Viajero La Fortuna Hostel

Great social hostel, stayed for a couple of days. Jay, one of the employees, is super helpful and fun and leads a bunch of tours and activities. It is a really social hostel; there’s a good happy hour, they have card and board games for guests to play, and everyone was very nice and friendly. The bar overlooks a pretty stream and small waterfall. Lots of restaurants are within walking distance, and it’s also close to activities such as zip-lining and waterfalls. The showers could have been a little cleaner, and they only turn on the air conditioning at night. The service at their bar/restaurant was quite slow, but the lunch food and coffee were good. There were also some issues with the shared fridges.

I was LOCKED OUT of this hostel for over an hour at night despite paying due to their untrained staff. I had a group tour from 1 pm to 10:30 pm, so I checked in and paid everything at 12:30 pm. The room wasn’t ready, but the front desk explicitly told me they would be there when I returned at 10:30 PM. They didn’t mention the hostel would be locked, and they didn’t give me the mandatory wristband needed to get in. When I returned, no one was at the front desk, and the security guard wouldn't let me in because I didn't have the wristband. He spoke no English, I showed him the receipt, and he still wouldn't let me in, leaving me stranded outside while my luggage and passport were inside the storage room. After an hour, he finally agreed to get someone from the hostel. No staff were on site, only an off-duty community coordinator named Monica who was sleeping there. She came out in pajamas and told me she wasn't working. I showed her the receipt, and she seemed very annoyed at first and asked, “Why are you showing me this?” After realizing it was their mistake, her attitude shifted completely. She let me in and texted the manager to figure out which room I was supposed to be in. This still took 30 minutes, and while we were waiting, she told me she is the 'community builder' there to make solo travelers feel welcome. Hearing that while being locked out was the most ironic experience I’ve had. After one and a half hours, I finally got to my room. I contacted management about this, and their official response was literally 'we are sorry :('. You do not want to stay here. They do not train their staff, they fail to communicate the most basic security protocols, and they clearly do not care if they lock you out. The hostel is new, but with this management, the place will start to break down and accidents will for sure happen. Take a look, the bed frame above the lower bed is already bent, imagine if this fellon you and you have to deal with their staff.

Do not go if you’re under 30 or wanna meet other young backpackers. It’s kind of a fancy hostel, not really a casual social one. It’s also hard to bring guests in, they will kick them out (and exaggerate the price of the beds if you offer to pay for the night). The room was so humid and small that even with the ac on my passport bent from the humidity (even in the safe) and our clothes never dried (and smelled like humidity). Food is pretty expensive on the resort and sometimes prices are listed wrong. People sit on the counter with their shoes on and don’t clean. If you plan on cooking beware the kitchen lacks: salt, sugar, butter, communal coffee (okay but a bit cheap considering the price). The dishes need to be recleaned everytime. There is only one real glass the other ones are reused plastic red party cups. Admin staff are a bit rude. If you’re not white this guy called Jay will assume you’re an employee and try to speak to you in broken spanish in a demeaning tone. The pool is nice and the cleaning staff too. It’s in a good location. -2 young women from Canada (21yo)