Luquillo Beach Hostel

We loved our week here. The rooms were comfortable and had AC, and there was local character everywhere. You can walk to both the beach and restaurants. We noticed the lively culture next door at first, but after the first day we didn’t even pay attention to it. We’ll definitely stay again!

It’s a simple, clean room in an Airbnb-style place. We wanted to feel closer to the real PR, and that’s what we got: roosters in the morning and cats to greet you. There’s a pleasant little dive bar just a few feet away, and the rooftop is nice. I’d go back.

After reading the latest review, I canceled my reservation. I was due to stay in the area in a few weeks and had tried calling several times to confirm, but nobody answered or returned my messages. I’d seen reports of guests arriving to find no one at the door and getting no answer, exactly what I wanted to avoid. Reading that confirmed my suspicions, so I chose a place that seemed more responsive and reliable.

This was a very disappointing stay. Property management communicated poorly, and the conditions felt unsanitary and unsafe. Other local rentals can be found for similar or lower prices, so I’d urge prospective guests to look at those. Once we had booked, calls and texts took hours to get a response. We saw no staff on-site until the day after check-in, and it took almost two hours to get the WiFi password. The listing mentioned earplugs for the loud morning roosters, but none were provided. There was no hand soap, body soap, or shampoo, and the sanitizer dispenser was empty despite the COVID-19 public health emergency. The manager said they had run out and told me to buy my own, with no advance warning. There wasn’t enough hot water for two travelers, and it turned cool quickly. The hostel’s street has a feral animal problem that guests aren’t warned about. The listing says guests need to be vaccinated or test negative for COVID-19, but the owners didn’t check. That didn’t bother me personally, though I can see it concerning people in a communal setting. The apartment was poorly insulated from outside noise and sound, so people passing by could hear our conversations and we could hear everything outside. There was essentially no privacy. A garbage truck came through at 3 a.m. one night and woke both me and my travel companion. I also felt unsafe because the apartment door had no inside latch and opened directly onto the street. Anyone with a key or a copy, including management or a previous guest, could have entered while we slept.