Interior

Reviews of Hostel Backpackers La Fortuna

2 out of 5
Hostel Backpackers La Fortuna
50 metros este de la Iglesia Catolica, La Fortuna, Alajuela

Reviews

7.2

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 20 out of 85 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 30 out of 85 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 20 out of 85 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 9 out of 85 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 6 out of 85 reviews" "

7.6/10

Cleanliness

7.6/10

Staff & service

6.2/10

Amenities

7.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

6/10 Okay

april

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Marginal needs work
Was convenient to town but very loud, pool not working did have option to go to another hostel to use theirs. WiFi poor.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2019
Response from Managment on Sep 7, 2019
Hi, thanks for take your time to comment, we work to offer the best experiences possible to all our customers.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Business traveler
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service
this hostel didn't give to me a receipt, I have 2 weeks waiting for it!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019
Response from Michelle - Costumer Service on Aug 9, 2019
Hello! Please would you provide your name in order for us to send you the receipt? We apologize for the delay.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019
Response from Michelle Ramirez Customer service on Jun 10, 2019
Thank you for staying with us!

8/10 Good

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Fortunate La Fortuna
The front desk staff was great helping us with booking tour, doing laundry, and providing fresh towels after our outings to the hot springs and Baldi thermal baths. The pool is being renovated and the rooms were adequate. It’s right in downtown La Fortunate so there are great bars and restaurants nearby. The rooms are in the back so there isn’t much noise to speak of. Lots of hammocks! The A/C worked great and plenty of hot water. Delicious Free drink with or without alcohol when you arrive. I’d stay here again for a short time.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019
Response from . on Apr 23, 2019
Hello, We are pleased to know that your stay in our facilities was to your liking. Thanks for choosing us. Cordially, Rossana Tedesco Customer Service & Tours information

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities
Tiny rooms . Bed springs have lost strength . No iron boards , not much space to keep luggage , bathrooms are smelly . Location is good as it’s in middle of the downtown . Need to remind staff to clean the room everyday and change towels .
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Will

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place, super helpful staff
The room and bathroom were cleaned daily, the entire property was very nice. The staff were very helpful, Danny set us up with activites for our stay in Fortuna and elsewhere in Costa Rica. Overall a great place and would highly recommend.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2018

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

8/10 Good

catherine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice place to stay
Easy to find from the bus stop...walk Along shop road the way the bus came,then at end of road turn left and walk up until you see sign. Huge place....second pool being built at the moment. 3 kitchens but badly resourced...need more cutlery for sure! Room a bit cramped with bunk beds narrow passage between . Shower cold and most water came out of tap below, which couldn't be stopped! Good AC though and lockers...a bit of a squeeze with backpackers but possibly do able. Tours expensive.... You get what you pay for with the slightly cheaper priced tours. Best things to do....Hot Springs Balding or Termalilis del Arenal (taxi 3500 colones) and Bogarin Trail (6000 colones ) up the road..next to Arenal backpackers resort is a must...easy to take photos of beautiful birds in garden,see sloths, porcupine,frogs etc with guides help. The trail has taken 19 years to make and finance and 5 yrs opened to public....(Jewish flag desplayed as a symbol of respect for long term Jewish beneficiary) lovely walk through 2kms trail...strongly recommend for anyone, those with limited walking or wheelchair bound, families with children, accessable for everyone.
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2018

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Traveled with family and small children, Traveled with group, Traveled with partner, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property in general was good...good location...share facilities and hot swimming pool HOWEVER I had serious problem with the reservation due to they charge me double...they charge by expedia.com and then by cash payment at the location It was a hell make this people to return the extra payment that they received...initially I open case in expedia and they rejected then call to hotel...and during days they were telling cheating me about that they will deposit the money in my bank account...at the end I get the refund calling again directly to expedia and they refund the payment by expedia.com
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It was nice and staff helpful. Very clean and near attraction
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018

8/10 Good

valeri, costa rica

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Budget but nice
Excellent ubication, has kitchen, shuttle service anywhere from La Fortuna, a little poor rooms, but en total very nice place to budget travelers
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel with great location
Clean Hostel, Nice people working there and clean rooms. It is well located for food, supermarket and activities
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2018

6/10 Okay

Tatiana

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Ok
Clean simple room , WiFi did not work and front seat was not personal .
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2018

10/10 Excellent

Mary, Charlotte, NC

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Simple rooms but everything that we needed
Great front desk staff!!!! Everyone was friendly and made great recommendations :)
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2017
Response from Shirlene on Dec 2, 2017
Thank you for your visit, it was a pleasure to have you as our guests.Also thank you for the comments, your opinion is highly appreciated.Pura Vida!

