Selina · Maderas
in Nicaragua 🇳🇮 and 5 other locations
→ selina.com
✉️
The largest network of hip spaces across the globe, most being hostels with shared or private rooms for shorter stays. Some offer dedicated coworking (extra cost) and other facilities such as pool and restaurant.
Reviews please interpret other's opinions per your own needs and values
I was sadly disappointed.
TLDR: overcharged and underserviced
I was staying nearby so I walked in and spoke with Gustavo who quoted me a price for various room and offered a discount for later in the week. When I came to actually book a stay, the woman tried to charge me almost double what I was quoted. I was quoted $56USD plus a 20% discount. When I went to pay Maria had charged me $80USD. I negotiated her down but she wouldn't go lower than $60USD, despite me being quoted a couple of days earlier at $44.80. So that was the start.
I arrived much earlier than check in time, so I waited in the cowork area that I paid extra to use. The AC wasn't working, it was very hot, but they did come to fix it when I mentioned it.
When it was time to go to my room, a young man showed me to the room which was up a cobbled stairway, and while I'm perfectly able to carry my own suitcase (and I did), it would have been nice for him to offer to carry it. Everyone at every other place I stayed in Nicaragua offered to take my bag to the room.
Aside from all this, the room itself was nice enough, well appointed, wifi worked well. The hostel was quiet, hardly anyone staying there. They used to be Selina, a brand I loved. Now it's Socialtel and perhaps things have gone downhill a bit since they took over, I don't know. The food in the restaurant was decent, and the service was good there. The morning coffee was also good. Note for hostel people, there is no communal kitchen or fridges. The beach was a 12 minute walk away, so while there is no view from the hotel itself, it's not hard to get to one.
I wouldn't recommend staying here as a result of the service, and will think twice about booking a Socialtel in another place as well.
My girlfriend and I recently stayed here and had an absolutely unforgettable experience. The food was fresh and delicious, and the service was beyond exceptional—every staff member was welcoming and accommodating. Our room was not only spacious but also beautifully decorated, making it feel like a cozy retreat. The hotel is ideally located just a short 10-minute walk from a breathtaking beach with soft, pristine sands and crystal-clear waters. To top it off, the beachside café served some of the freshest smoothies and food.
One of the highlights of our stay was the incredible yoga class. The instructor exuded warmth, kindness, and a calming presence, making the experience truly special. She provided personalized modifications for my hip and knee, ensuring I felt comfortable and supported throughout. Her affirmations, woven seamlessly into the session, left me feeling grounded and uplifted. Practicing in the stunning yoga shala, with panoramic views of nature, was magical—especially when we spotted horses grazing nearby, adding to the serene atmosphere. By the end of the class, I felt completely at peace, both physically and mentally.
This hotel is the perfect escape for anyone looking to relax, recharge, and immerse themselves in beauty and tranquility. We can’t recommend it enough!
When we arrived, they gave us a room that hot water was not working for the showers as well as my grandparents room, which was right next-door. So to make it right they gave me a second room. The issue with the second room is that the door would keep on clacking all night because of the wind, I made them aware of that issue and told them that they should at least put some padding around the door seals so that you don't hear the door clacking on the seal all night from the wind! So after that, I complained and they gave us better rooms! The issue that i had in the third room is that the hot water was working, but as soon as you would put a little bit of cold water to even it out, the hot water just shuts off and the rest of your shower is cold...
Afterwards, my other complaint was about the location , they claim that it is 9 km from San Juan del sur, which it is but unfortunately, the road is all dirt and gravel, which makes it a 30 minute drive to get to San Juan del Sur... unfortunately also because of how remote it is, there's a lot of power outages and those power outages caused the air conditioner to stop during the night. Even though they have a backup generator, unfortunately the generator only provides electricity to all the other necessities except the air conditioner, which is quite harsh in 30° Celcius weather to sleep in at Night...
But I'd may say that the customer service was impeccable no issues with them whatsoever. They responded quickly to my complaints, but I still think that this hotel needs a little bit of improvement, especially knowing that it's people from Trois Rivière/Quebec who owns the place. They should themselves know what Voyagers are expecting in terms of a hotel.
Other than that, we had a really good stay at this hotel but unfortunately, after looking at all the comments I believe that even with my comment, they will not try to change a thing, even though they have a little power to do so.
BEWARE OF FRAUD/SCAM. I stayed at this hotel over a month ago. I booked it through Hotels.com and paid for it on the platform. However, when I arrived, the hotel claimed they had no record of my payment. They mentioned something about it not appearing in their system.
Trying to be cooperative, I paid again with my credit card, even though I presented confirmation of my prior payment. I was assured the issue would be resolved by the end of the night or the next morning at the latest. However, when it still wasn’t resolved by the time I had to leave, I was promised I would receive a refund one way or another.
It’s now been five weeks, and the hotel refuses to refund my money. Initially, I was told the refund had been processed but would take time due to “international bank transfer rules.” In later correspondence, the hotel stopped mentioning the refund altogether. Now, they have completely stopped responding.
I want to warn everyone about this fraudulent behavior. The hotel clearly knows I am owed a refund and has even admitted it, yet I have received nothing. Don’t make the mistake of trying to be accommodating and falling for this scam.
Additionally, Hotels.com has been unhelpful, simply directing me back to the hotel as the responsible party.
Dirty room, no towels, they also don't empty the toilet bin (which has no lid) so it smells like piss in the room by the second day.
30min drive away from San Juan. To get to anything you'd have to hike through dirt roads. Music pumping like a nightclub past 11PM at night when guests are trying to get some sleep (even though their rules say it is quiet hours from 11PM).
Don't come here guys, they don't care about their guests or even respect their own rules!
This hostel is extremely isolated with nothing close by. The room we stayed in was not clean, and they did not provide us with towels. The toilet paper was horrible I might as well have been wiping sand on my ass.
The power went out multiple times a day during our stay, and even through the night which caused the ac to turn off leaving the room stuffy. Their backup generator powers everything but the AC.
Music was also blasting like a nightclub way past 10-11pm, with utmost disrespect for the rest of their other guests. The music just kept getting louder the later it got, and we could feel the bass vibrating our beds.
Absolutely do not recommend.
Wouldn't recommend staying here off peak season. Basically no food available from the restaurant which was barely open. Prices expensive. Air con was broken in our room. Loud music playing all day with same songs on repeat. Not easy to get taxis into San Juan
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