Hotel La Isla

Location: Playa Palo Seco, Parrita, 2.5 kms este de la escuela., Parrita, Puntarenas, 60901, Parrita, CR

Star Rating: 2 Stars

Property Type: Hotels

About this Property

Important Information

Policies

Check-in: 02:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Check-out: 12:00 PM

Instructions: This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply). To arrange pick-up, guests must contact the property 24 hours prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. The front desk is open daily from 7 AM - 10 PM. This property doesn't offer after-hours check-in. The front desk is staffed during limited hours.

Amenities & Facilities

• Free breakfast
• Area shuttle (surcharge)
• Free WiFi
• Garden
• Luggage storage
• Designated smoking area
• Wheelchair accessible
• Conference space
• Television in common areas
• Free breakfast
• Safe-deposit box at front desk
• Multilingual staff
• Front desk (limited hours)
• Wedding services
• Billiards or pool table
• Tours/ticket assistance
• Area shuttle (surcharge)
• Snack bar/deli
• Free self parking
• Airport transportation - pickup (surcharge)
• Free buffet breakfast

Rooms Available

• Standard Double Room, 2 Queen Beds

  2 Queen Beds

  377 sq feet

  
  

  Entertainment - 32-inch flat-screen TV with satellite channels

  Food & Drink - Coffee/tea maker

  Sleep - Bed sheets

  Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower, free toiletries, and towels

  Comfort - Air conditioning and daily housekeeping

  Need to Know - Toothbrush and toothpaste not available

  Non-Smoking

  Max Occupancy: 4 (4 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Shower
  • TV
  • Air conditioning
  • Private bathroom
  • Satellite channels
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Separate bedroom
  • Bedsheets provided
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste available
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste not available

• Villa, 2 Bedrooms

  2 Twin Beds and 2 Twin Bunk Beds

  700 sq feet

  
  

  Layout - Separate living room

  Internet - Free WiFi

  Entertainment - 32-inch flat-screen TV with satellite channels

  Food & Drink - Kitchen with refrigerator, stovetop, microwave, and cookware/dishware

  Sleep - Bed sheets

  Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower, free toiletries, and towels

  Comfort - Air conditioning and daily housekeeping

  Need to Know - Toothbrush and toothpaste not available

  Non-Smoking, pet friendly

  Room is accessed via exterior corridors

  Max Occupancy: 6 (6 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Shower
  • TV
  • Air conditioning
  • Microwave
  • Private bathroom
  • Satellite channels
  • Kitchen
  • Stovetop
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Access via exterior corridors
  • Free WiFi
  • Separate bedroom
  • Rice cooker
  • Bedsheets provided
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste available
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste not available

