Selina

An average hotel in a fantastic location. My partner and I stayed in a private suite. It was smaller than expected and was in need some updating. While it wasn’t unclean, it didn’t feel like it was the cleanest room either. The bed was moderately comfortable but incredibly creaky and made a noise anytime either of us moved. The shower was great though and had really strong pressure and good soap/shampoo. Service was nothing special either. We couldn’t get coffee in the afternoon and the bar closed at 10pm so we had to take our drinks back to our room as it was raining and there wasn’t a lot of places to sit. Service seemed a bit slow when we needed something. The included breakfast only had a few options but a larger menu for charge. We didn’t use the pool, massage, or tour booking services but they were available. The best part is the location. It’s downtown La Fortuna so it was very easy to walk to different restaurants in the town. We also never had issues with getting to tours or other experiences. As a couple in our 30s, it was fine, but I wouldn’t stay here again if other options were available, especially for the value and the price. It seems like it could be a great place for a young, solo traveler, or for younger couples/groups.

Any business should make money—it’s the first rule of being able to grow and develop. However, in this place, they took it to another level. I have been to other places in Costa Rica, so I have a basis for comparison. This is the first place I have ever been where they charged for cold water to fill my bottle. Even in hot countries like India and Morocco, I was never asked to pay for that! On top of that, I previously stayed in a place that cost only $7 per night, with a large kitchen where I could cook, plus an ice machine, free coffee, sugar, herbs, and everything was super clean. By the way in hot country you drink alot and it just made me shop at the near supermarket since I will never buy from hotel which doesn't give the basic of cold water and asks for rediculas price for a drink. So at the bottom line the supermarket earn what they could. At the Socialtel, as someone who eats gluten-free, I struggled to find food that wasn’t just rice or potatoes. I asked if they could cook the gluten-free spaghetti I had bought from the supermarket, and while they kindly agreed, I was still charged the full price of a dish—which is ridiculous. Even worse, after cooking the box myself, I realized it contained enough for three meals, meaning they kept the rest of my food for themselves. But all of that is nothing compared to what I discovered at the end of my stay. Some of my essential medications, which I had stored in the restaurant fridge (since there was no shared fridge), were stolen. These medications are vital for my survival! Fortunately, I had brought enough, but this is absolutely unacceptable! The only reason I did not went to the police is that my Taxi arrived and I past to a location which is not same auttorities. On the surface, everything looks fine—nice and clean—but when you look deeper, it’s a different story.

I had a private with en-suite. The room was huge and well maintained. Even had a balcony with a view of the volcano. Pool and bar were also very good - highlight was meeting local iguana, Pedro!

LOVED our stay! This had everything we needed and more. We were able to park on site and it included a pool, bar, riverfront outdoor yoga area, fire pit, and more. Felt like a more affordable version of a resort. The locations was also great - walkable to all the restaurants, grocery store, atm, etc. and only a 30 min drive from Arenal Volcano.

The good stuff first - Great location, friendly staff, nice pool. Downtown, you can walk to restaurants, bus stands, and has parking incase you have your own car. However more geared towards the backpacker. For a family, might be a little loud at night. Not great: the rooms are not the best, a little dirty, nothing too bad, but for what it cost, it might not be value for money.

We don't like to leave reviews like this but we have emailed the company to complain and not recieved any response. Will update this when we get a response. As of 25/01/24 the shared kitchen was removed with nothing but a sign put up (didn't look too official and poorly printed in black and white). May be paraphrasing here but it said something along the lines of "we have removed the kitchen to be more aligned with our business branding". Having stayed in many Socialtel and selina, all of which had communal kitchens it's a sad that this decision was made with no mention online or to guests before booking. We were not the only ones in this position. One of the main factors for us staying was having access to the communal kitchens as well as having a nice environment to stay in. Unfortunately this was also the worst selina/ socialtel we have stayed in. There was a strange atmosphere here. Not sure if it was due to the kitchen closing. The bar staff were generally quite abrupt and some of them made you feel like it was a hassle for them to be serving you. The rooms were comfortable enough but nothing special. Overall if you're looking for a place for a kitchen then unfortunately for now at least you'll have to look elsewhere.

We've been loving our stay here. We chose the private room with shared bath and although small.. it was still fine since we only brought small backpacks. They have 2x1 HH every day and also did the yoga and massage additions. Both were great!

The hostel's location is excellent, and the front desk staff are wonderful. I stayed in a spacious 6-person dormitory, and the rooms and bathrooms were well-maintained, although bed curtains were missing. The pool area is fantastic, and the communal kitchen is very useful. The restaurant and bar offer good food and drinks, but the service from the waitstaff could be more courteous.