Name: Punta Descartes
Address: Calle Central, La Cruz, La Cruz, La Cruz, 51001, Costa Rica
Rating: 7

Air conditioning

24-hour reception

Smoke-free property

Ticket assistance

Garden

Terrace

Private check-in/check-out

General

Non-smoking rooms

Room service

Cable TV

Wardrobe/Closet

Linens

Toiletries

Rooms

Luggage storage

Wake-up service

Services and amenities

Breakfast

Common kitchen

Restaurant

Snack bar

Packed Lunches

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Airport transportation

Transfer

Tour assistance

Tourist services

Library

Recreation

Parking

Beach/pool towels

Pool and beach

Kids' TV Networks

Kids

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Location

At the hostel

Room amenities

Guanacaste Airport

Punta Descartes

La Cruz

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

11-beds

12-beds

13-beds

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4-beds

40-beds

5-beds

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7-beds

8-beds

9-beds

king-bed

queen-bed

limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

2-bedrooms

3-bedrooms

4-bedrooms

5-bedrooms

6-bedrooms

not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

Unexpected find that was really enjoyable. Room was clean and decorated nicely with antique pieces. Good quality linen and pillows. Room had both a/c and fans. Safe parking and they have a restaurant with amazing beach views. Sunset must be incredible here. Also, great spot for bird watching.

Unexpected gem

Avoid this place!  I would give it a negative rating if I could.  Way overpriced and would not honour the price given on booking.com ... pay a higher price or leave! The room was so tiny for 2 people (or even 1 person).  A lumpy, frumpy double bed with almost no floor space, and a small window ... very claustrophobic.  W/C was also very tight (no room to turn around). No hot water (as advertised).  A real hassle with the internet as they didn't want to hand out or tell you their "secret" password ... they had to enter it themselves.  A nuisance if you lose the connection or want to use another device.

They just don't have a customer service attitude at all.  Because of their poor attitude, I decided to eat elsewhere for dinner ... but promised breakfast for $6 a person didn't materialize. It was advertised online on the booking site and mentioned the night before ... but no breakfast service at all ... I was very upset as there are few other choices around ... even the great coffee shop about a block away wasn't open at 8 am ... just had to leave town and find somewhere to have coffee/breakfast.  

The only positives are the great view of the bay (especially susnet), Cable TV with CNN and HBO channels (all else in Spanish) and a/c.  Otherwise, a bad choice at half the price.

Terrible Place, terrible service, terrible attitude, terrible bed, terrible room

The place has a great view from the restaurant area, but that was it. The little room was way overpriced for three people, the toilet was not clean when we got the room, but they cleaned it when we asked to. The room was very loud because of transit at the street, the bed springs will be right on your back and will not let you rest well, the towels were old and with stains...It is a small town with few places where to stay, but I would go somewhere else to spend a night rather that spending a night at this place.

Not for a comfortable night

I booked a reservation online for a "Twin Seaside View" room and brought with me a copy of my reservation, purchase price, and confirmation number.

I arrived in the evening after a long day flying into Liberia and bussing to La Cruz. Upon arrival, I rang the bell and was greeted by an irritated gentleman and, I presume, his son. They gave me two options: Pay 2.5 times the price that I agreed to pay online for an inferior room (first floor, view of front lawn), or sleep on the street. It was already past 10pm and my first night in Costa Rica. I did not see any reasonable option other than to cough up my money. Too tired to argue, I went into my room and went to bed. This happened a year ago, and I still seethe when I remember the man's disdainful scowl and apathetic son. 

The morning cleaning staff was friendlier, but I had already made my judgment. I nursed my mosquito bites, packed up, and left at 6am. Unfortunate that I associate my first time in Costa Rica with this uncaring place. I cannot recommend this place due to their inability to honor reservations and due to their poor personal skills.

Will not honor reservation. The owner will scowl at you.

Geographically it is well situated, has a beautiful view....but the appeareance of the place is filthy & smelly.  Also if tou pay in american dollars they will not honor the the current value exchange.  They will value it at a lower rate!!! Bad customer service! My "salonera" was "Karina".

Appeareance

Let's be honest, La Cruz is the elbow pit of Costa Rica... half way between your hand and your shoulder, no one should spend more than a day there.  They don't call in La Frontera for nothing.

Punta Descartes is exactly what you might expect in a frontier town.  More flop house than hotel, there are plenty of locals and disillusioned expats living there for what I can only imagine being mere colones per day.  Trust me, we met one.

Rooms are nothing to write home about (but I'm doing it here so that must mean something), rates are typical Costa Rica overpriced, and the food is haute dismal.

Staff is the epitome of uninspired.  Neither bad, nor good.  Pretty much sums up the whole thing.

The sunset is to die for, though.  Absolutely stunning.  Go for something cheap and hard to mess up on the menu and then get the hell out.  I don't know where else you're going to go to spend the night, though.... It is La Cruz, after all.

'Cause where else are you going to stay?

We didn't actually stay at the Hostel but visited via our tour guide Fabian (Nicknamed Chan)  We came by to see the view while out on our tour of La Cruz and then came back for dinner.  The food was outstanding, the serving sizes were large, the services was very friendly and welcoming.  I loved the plants that were all around us. I don't have words for the decor other than I loved it.  It was modern couches or chair, everything was old.  The couches were covered with blankets and even though it was covered you felt like you were a part of the outdoors while you ate.  The sunset was stunning over the pacific.  You could hear the birds and other animals making their evening calls.  You felt very much like a part of your surroundings.  Even if you don't stay there I would definitely recommend this place for dinner.

Punta Descartes

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