Hostel SantaFe

A MUST stay hostel in La Fortuna. Edgar and his family are the most wonderful hosts, they truly make you feel like part of the family. - The facilities are really clean, we had our bedsheets changed every other day! - you can do laundry and get it back the same day - free aircon in rooms, warm showers and ice from the fridge- need I say any more! - they help with anything you need, they even went and bought a new bottle opener when the kitchen didn’t have one just for us to use! - they offered to take off the price of one night when we missed our bus! But we extended our stay instead as it is so lovely here. - they have two lovely cats and a dog who we honestly adored it was so lovely having them around. Honestly we could live here! Can’t say enough good things for this hostel 💓 Love from Abi and Joe ✌🏼

I recently had an extremely disheartening experience at SantaFe Hostel during my travels from Nicaragua to Costa Rica and sadly, I cannot recommend it to anyone to stay there. My two companions and I, all three single women traveling alone, had arranged for the hostel's shuttle service, which unfortunately resulted in a deeply unsettling encounter with the hostel manager. As three single women who didn't speak Spanish, we were already navigating unfamiliar territories with a sense of vulnerability. Our plan was to use the hostel's shuttle service from the Nicaraguan border to reach the hostel, an arrangement we made with the manager. However, the manager failed to communicate any details regarding payment for the service, leading us to assume we would settle the fare once we arrived at the hostel. In the face of unexpected high traffic during immigration at the border, we realized we wouldn't make it to the shuttle in time. Taking responsibility, we promptly informed the hostel an hour in advance, asking them to proceed without us. Opting for the bus as an alternative, we continued our journey after completing immigration. Upon our arrival at the hostel, the situation took an alarming turn. The manager insisted we pay for the unused shuttle service, claiming he had already paid the driver—an undisclosed detail during our initial arrangement. Demanding a payment of at least $100, a sum we were never informed of, we found ourselves in a distressing situation. In an attempt to find a fair resolution, we proposed alternative forms of compensation, such as promoting the hostel on social media or offering a reduced payment of $25 each. Shockingly, the manager adamantly refused to negotiate and escalated the situation by threatening to involve the police, accusing us of attempting to rob him. As three single women traveling alone, this threat made us feel exceptionally vulnerable, and the overall experience had a profound impact on our mental well-being. Faced with no other reasonable option, we reluctantly paid the demanded amount to avoid further complications and continue our journey. It is deeply disheartening to witness such unprofessional behavior from a hostel manager, especially when entrusted with the safety and satisfaction of guests. Threatening customers and demanding payment for undisclosed charges is not the way to run a business. I sincerely hope this review serves as a cautionary tale for fellow travelers and encourages essential improvements in customer service at SantaFe Hostel.