Guest Reviews

• Mobile790904 (10/5): Great Spot for an Authentic Experience - As long as you know what you are getting when coming here it is a hidden gem. Stayed here as part of an EF Tour group. Our room was big with a room with two twins and another with two sets of bunk beds, and a little kitchen and living room area combined when you enter. The food at the restaurant was great, and very fresh and local. There was wild life all over with a sloth and monkeys seen around the property. There is not much around the hotel, but if you know what to expect you should be happy with your stay.
• Liz (6/5): - The beach chairs have rust, the shower basically dripped. The room was just ok. The bar tender was beyond slow with only me there. The gardens aren't maintained. The beach is remote and actually quite beautiful. No chairs though. The breakfasts was ok. Very ordinary. Waitress pleasant as was the front desk. Would we go back. No. To the area. Yes.
• Walter (4/5): Preis- Leistung sehr schlecht - weit unter dem Durschschnitt. Buffett für Morgenessen viel zu wenig, beim zweiten mal Holen wird man schroff abgewiesen absolutes no- go
• Anjelica (8/5): - Stunning location and clean property directly on the beach with nice extras in the pool and gaming area. Property is out of date and is about 20 min down a dirt road with very poor WiFi and nothing else around. If you’re looking for a resort this isn’t it, but if you are looking for a clean place where you’ll have the beautiful beach to yourself, it’s a good choice.
• Jorge Francisco (8/5): Parrita - Una playa increíble, muy virgen
• orlando (10/5): - Location, location, location. Isolated but very safe. Still internet was Ok. Will retirn
• Ralf (8/5): - Sehr ruhige Lage, direkt am Strand
• DOMINGO (6/5): - buen dia, deberan mejorar la variedad de desayunos, es muy limitada, incluso lo que te sirven esta contado, no puedes pedir de mas, entiendo que asi es en Costa Rica, pero les daria un valor agregado a su servicio.
• Martha (10/5): - This a unique hotel away from the usual places. It is right on the beach. A sanctuary at the end of the day. It is lovely and people are wonderful.
• Jonathan (10/5): - Lindo lugar seguro y frente al mar
• MICHELLE (8/5): - Very nice surroundings. It’s just a very long unpaved road to get to hotel. 3 miles took 20 minutes to drive to hotel location
• Monika (6/5): - Lugar sencillo en la playa, excelente ubicación y tranquilo. La habitación sencilla pero limpia. Hace falta mantenimiento en las instalaciones. El servicio de los meseros muy bueno, buena actitud y con ganas de complacer el cliente. La comida en la noche es sabroso, buena cantidad y precios decentes. El desayuno limitado y falta de flexibilidad de la cocina... natilla - no hay, salsa Lizano - no hay, pan - no hay, huevos fritos - no se puede (insistiendo y ofreciendo a pagar si se puede) La playa muy linda, tranquila, con sombra y algunas sillas. Las piscinas bien con bastantes sillas y mesas (mantenimiento!) y con opciones de sombra. Hay que llevar paños para la playa/piscina , secadora de pelo, shampoo, etc. Se puede usar caja fuerte en la recepción. Un lugar para descansar y conociendo las limitaciones uno se acomoda, lleva las cosas y lo pasa bien.
• Roger (6/5): - Anlage sehr in die Jahre gekommen, teilweise nicht mehr heutigen Ansprüchen genügend. Sanitäre Ausstattung minimal. Lage sehr schön und sehr abgeschieden, erreichbar über 6km Erd-/Kiesstrasse. Sehr guter Umgang mit hilfsbereitem Personal.
• Milan (10/5): - Very nice and quite place. Out of nowhere and several km of beach is all yours. Even remote place like this got good restaurant and bar.
• John (10/5): Peaceful beautiful place - We loved our stay at La Isla. We had planned to stay only one night but ended up staying two because it was so nice. Very peaceful, the staff was very nice, the beach was beautiful, the pool and hammocks were nice, and the food was great. The mattresses are not great. Would definitely stay again.
• ERIC COTO (10/5): - TODO BIEN EXCELENTE
• dany (6/5): - The area is beautiful , quiet et peaceful !! The hotel service is basic but ok .. breakfast is the minimum of what you can expect ..
• JOHNNY (8/5): Baños no muy bien - El baño muy pequeño y no tienen shampoo ni secadora de pelo en las habitaciones.
• Lauren (8/5): Decent for price! - Cool, remote location. Right across from the beach. There are tons of hammocks in front of the property in the shady, and on the beach side - white Adirondack type chairs for sitting. Rooms were quite outdated - beds were terrible. Felt like we were at sleep away camp. Mattress felt like it was from the 90s - we felt every single spring!!! Decent overall for the price. The restaurant was lovely - staff very friendly. Free breakfast was good too!
• Verified traveler (10/5): - El hotel se encuentra bastante retirado del centro de Parrita e inmerso en la naturaleza de la zona, lo cual lo hace un lugar muy relajante.
• Verified traveler (8/5): - Very nice and informative, staff are extremely helpful and attentive! It was a very nive place to stay at and will surely return.