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2017

2/10 Terrible

jessica

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lost my reservation and charged the most on tours
Claimed they did not have my reservation and blamed it on Hotels.com. They apologized and found me a room at a neighboring hotel (no AC even though I paid for AC) and promised that they'd give me a deal on tours. So fine cool at least i had a room, right? Well THEN they rip me off on tours!! I got quotes all around town and they quoted me higher than everyone!!!! I regret being so nice to them, I should have demanded more. Very disappointing
Response from Mario on May 6, 2017
Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed review. All your comments are essential to educating our staff about good and bad service. We will ensure your feedback will be given to all. Furthermore, I will personally supervise that all your other complaints are addressed that everything will be in order on your next visit. We look forward to welcoming you back then. best, Shirlene Angulo, Customer Service

8/10 Good

Stephanie

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Response from Mario on May 6, 2017
Dear Traveler. Thank you for your review and for choosing our hotel. I'm happy that you enjoyed your stay and I'm looking forward to having you again as a guest in our hotel. best, Shirlene Angulo , Customer Service

4/10 Poor

Elly, Canada

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Past Its Prime!!
This original La Fortuna hostel should be torn down. Everything has been repaited so many times it's ko longer fixable. Repair people always on site. The first dark and dingy and mouldy smelling room had a non functioning tv - why bother even putting one in the room- the second a non functioning air conditioner. No mattress covers. Yuck!!

10/10 Excellent

Erika, Washington, D.C.

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel close to Arenal Volcano
Stayed for two nights and was extremely satisfied ! The moment you walk out of the hostel, you have a clear view of the Arenal Volcano. The room and bathroom were extremely clean and worth the price. Highly recommended !

8/10 Good

PAUL

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hostel Backpackers
Overall it was a pretty decent place. Private and quiet but right in the middle of Fortuna and close to everything. Had a nice little bar at the back of the courtyard. Very pleasant.

4/10 Poor

Sydney

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Extremely unorganized
From the moment we arrived the staff were a mess. First, they claimed we didn't have a reservation which I had 100% made through expedia. Then once they found it they said they didn't have any rooms available (even though I reserved it). They sent us a few blocks away to their sister hostel, where the receptionist tried to charge us double, claiming the cost we saw on Expedia was per person per night, rather than per room. That went on for quite a while... We finally got our price down (which was still more expensive than listed on Expedia). To top it off we saw the biggest cockroach I've ever seen in my life beside our bed, and they lock the kitchen at night all through the morning so if you want any of your food you put in the communal fridge over night or for an early breakfast you're out of luck. Definitely wouldn't recommend.

10/10 Excellent

Shirley

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fabulous hotel, good people and fair price.
La Fortuna was a delight. Organized a tour from the hostel. $40. For Volcano, waterfall, hanging bridge and hot springs with a rum drink. We had access to the hostel down the street that had a bar, restaurant and pool.

8/10 Good

Erin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Hostel in La Fortuna
Hostel Backpackers was a great place to stay while exploring La Fortuna. The staff at the front desk are extremely helpful with anything you need! My fiance and I felt very safe and were happy with our choice to book here. It is located right on the main strip, so there are so many stores and restaurants all around. I would recommend this hostel to anyone travelling to La Fortuna.

2/10 Terrible

valery

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Showers water was cool.bathroom has not sheave mirror, wi-fi interrupted frequently

4/10 Poor

Trix, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
smelly place
Bathrooms were dilapidated and smell from the sewage came into the room all day long. The bed was creaky and made a lot of sound at the slightest movement. The neighborhood is noisy all night long- motorcycles and firecrackers and hence very difficult to catch sleep. Was not worth the money we paid for the room. Will not recommend others and will not go back again.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Disliked: Room comfort
Very basic room
Very basic hotel in a great location next to restaurants and shops. Wifi was spotty and we didn't be have hot water. Be prepared for loud music coming from the bar all day/night long. However, the front desk was really helpful with booking tours.

6/10 Okay

Mike, canada

Liked: Staff & service
Nicer than expected
We booked this hostel as an extremely cheap option for 2 nights. We had very basic expectations, knowing full well that this is a hosts. The room, staff, and overall experience were much better than we had anticipated, and we had a great time.

8/10 Good

kat, D

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good location, great place to sleep and plan your
Great location, within walking distance of everything as it is in the middle of town. Not too far from the bus stop. Rooms are perfect for getting some rest, quiet and lights out were really respected by everyone who can e and went through my dorm the two nights I was there. Lots of communal space with tables and hammocks so you can hang out in your own space if you want. Reception is very helpful. You do need to bring your own lock to use their lockers however. None are available to use.

10/10 Excellent

Melanie, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
great location, clean and comfortable room with a/c, quiet and a nice outdoor lounge area with hammocks. Great place to stay!

10/10 Excellent

celisha, Dawson creek

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Unbeatable staff!
wonderful and knowledgeable staff! Headed to the sister hostel to check out the pool , which was cute but very warm so not the refreshing dip I was hoping for. Wifi isn't great in the rooms , but you can sit in the lovely courtyard and relax in a hammock while using the Internet!

