receipt literally says “impuestos,” meaning taxes. If it had been listed as tips, we wouldn't have tipped a second time without realizing. Edit: I'm adding a star because after we said the drinks weren't good, they made new ones for free and gave us a discount. The replacements tasted great, like the first time. I still wonder how the recipes can vary so much between visits. I'm also pretty sure they buy or ask for fake reviews 😂. Strangely, right after my review, dozens of accounts with no earlier ratings left five stars without any comments.