The guy at the reception is rude: never saying hi, thank you, or bye. Nothing. He is not informative to guests, and he looks annoyed when you ask him very basic information about the hostel or Santa Catalina. He's only interested in selling you the tours. However, the woman in the morning preparing breakfast is nice, at least she smiles, even though the breakfast is not a lot. I was happy to change hostel after 1 night.

“High price-to-quality ratio and fantastic host, but needs more hooks and cleaner bathrooms”

The host was funny, helpful, and kind. He also owns a tour agency and joined the tour to Coiba Island, which was the highlight of my stay - such an unforgettable experience! The beds and pillows were comfortable. Great that there are 3 showers to choose from. Location is good - close to the center but 15min walk to the best beach in the area (Playa el Estero). Supermarket right in front of the hostal though, which was extremely helpful.

“Amazing experience with a very welcoming host”

We had a really awesome week at Pablo’s Casa de la Playa. It is really cozy and we felt like home. We slept in the 10 bed dorm, everyone had a single bed and a lot of space, as well as airconditioning. Pablo made sure that we had everything we needed and made the experience really authentic. If you need anything (booking trips, renting kayaks or surfboards or asking for recommendations) you can always turn to Pablo for help and advice. We also booked a trip to Coiba Island with Pablo which was an incredible experience! It’s also nice to get to know other travellers, the outdoor area is very social and the kitchen is well equipped for cooking. All in all it was a fantastic week!

“Cute hostel with a nice vibe”

Very friendly host, good location, nice outside area, AC from 7-7, good vibes, comfy bed, breakfast included

“Overall liked the place and the people were friendly.”

Breakfast was fine and the overall vibe of the place is pretty chill.

“Good meals, good vibes, good stay”

The outdoor space, vibes and welcoming staff :)

“great stay, friendly host - could be a bit cleaner”

Really friendly staff, great location - breakfast included (however very basic). Can book great tours from the hostel

“Great Stay”

Amazing staff (friendly and helpful), delicious dinners (congratulations to the chef), beautiful decoration, amazing vibe, comfy bed and hammock. I would definitely go back!

“Great vibe- great price.”

Great vibe, extended my stay. Such a lovely host. Dorms where clean and quite. Good aircon but not too cold. More bathrooms outside. I’d return for sure!

“Very nice stay at Casa de la playa!”

Pablo is great and does everything to make sure you have a pleasant stay. The dorm is wide and clean with AC so you can sleep perfectly. He will also help you giving you advice regarding activities and transport. Breakfast is included and great to get energy to start the day (coffee, toasts, scrambled eggs and freshly cut fruit). And last but not least the arepas! Must go in Santa Catalina!

“Nice dorm at the rooftop”

The staff and ambiance is super.

“👌”

Had a great stay here! It was clean, beds are comfortable, great location, The food was excellent too, Pablo was amazing! Very helpful with everything and a very cool guy! Highly recommend it :)

“A chill hostel in an area where everyone passes.”

Dorm was spacious, Had a nice area to chill. Kitchen was ok.

This establishment was chaotic; however, ultimately, I enjoyed it for what it was: a mattress on the floor, a place to shower, and a place to enjoy meeting some engaging travellers. When I turned up, the manager Pablo claimed that he didn't have my reservation, despite my prior receipt of the usual booking.com reservation acknowledgment. Faced with little alternative, I accepted the offer of a mattress on the floor rather than a bed containing the same kind of mattress. A similar situation had greeted a friend the day before, and over the three days of my stay, numerous people met with the same spiel at check-in: sometimes people stayed, at other times they were angry and left. The presence of a number of thinner mattresses under three of the beds in the large communal room suggests that such problems at check-in are not isolated; they were blamed on technology/communication issues. Breakfast on the first day was ordinary, to say the least. On the second day, I elected to skip breakfast and have coffee with friends at a cafe. Breakfast was better on the final day. Certain areas of the property were kept clean, though the external bathroom was less than ideal. Wifi is inconsistent. I got access on my laptop, but only occasionally on my phone: others had similar issues. An amusing side note to the stay, witnessed by all guests, was the obvious tension between the Spanish-speaking manager, Pablo, and the owner's son, Guillermo.

“Clean room with friendly atmosphere for a decent price.”

Very nice atmosphere with plenty of people to talk to. Well located and includes parking. Simple but free breakfast.

Pablo is the boss One man One hostel

“All in all it was okey.”

The breakfast was nice and water and coffe were included.

I actually booked a private room but some issues with booking appeared so i switched to the dorm. Beds are comfortable, room is huge and even without aircon you are able to sleep properly. Really nice owner who makes the best Arepas i've ever had. Try the shrimp arepas, it is worth it! Close to Downtown Santa Catalina.

“The best stay in Santa Cantalina”

Pretty modern casa with the perfect host Pablo. Amazing breakfast and service. It is really clean and the outdoor area has a lot of places to chill. Kitchen is well equipped. The location is very central as well. We stayed for one week and really enjoyed the stay. In the evenings there is also a restaurant kitchen with tasty freshly made food. Can just recommend.

“One of the best hostels in Latin America”

We stayed longer than planned, because we enjoyed it a lot here. The price-quality is so good, the location is perfect, the breakfast was the best we had on our whole trip, the ambiance is super chill en everything is clean. Pablo is a great host and can help you with everything. You can order super fresh arepa’s at Pablo’s restaurant and you can also cook yourself in the communal kitchen. We would really recommend to stay at Casa Pablo!