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
GREAT HOSTS!!!
Great Host!!! A girl from Seattle made our trip great. Jordan bartending was awesome as well. The whole crew was great.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
abosultely worth the price
very accommodation staff. more than willing to help and nice. *tip- if you're interested in Sky Adventure Activities up in Arenal- just book with the front desk. the prices are the exact same all around town. save the trip and book with them. beds were a little rough, but its a hostel, not a Hilton. overall, i'd stay there again

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Not good experience
The pictures are not like the room they give us and a contruction guys wake up us early with noise inside the hostel

8/10 Good

Justin, St. Louis

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent Staff!
We stayed there and were able to book several trips from the front desk, and the bilingual staff was incredibly helpful!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great backpacker.
Perfect no frills backpacker. Rooms are clean with ac and private bathrooms. Staff is friendly and helpful. Centrally located in La Fortuna. The area is very touristy. Wouldn't recommend spending more then 2 days in the area.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Go value for your money
I paid $30 for a private room. It had AC which I was not expecting. It had hot water which I was not expecting. Soap is small (not big deal) and they charge for towels (not a big deal). They play loud music in the court yard to get people to the bar which is annoying if you do not drink but they shut it down at 10PM which was good.

10/10 Excellent

Kevin, San Diego, CA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
First time in a hostel......Great experience!!
I wasn't really sure about staying in a hostel since I never had before. i heard from people on my activities that they loved it and it was very affordable. I heard this was a vey popular hostel so i booked it for one night. The room was pretty simple and perfect to just unwind in. The courtyard was really pretty cool and there were people that had come from all around. One benefit was that there is a kitchen if you want to do cooking. The only thing I would recommend would maybe thicker comforters on the beds. Overall, for my first hostel ever I enjoyed it.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hostel with all you need for a short stay.
Nice helpful staff. Clean, nice facilities and has swimming pool, pool table, hammocks and bar....great location.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Central location
Great location right in La Fortuna. Short walk to restaurants and coffee shops. Very helpful staff. If you dont mind a bit of party athmosphere at night, this is a great spot!

10/10 Excellent

rick, massillon, oh

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very nice space, small but put together well.
Stayed one night and it was wonderful. Staff was very helpful getting our trip put together. Would stay again and recommend to others.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
The staff made a lot of mistakes with our reservation for the room and the tours we booked through them, and then gave us a really hard time about getting refunds for the trips they mistakenly booked. In addition they lied about rates and what tours included, and when we pointed out to them that their website misrepresents the trips, they denied anything. Aside from that, the rooms were great, the location was prime, and the facilities were comfortable and fun: there were hammocks, pool tables, fuse ball tables, a bar, and a bar. We would definitely stay here again, however we would NOT book tours through the hotel.

4/10 Poor

Rachel, states

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service
Noisy
The little compound is safe, and has a extreme touristy feel. The staff our not extremely helpful but try gritting there teeth in the process, and I feel view you as just another stupid tourist. Very loud at night so if that bothers you, don't stay there. There is no pool you have to go to sister hotel to use pool. The only upside u get a free welcome drink. Oh I almost forgot they make u pay deposits up the rear!!! FYI

2/10 Terrible

Dominique B., Montreal

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disapointed and very noisy
First of all, it is very noisy. There are no quiet rooms. Good for young people who want to party all night. Even with my ear plugs the noise wouldn't let me sleep. When I arrived into town, the bus driver of Interbus drove me to the wrong place because there are too many hotels there with similar names. When I finally got there, they had my reservation but wanted me to pay. I told them that everything was paid so I had to wait 30 minutes for them to check. They never found my payment because I had reserved many months. They let me in anyway but they seemed upset. I felt like I was asking a big favor even if I had paid everything. Later on, I asked them about breakfast. They told me it wasn't included. Again I showed my paper and they finally accepted to give me 2 vouchers for the 2 breakfasts I had paid.I booked a tour at the hotel for the next day. I asked them if the bus driver would come to pick me up at the right place this time. They said: no problem, they know the place. Well, the next day, they went to the other hotel with the same administration and the person at the desk told the guide that I had made my check out. I couldn't check out from a place where I never registered! The guide was bright enough and decided to come to my hotel where I was waiting and I finally joined the group. I felt that the kids who work there are not responsable and need to learn professionalism.

4/10 Poor

Aline, Luxembourg

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Not my favorite Hostel
First they lost my booking and they had just 1 room left. I was not happy at all with that room. It doesn't look like on the pics. Shower was broken, phone didn't work, w-lan was weak. The only + of the hostel is the location of the hostel.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
great value for the money. perfect location to explore the area. Jessica and the team are very helpful and will do everything they can to help you. If you want a comfortable, no frills place to stay...this is perfect. I would stay there again.

6/10 Okay

guillet

Liked: Staff & service

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
You get what you pay for
I only stayd two nights,i have to say the quality price is fare. Its cheap and clean. I didnt like that everytime i took a shower i had water all over the bathroom. I must say the stuff are very friendly and helpfull. Over roll i had a plesent experience.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
La limpieza de las habitaciones no me gustó había muchas hormigas
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2019
Response from Michelle Ramirez Customer service on Jun 10, 2019
Hola, muchas gracias por comentario. Lo vamos a compartir con nuestro equipo de trabajo.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Rummet var litet men området var stort och fint med hängmattor, pooler, bar. Ägaren är jätte trevlig och hjälpsam!
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2019