The staff were welcoming, friendly and helpful, however, it was often difficult to find anyone, even during posted office hours. The beds were very uncomfortable; the bathroom was VERY small; hot water in the shower was unreliable; the bathroom smelled (we think from the sink); there was a small step down just inside the entrance and another into the bathroom that were potential tripping hazards; we were told coffee was available in the kitchen from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., but the door was locked until 7:30, and when it opened there was no coffee made. It's on a very busy street, but our room was in back and was quiet, and the sitting area outside was lovely with lots of hanging plants.

Very friendly and accommodating host - Marleny and family. Clean and friendly place with much information about local tours, eating places, and organized transport to and from San Jose. Great kitchen facilities! and Marleny prepared us a delicious breakfast, for US$7. Comfortable rooms and very clean. The location is noisy on weekends, especially at night, with passing traffic on the main road.

This place is really special. I wasn’t totally sure when I checked in and felt like I may have been better off at something more geared towards socializing (quiet time is 10). Luckily, I stayed. The owners are the sweetest people and will constantly elevate your stay to be more comfortable, from a compliment to showing the sloth outside. You have the option to wake up to a home cooked breakfast every morning: a generous plate of beautiful fresh fruit and eggs or pancakes. The family also runs a coffee tour of their own place where Freddy stopped to show us an unbelievable view spot. This isn’t a lively hostel, it’s a chill resting spot. That said, I spent my time in town with a couple I met at breakfast, and we’ll definitely be in touch again. I highly recommend staying here if you’re looking for a home away from home.

The rooms were clean and the hostel had a cute welcoming space. We had a private room which was pretty cramped but it was cozy and the bed was comfortable. The shower temperature fluctuated (I think they were doing laundry at the time!) but other than that we had no complaints. Rates for laundry were higher than we experienced at another hostel in the area. This hostel was very walkable to restaurants, an ATM, a grocery store, and souvenir shops.

It was our first time staying in a hostel. Overall it was a good experience the only down thing I would have to say is the beds were hard but that may be normal for hostels. It was clean, breakfast was good, and everyone was very friendly and polite. The staff was helpful, helping us get transportation and recommendations of where to go.

Super cute family run hostel. The entire family is amazing and I would highly recommend their coffee tour! Super clean and tidy rooms. Very quite as well for sleeping! Absoloutly would come back multiple times. I cannot express how helpful and friendly the family is!

The staff was wonderful every person was very nice to speak with and help me in many ways

Cabinas El Pueblo is very centrally located in Santa Elena and is a convenient spot for activity pickups, with easy access to grocery stores and restaurants in the area. The room is clean and inviting and was a good resting spot between trips to the Cloud Forest. Freddy and Marlenny were amazing hosts - they went out of their way to help arrange activities and shuttles. We visited their family coffee farm for a tour which was wonderful. Freddy went out of his way to try and help us spot a sloth (one of our bucket list items) - he took the long way back from the farm to try and find one. The family's helpfulness made our visit easy and enjoyable!