Hostel Hakuna Matata
Entrada Principal, Contiguo Al BCR, Cahuita 70403 Costa Rica
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About
#14 of 66 Specialty lodging in Cahuita
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Hakuna Matata Hostel is a lovely accommodation choice for travelers. Situated 20 meters away from the bus stop and surrounded by tall mango trees which give it a jungle-like vibe, it's a go-to experience for visitors of Cahuita. It's also located 3 minutes walk away from the national park and the beach and it has some food store right next to it. The hostel offers bed dorms and single rooms, a shared kitchen where you can cook your own meals, free WiFi, a beautiful swimming pool and a very nice common area with fun games like kicker or darts. As a side note, you will also be able to see wildlife here as the trees above the hostel are often frequented by monkeys and sloths. Come here to relax and meet adventurous travelers like you.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Pool
Outdoor pool
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Shared kitchen
Laundry service
Room types
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Budget
Family
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
93Great for walkers
Grade: 93 out of 100
29Restaurantswithin 0.5 km
1Attractionwithin 0.5 km
164Reviews0Q+A9Room tips
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Best place to sattle down, come down and make inner peace. Thanks goes to the managers; these three brave musketeers Artio, Luke and Mario. One for all - all for one. Next year again. 10 Points. Auf Wiedersehen!!! Don Juan 💪🏼 🏝️ 🤙🏼 🤙🏼 🤙🏼
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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We loved our stay, we even booked some extra nights we love the chill and relax atmosphere of Cahuita. We want to thank Mario and his family for their lovely hospitality. They have a good heart and we believe the next guests will have a good time here. If you are reading this: press book now!9
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Date of stay: December 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: There is bus station next to it, very handy.
Also a store next to the hostel.
We loved the french...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Better late than never. I'm writing this review after my horrible experience at this place. Site didn't allow me to go back to the time this occurred, October 2019. In view of recent events making headlines across the world, I could not keep quiet anymore! Yes, I am a person of color and as such I've grown up experiencing out right, as well as subtle, forms and expressions of racism. My spouse and I travel regularly, both nationally and internationally. Issues of racism we faced always occurred nationally. In Paris, Canada, Amsterdam, Africa, islands of the Caribbean and other places, we were always treated well and extended hospitality. For years we'd heard about the beautiful little town of Cahuita in Costa Rica. So our first post retirement trip included a stop in Cahuita. It took months of planning and coordinating transportation on how to get to this small town. Our meeting point with a friend that lived there, would be Hakuna Matada Hostel, the one stop in town on the route of the van we'd rode in for several hours. We were dropped there along the road in front of the hostel with our several luggages (this was a 3 week vacation with several stops along the way). So we struggled to get all of our bags to the 'lobby' (about a 1/2 city block distance from the road) of the hostel. We explained to the gentleman seated there that we were meeting our friend that lives in Cahuita there. We'd texted her when we arrived, but they were running a late to come pick us up. We asked if we could use the restroom and sit in one of the outdoor spaces on a bench nearby until they arrived. He instantly said 'No'!! During our entire conversation he never smiled, nor responded to our initial greeting. (We thought perhaps it was a language barrier, but a smile and a 'hi' or 'hola' is easily understood everywhere we've traveled) He said unless we were guests at the hostel, we could not use the facilities nor could we sit and wait anywhere on their property!!! So here we are, 2 senior citizens in our late 60's, several luggages in tow, exhausted after a full day of traveling and no where to rest until we could be picked up. So as we're once again dragging our luggages across gravel paths back to the roadside, a van pulls up, a Caucasian man and a young girl hop out and approach the same man we'd just spoken with and the man asks ( in English) if he could take his daughter to the restroom. Immediately the man points and tells them (in English) the location of the restroom!! Meanwhile, we're still walking with our luggages, and the man and daughter pass us by again and hop back on their van and ride away. Apparently they weren't guests either!! Our first impression of Cahuita was not a very good one!! After about 90 minutes of waiting we were able to connect with our friend and the rest of our visit to the town was truly wonderful! No one else ever treated us badly, everyone else was very friendly and hospitable. But I will say this, based on our experience, the Hakuna Matada Hostel will always be a place where people of color are not welcomed. I shudder to think how we would have been treated as 'guests'!!…
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Date of stay: May 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: Avoid staying here if you are a person of color.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Wonderful hostel, probably the best i've been in CR. The new owners (since end of 2020) are so kind and helpful ! Good matresses !! Nice garden, swimming pool, kitchen, and the common area with couches, hamacs makes meeting so easy with the other travelers ! I had a really nice stay
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Date of stay: March 2021
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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This hostel is perfect if you want to relax in a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. The beautiful property is close to the entrance of the national park and next to a small shopping area. Mario and his wife were amazingly sympathetic, offering us self-made snacks every day and fulfilling all our requires instantly. Thank you both for the wonderful time. I hope to be back soon. Pura Vida
