“I love apartotels” is what I said after I had my first experience staying in one. I had never heard of anything like it before I arrived in Costa Rica. Basically they are little apartments inside a small hotel. These are a great way to live it up in Costa Rica or travel on a budget.
Some apartotels offer free wifi , breakfast, kitchenets and much more. The price range for a room can range from $40 a night to $375 a night.
The first apartotel I stayed in (the name I can’t remember) had a nice king size bed and hot shower. It didn’t have any air-conditioning or Wifi in the rooms which was a big bummer to me, but I figured I could get over it. During the night the voices from people in other rooms echoed till one in the morning making it impossible to sleep. When I talked with front desk about the noise they seemed unconcerned and as if they would rather not be bothered with my little annoyances. Frustrated and angry I went back to my room as I entered I saw a cockroach running behind the refrigerator in the room, I grabbed my shoe and squashed him before he could get away. I climbed back into bed trying to get to sleep but just couldn’t so I sat up and turned on the television. Pretty soon I realized there were at least ten other cockroaches in the room. That was it. I had enough. I went to the front desk and demanded a refund and called a taxi.
I decided to give a different apartotel a shot and so we headed for La Sabina. When we arrived they had very respectful workers at the front desk and
very polite night guards. As I explained what happened at my last room the workers were so upset at the conditions that they gave me a small discount on the room. I went to the room which had a small dining area, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. The room was complete with air-conditioning and Wifi. The very next morning I went to get breakfast which was included. I expected to find a small assortment of breads and juices, but when I entered the dining room I found eggs, pancakes, fruits, coffee and much more. As I left the La Sabina apartotel I discovered that it was right next to all the great restaurants of San Jose.
Though I didn’t have a reservation the people at La Sabina still treated me with courtesy and respect. What I learned is this: when researching apartotels on the internet places that won’t show you pictures of the entire guest room can’t be trusted. The funny thing is that the apartotel I ended up staying was only ten minutes away from where I originally was. After my first experience I thought I was only staying in certified hotels from here on out but I was glad that I gave it a second shot. Remember when it comes to look for a place to stay always research, research, research. If you do this I am sure you will have a great experience and like me at the end of the day, you just might say “I love apartotels.”
Apartotel La Sabina – http://www.apartotel-lasabana.com/
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