• Jane-y-Douglas (2/5): Bad Location - The rooms are smaller than stated. At night there was a lot of noise from the compressors of the AC. Turning off did not help since there were at least 4 AC's in a bodega adjacent to the rooms with a glassless window. The fan could not be used due to noise. There were bad smells from the sanitary facilities. It was not possible to sleep.The restaurant is uncomfortable, with plastic chairs. Not inviting to eat. The coffee for breakfast was bland, but we got a stronger coffee. The hotel environment was very neglected.
• CMRD2000 (2/5): Ants - I stayed in this hotel in March 2017 hike on an EF trip we spent 3 nights. Overall on fist impress the hotel was simple and a bit run down, but over all fine. It was only later in the day of our arrivals that the girls in one room found ants in there bed, management was called and clean, then I found ants in my room on the floor, which wasn't too concerning as the girl I was sharing with had left some food open. We quickly cleaned up and then no more ants. Or so we thought. The same girls from before returned to their room covered in ants the beds and the bathroom, they were forced to move, to a room the still had ants but only a few on the floor. Back to my room I go to get ready for bed only to find a carpet of ants om the bathroom sink and shower. I was unfortunately unable to move rooms due to my roommates. As well the pool bottom was in more than one place broken concrete I got in once then never again. The jet pool was worse it was standing water. As well the pool area was filled with black bugs of some kind that gave everyone hives and rashes. Despite all of this the food was good and the staff was kind. Others on our trip who were staying in differ t parts of the hotel had no ants and no problems, so depending on what you want, this hotel is great for those who are just trying to get close to nature.
• SugahWaterYello (2/5): Gross - Hotel room had bugs and spiders scattered throughout. Shower head broke. Water was brown. Bed broke. Smelled like cigarettes. Worst hotel I have ever stayed in and totally not worth the price they ask for.
• esteru2014 (10/5): Amazing location and delicious food! - The food is the best I've ever had. I specially recommend the fish with shrimp. The rooms and the hotel were really clean the beach is in front and had amazing sunsets. Is near Manuel Antonio if you would like a more calm beach.
• lionelbergen06 (2/5): TO AVOID - if you survive to the 6 kms bumpy road and still want to spend a nite there ... you will be frighten by the low quality of this pre historic hotel ( it s not an hotel but rather a very old fashioned resort) .. the personnel is incompetent and completely disinterested in managing the clients problems ... the rooms are clean but rather minimalist ... the swimming pool is dirty and so is the restaurant lounge .. the breakfast is EXCLUSIVELY costa rican (dont even try to ask for anything else they will look at you as if you come from Mars ..
• H9791JBninab (8/5): Great, but you have to know Costa Rica - I have travelled many times in Costa Rica. Although CR is a tourist destination, most of the country is simple and old-fashioned. If you go to La Isla (and most small, locally-owned hotels in the country), you need to understand that this is the "tico" way. If you keep this in mind, you will find that La Isla is simple but charming. I was fortunate to stay there two times on different EF Tours (be warned if you are a paying guest that EF Tours uses this hotel for student trips!) The rooms are clean, air-conditioned and very humble. The food is good, but not fancy. The grounds are tropical, and wonderful to wander and view a variety of animals. I and my students saw geckos, iguanas, monkeys, parrots, frogs and tons of crabs. It's a great place to travel with kids/students. The beach across the road is lovely, but too dangerous for swimming. *Just a note: when I travel to other countries, I always bring my own small bath towel. Something for you to consider.
• EV-Diva (6/5): Girl Scout group stay - Our troop from Colorado stayed here as part of a trip planned by EF Tours. There were 42 people in our group (17 from our troop), mostly girls aged 13-18 and a handful of adults. The rooms are divided up into little cabins, which the girls thought were cute. Our scouts don't stay in hotels often, so to them the ideal was quite novel . As with many places outside of the US, you get one room key and it is best to turn it in at the front desk when you are leaving the hotel grounds. This was a great experience for our girls as they locked their keys in their room by accident and we had them approach the front desk to resolve the issue themselves. Good problem solving and responsibility lessons! Another thing that was new for our US girls is not flushing toilet paper. This is very important in Costa Rica because the whole country is very environmentally aware and they try to save resources. Some of the rooms we used have 2 double beds and a bathroom or 2 rooms with 2 sets of bunk beds in one room and two twin beds in the other room, and also a kitchenette with a large refrigerator, microwave, dishes, sink etc. Neither style room had super comfy furniture to sit and watch TV in, which is fine because the only English language channel was BBC News (and the scouts were not very interested in watching the news). There is a beach shower outside each room for sand management, and since there is no carpeting we had the girls leave their shoes outside so they wouldn't have a sandy floor. The girls