Pagalú Hostel

A great, clean and welcoming hostel in Puerto Vieja. Check in is from 2.30pm (and this is non negotiable) however there's space to leave your bags if you arrive early. The hostel is located a few blocks back from the beach and next door to a supermarket. The staff are really friendly and hardworking and on hand if you need anything. There's a security guard on a night and he's really lovely. Space for 4 cars to securely park on the property. We stayed in a private room with a bathroom. It was spacious, comfy and the bed was made every day. There's no air con, but the fans do the job. The communal area and kitchen is huge, and they have plastic boxes for you to store your food. There's free coffee until about mid day and a cold water dispenser. The WiFi worked really well, but in the rooms can sometimes drop if lots of people are using it. Overall we had a great stay here!

This was the very worst hostel experience I’ve ever had. I just went to eat with my friend at his hostel. The woman from the desk started screaming at him that I couldn’t stay there and threatened to call the police for no apparent reason. At one point, she took out her camera and began filming me. She kicked him out of the hostel without offering any clarification about what he’d even done wrong. Simply curious what I’d done to offend her, I explained to her that I was just there to eat with a friend. She said that she doesn’t speak to people who aren’t staying at the hostel, and proceeded to completely ignore me. Unaware I understood Spanish, she began cursing me out in her native tongue with the other employees. The hostel is uninviting, anti-social, and my short time there stood as one of the singular worst experiences I’ve had in years of traveling. Whatever you do, stay away from this hostel. Don’t go to a hostel that doesn’t want you there!!!

Perfect hostel for Backpackers. Such a nice vibe there. Everyone was very friendly, the staff was helpful, it was very clean everywhere, the room, kitchen and common area is well equipped, the open architecture is very cozy, the location is quiet but close to the beach and the main road with shops etc. Right next to the hostel is a big supermarket. We enjoyed the stay a lot and we would come back every time!

We had the best stay at Pagalú hostel. The location is ideal, right next to a supermarket and some fruit stands. The black beach is also not far away. The rooms were cleaned every day and were really spacious especially for backpacks (big locker!!). The kitchen was well-equipped and also very clean. We felt very at home. There is a small inner yard that is super cozy in the evening. The hostel also has games, a dumbbell and yoga mats! Would DEF recommend we extended our stay :)

The dorm rooms are spacious, have great lockers and comfy beds with power and light. Also the shower and toilet situation is great. The owners are a very friendly couple. I would have liked to be able to invite other travelers to the common area so that we e.g. could cook together, but that was not possible. You'll also have to wear a neon green paper wristband during all times, which feels a little bit too Tourismus-Maximus to me.

I enjoyed at Pagalu. Kind of your typical hostel setup. Stayed in a 6 person and a solo room. No AC and the showers were a little hit or miss. The two women at reception are very nice and helpful. Did have one run in with the “manager” like the other reviews say. He had an issue with a guest we had come over and was accusatory. They keep the kitchen and common areas extremely clean constantly and the cookware was solid.

Great hostel! Rooms and kitchen are very clean and friendly staff. Has a nice outdoor chill area.

Really baffled by the experience we just had here. Our stay had been good despite the extremely hot rooms, however upon checking out this morning with the couple at reception we were advised we couldn’t leave our luggage in the luggage storage area (despite it being completely empty). Instead we had to leave our bags in the communal area at our own risk. Upon returning this evening to collect our belongings before moving on, we were greeted very rudely by the lady at reception, demanding we take our bags and leave the premises straight away, without being able to use any of the facilities (including the toilet!). Confused by this interaction and have never had this at any other hostel before - as if we were insulting them by having to leave the hostel?