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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I have no idea why there are any decent reviews on this hostel. Rented a private double room which was hugely overpriced for what it was. Room was dirty, not sure if cleaning was done or just done badly. sheets on bed had stains and there were cockroaches in the room at night.. Mattress was ok. Cockroaches in the bathroom( dead ones initially arrived but live ones later), cobwebs on the shower which I used even though it was indeed cold and the toilet stopped flushing later that night. There was a smell of sewage outside the room and the wifi was intermittent at best. Seem to be a group of young men running this who could do with a lesson on proper hostel management. Breakfast included, was pancake batter left in the kitchen for you to make yourself, with lukewarm coffe available from 7 a.m. After seeing cats on top of the aapliances and cockroaches on the floor, I declined to spend any more time here. The only good thing about this place is the location beside the bus station.…
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Date of stay: November 2019
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Don't stay here
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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***DO NOT IGNORE*** Normally I ignore it when people moan about silly things. BUT! If you are looking for somewhere relatively affordable, trust me you can find alot better than this place. The only good thing about this place is the name. Everything else is absolutely disgusting and the male receptionist/manager was a discrace to the hospitality industry. If he seriously can get away with what he has done then I truely give up on the world. People like this should be looked into and a formal complaint is currently being investigated. ALL THESE REVIEWS ABOUT THE STAFF NEED TO BE SERIOUSLY DEALT WITH!!! WHY DO THEY STILL HAVE A JOB? He needs to be Investigated and removed from the hospitality sector. This is not acceptable and he must not get away with it. I am so angry and shocked by this.…
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Date of stay: September 2019Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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The staff was rather unfriendly. The room was dirty and the bed was humid. Also the bathroom was dirty. The price is expensive for what you get. 35$ for a dirty room and unfriendly staff. Only the setting was good.
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Date of stay: April 2019Trip type: Traveled with family
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Rented a private room/private bath for $35USD. Pool/garden lovely, & access to communal kitchen. But room was plywood, with just open screened windows feet from local neighbors that argued for hours loudly. Claim to have wifi but you can only get on a few minutes, if at all, even very late at night. Location's good to downtown Cahuita & beach, but noisy too. Room extremely basic, cardboard "closet" in corner is only storage & wires exposed on "hot water" suicide shower so I just took a cold one. I stayed in a concrete house with modern amenities for $10 less per day just down the road so this room was very overpriced. This room would rent for $15-20 in most Caribbean locations. I did love the painted art murals all over the place though. And the lobby was lovely.
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Date of stay: February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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So much to say and such little time. First point I will say, as with all hostels; good value and beautiful guests. The story of our stay is as follows... We arrived, we were dissapointed at the most unfriendly welcome from one of the Mario brothers. I hold our hands up, due to lack of planning and confusion over Plays Negra, our booking was a lastinute decision and the hostel benefits from a lack of competition.... For now at least. On arrival, there was a distinct sense of dissappointment that we did not speak the local Hispanic lingo. The beers sold here are overpriced. However, I have to say we were shocked and appauled at the price of getting our clothes laundered. My friend and I travel light. We had a handful of items washed at a price of around 25 US dollars which can only be described as a disgraceful rip off. The only thing that was missing was a blaclava. And on another note, my shower magically vanished and all I can say to the foul smelling thief is that it will take more than an expensive sweet smelling perfume to attract a partner to your foul bad tempered oroface. However, Cahuite has a beauty and Carribbean charm which is not to be missed and we met some lovely folk at this hostel. Also, the pancakes were very tasty. Hakuna Matata, what a wonderful phrase! A name for a wave of excuses, including WiFi that seems to go off an on inexcusably. It's a shame that you can't operate more honestly. Of you had charged a more honest price for your washing, I wouldn't be moaning about internet or even the attitude. A beautiful garden and great hostel. You just need to work on the small things to make it amazing. Start off with how you interact with customers-remember that are paying guests and they might not always speak Spanish. It's not always about suiting you, but meeting the needs of your customer. Don't worry, be happy. It starts from the staff, surely. Just so you're aware, in Cahuite there are a number is single and shared rooms in stunning beach facing properties which are not advertised online. Whatever you do, don't panic about finding a place to stay-there is plenty of choice here. We even learned this evening that some Swiss friends had informed the hostel that they would be leaving 1 night earlier, but the hostel staff had informed them with delight that they would still be charged. All I can say to the staff at Hakuna Matata is... good luck with running your hostel racket and I hope it brings you endless pleasure and deep joy.…
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Date of stay: January 2019Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Hostel Shangri La
LOCATION
Costa RicaProvince of LimonCahuita
NUMBER OF ROOMS
11
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Frequently Asked Questions about Hostel Hakuna Matata
Which popular attractions are close to Hostel Hakuna Matata?
Nearby attractions include Aby's Boutique (0.3 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Hostel Hakuna Matata?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, a pool, and free parking.
What are some restaurants close to Hostel Hakuna Matata?
Conveniently located restaurants include Rincón del Amor, Aroma, Coffee Bar & Breakfast, and Restaurante Las Olas.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Hostel Hakuna Matata?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Is Hostel Hakuna Matata located near the city center?
Yes, it is 0.2 km away from the centre of Cahuita.
Are pets allowed at Hostel Hakuna Matata?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Hostel Hakuna Matata?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Spanish.