swam in the pool which was very clean. Other reviews perhaps prompted a clean up of the pool, but it was very nice and the girls loved it. The only bad part about the pool was the little black bugs that are like teenie tiny gnats. They pinch a bit, but don't leave a mark, and they could care less if you have mosquito repellant. We loved the food! The staff was very nice and everyone loved the food. They have a great pool table and the bar area is very cozy. One of the favorite parts for the girls was a kitten that visited and a puppy that was owned by one of the staff. Personally I liked seeing the iguanas lounging about like bunnies from home. We didn't get hot showers, and you have to use your own towels at the pool (take a microfiber towel so it will dry), and the beach is great for watching waves, birds and stars. As part of our tour we worked on a mangrove project which was very nearby the hotel. It was an amazing project for the girls to work on and the loved it.
• MegBon (4/5): Don't stay here. - The nicest thing I can say about this hotel is that the wifi in the lobby is good. I took a group of 45 to Costa Rica through a student travel company, so I had no choice in the matter staying here. First of all, the rooms look like they haven't had any updating since the 1970s. The bedspread (which I'm fairly certain was actually a bed SKIRT) was all pilled, and the sheets were basically translucent. The bathroom mat looked like it hadn't been washed in years, and the "furniture" in the rooms were lawn chairs made out of glorified PVC pipe. The staff rations towels (which have HOLES IN THEM, by the way), and upon departure if you don't turn in the number of towels they give you (one per person), they charge you $20 per towel. FOR TOWELS WITH HOLES IN THEM. $20. Let that sink in. When we checked in, we were shorted one towel for a room of 4, and when we kindly asked in Spanish for another towel, the clerk replied "What for?!" Wow, how welcoming. What my students did love about this place was that the lobby and pool stayed open until midnight. So there was that.
• kariken (6/5): Nice but... - Upon arrival with family we had hoped to take a dip in the pool after a long dusty ride. The pool had a skim of bugs and sediment on the bottom. They appeared to be working on it but still even the smaller pool was stagnant. Hope they have that fixed. View of the Ocean however crossing the road was beautiful. Careful, this is not a swim beach but a great beach to walk on and play in the sand or doze under a palm. The staff very attentive and Sally at the desk was helpful with local info. Rooms were clean.We didn't use the TV but the air worked fine. Many ctenasuar around the property, cousins of the iguana. Loved being greeting by them in the morning outside our door. Food was basic but good. Had to let them know if you are staying for meals though so they have staff. Fair enough. Price, reasonable. Bar staff very pleasant too. The road getting to this place was filled with potholds which could use some work. Nice little bar down the road to hangout too.
• 509javierav (6/5): The Rooms Are Dissapointing - I'm sad to sad that the room mantainence is deficient, they look like they have been abandoned since the '80s! Apart from that our shower head gave electrical discharges if you touched it to adjust the water flow and it's direction. Like many other reviews said, this is a barely decent hotel if you stay here for a day or two because, the hotel is far from everything The common areas of the hotel are well kept and have WiFi (the rooms don't have).
• marces870 (4/5): An advice - It's a nice hotel just if you stay there to sleep because there aren't too much things to do and it's cheap. At mornings, after the breakfast (not bad but not the best) you can go to other places like Manuel Antonio or Quepos. The hotel is old and need some changes.
• reainew (10/5): Surprised - I was currently in Costa Rica in a Tour with 6 of my high school students and others from Oregon, California & Texas. We arrived & there was nothing around but after one night, my students were wanting to finish the trip here. They listened to what the students from another tour and ours said about having music to dance and the next night, there was a DJ. They had hammocks in the trees, Iguanas running around like dogs & and the beach across the street. The food was very good and all of the staff was awesome.
• cpgz (4/5): The best thing here was the sign! - This place may have been nice once, but it no longer is! I've been to Costa Rica twice, and have stayed in 9 different hotels and lodges, and this was by far the worst! While it is "on the beach", the water is too rough to swim safely in. That being said, there is a pool, but it looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in quite some time. My group really wanted to go swimming though, so they started to skim the pool themselves. In addition to leaves and bugs, they also removed 5 dead crabs from the water! (That might account for the smell in the area!) The rooms were "average"; nothing special, and there were both insects and lizards in the room. I actually find the occasional lizard to be fun, but roaches are another matter entirely, no matter where I am! The food we had there was also below par. Lunch was lasagna (in Costa Rica!), dinner was fried fish and french fries (both had no flavor) and breakfast was eggs and pancakes - again, flavorless. I would not stay here again. It's too bad, because the grounds have a lot of potential. The hammocks are comfy, and they're where the best internet is too.
• 4NHTraveler (2/5): Never again! - I went to this hotel with a group of students on a tour and would not go back again! This hotel needs some MAJOR overhauls / updating. The rooms were okay with plenty of room, but it definitely looked dingy. The mat for the bathroom looked like it hadn't been washed in weeks, and the furniture in the hotel room was plastic chairs with cushions on them that were extremely outdated. The pool area was horrible. The lounge chairs were all dirty/worn down and the pool was full of sand and dirt. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a month or more. In fact, I question if they ever clean it or ??. The students went in the pool, but it must have been because they didn't know any better/didn't care, but I wouldn't have let my own children swim in that environment. The location of the hotel was also extremely remote, not near anything (shopping / restaurants) which could be okay if you wanted to relax, but I have to say that I was wishing for a close restaurant or something so that I could eat what I wanted and not their food. The food was questionable at best. Given the outdated rooms and pool area, I'm not sure I really want to know what the kitchen looked like. The beach near the hotel is beautiful, and very secluded. However, there are dangerous rip currents (as is posted every 100 feet or so) so I didn't even venture into the water. The hotel did have WiFi, but it was only available in the bar/restaurant area, not in rooms. Also, it had a pool table in the bar area if you wanted to play a game of pool. At any rate, I am glad we were only there 2 nights, as it was not a good experience for me. Everything just seemed dirty and in need of some attention, which is sad because this hotel could be beautiful if they took the time to make it look that way. At least the staff was nice and friendly. With all that said, I can definitely say that I would have been more than disappointed if I had paid a lot of money to go there on vacation, as I don't think it would have been worth it. I will not be going back.
• janetb91 (10/5): Quiet and beautiful - Hotel La Isla- Sally Delgado manager My family had a wonderful week stay at this hotel. The hotel is on a mostly deserted stretch of beach with beautiful grounds, restaurant, bar and pool. The location bordering the ocean, a mangrove estuary and trees and vegetation means there is lots of bird watching on site. The extensive complementary Costa Rican breakfast will keep you going all day as you explore the central Pacific coast or as you swim and sun in the ocean at the hotel. There was a lifeguard on duty everyday who kept the swimmers within parameters. Sally at the front desk helped us make our arrangements for transportation and seeing the fascinating sights this area has to offer in an efficient and fun way and was always 100% friendly and helpful. The hotel has a local flavor which means that like all of our travel experiences in Costa Rica the Hotel la Isla was friendly and positive. Everything was reasonably priced so we had funds left at the end of the day for a refreshing Imperial beer in the bar. I felt like it was ‘our house’ in Costa Rica. Thanks again Hotel La Isla.
• catalinas2013 (8/5): Excellent service and food! - I organized a group of more than 100 people to stay at this hotel and it was great. The hotel facilities are a outdated, but everything is clean and tidy, and the service made up for it! Hotel staff where super friendly, efficient and eager to help, I did not need to be on top of them at all, everything was taken care of, and the food was delicious, we had buffet style, however, hotel provided options for everyone including vegan, lactose and/or glucose intolerant. We had beach volleyball, surf and pool fun.
• SantanaAndres (8/5): Great place to stay - The food is very good, although not always on time. The hotel is in good shape. The best thing about the hotel is the location. It is great place to disconnect and surf. The rooms are very clean and so are the bathrooms.
• VC863 (2/5): Warning - I with a group of students stayed at this hotel and it was the worse stay ever. It is unclean and we suffered from bug bites that were said to be termites but not sure really what they were. Food awful. Staff rude and mad when we left early. Stay here ruined my Costa Rica experience. I would never recommend this place ever.
• Clembox (4/5): Know what you're getting into... - I stayed at this hotel as part of an EF Tours school tour group. We stayed in some fun, off-the-beaten-path hotels during our trip. But this hotel, was a little too low-end, in my opinion. It's in a remote location, and is close to a beautiful beach. But it was made very clear that this section of beach is extremely dangerous, and swimming was not allowed. The hotel facilities are very outdated, the power went out literally 8-10 times per day, and I'm pretty sure this is the one place we stayed where the food made people sick! The reviews that talk about "unplugging" are literally true!

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