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Hotel El Tajalin – reviews, photos

Frente al parque infantil, Montezuma, Costa Rica
Hotel amenities
Hotel El Tajalin
Ranked #11 of 16 hotels in Montezuma
4.0 of 5 stars 23 Reviews
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23 reviews from our community

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Stockholm, Sweden
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Ok hotel in good location”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 April 2011

The label of the hotel is a crab which is basically everywhere around Montezuma at dawn and night. Best with this hotel was the location, as it was a bit (100m) away from town and was very quiet - but still it was only a one minute walk from the centre. The owners were very helpfull and friendly. On the roof terrace there were some hammocks which were great to linger a bit in the shade and read a book.

When we stayed there it was fully booked so we got a room on the ground floor. I guess it is more light higher up in the hotel. Although it was not outright dirty, it was not very clean either. They do not serve breakfast.

All in all it was a great stay in Montezuma with an ok hotel, but the value for the money was not the best in comparison to other places in Costa Rica. However, as it seemed to me the hotels in a similar price class were not much better in Montezuma.

Room Tip: try to get a little higher up
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  • Stayed April 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Ask DonSenf about Hotel El Tajalin
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Washington DC, District of Columbia
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Poor Hotel, Tons of Mosquitos!”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 March 2011

On our trip to Costa Rica, we wanted to go to Montezuma to see the waterfalls because all the locals said the waterfalls in Montezuma were the best. The waterfalls were definitely amazing. We couldn't go back to the part of Costa Rica were were originally staying in (Playa Hermosa) until the next morning because of the taxi boat schedule so we had to pick somewhere to stay in Montezuma for one night.

We picked El Tajalin because it was on $50 a night and close to town. DO NOT STAY in ROOM #3 !!!! TONS OF MOSQUITOS!!! We were killing mosquitos nonstop for more than an hour until we decided we would be better off sleeping on the beach. When we tried to leave or get somewhat of a refund, the management said we couldn't get a refund but offered us another room (#6). Room #6 was better, I think we killed two mosquitos, and slept with the sheets over our heads so we wouldn't get bitten up. I still got about ten mosquito bites on my legs. Terrible experience! Never again will we stay at El Tajalin.

Poor hotel, would NOT stay there again.

  • Stayed March 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 1 of 5 stars Location
    • 1 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 1 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Decorus7 about Hotel El Tajalin
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Hotel Tajalin, Manager at Hotel El Tajalin, responded to this review
22 October 2011
Hotel El Tajalin has new management as of October 15, 2011. We sincerely appreciate your review. We are using it as a learning tool to improve the experience of guests here at our hotel.

While mosquitoes are a natural occurrence in Costa Rica and will not be erradicated any time soon, we are re-screening all windows to ensure that mosquitoes are kept out. Guests are also advised to close their doors around 4pm when mosquitoes become active. With proper screens and closed doors, we should all be kept safe from these pesky critters.

Thank you again for your review and rest assured that the mosquito problem will be limited going forwards.
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Newton, Massachusetts
1 review
“Quiet inexpensive hotel”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 March 2011

We were on our honeymoon and wanted to check out Montezuma yet stay out of the hostels and this was the perfect place. It's right on the edge of town rather than right downtown which is nice since the main strip can be pretty noisy late night. 30 second walk to the downtown makes for a great location. It was the rainy season and 70$/night got us a huge room with a balcony and a safe. Open air lounge on the top floor with a TV and hammocks is a great place to hang out. The manager was extremely helpful and even took this picture for us.

  • Stayed August 2010, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask pettybone0316 about Hotel El Tajalin
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
New York City, New York
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
“home in montezuma”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 February 2011

if i wasn't planning a long term sabbatical for my next visit to this amazing town, i would absolutely be staying here again! our room was on the third floor which made the lounge almost for our own personal use as there are not many rooms, so it is never crowded. the room was extrememly spacious, had a safe, and small fridge, with a huge shower in the bathroom, and a table with chairs. the 'closet area' was also large and had strong shelving to keep our luggage safe from critters! maid service is done daily and provides new towels, etc, the usual. the staff was SO SO nice, informative, helpful, and kind. always service with a smile.

the location is perfect, a walk across the park or down the street to the L shaped main center of montezuma, yet still quiet at night (as chico's can play their music pretty loud!) to get a good nights sleep. many reviews listed here had AC problems, or hot water problems, we did not at all. wifi worked great as well. and not sure where the other reviewer found that rhino beetle but we did not see one single bug in/around/at the hotel or our room the entire 9 days we were there. in costa rica, i consider us very very lucky!

we did not rent a car but parking is safe and easy just out front - and for anyone who needs to know we walked everywhere without a problem. didn't need a car except for our day trip to santa teresa and hike in cabo blanco park. EVERY other montezuma (waterfalls, playa grande, playa las manchas, ylang ylang resort, playa los cedros altho very far, playa de los artistas restaurant, any many more!) is walkable - including el chorro the waterfall but we took a horseride since the hike is about 2 hours.

the hotel can arrange tours, trips, and airport transfers for you if you need them to, (we didn't know that and booked in advance with zuma tours who were probably more expensive but great as well ). if u need a cab they will probably call johnny and he's great! or ask them to bc he was so nice and reasonably priced ($12 to cabo blanco park - which was about a 30 min ride).

if the staff reads these, thank u for everything and we hope u enjoyed the imperial! :)
we would absolutely reccomend this hotel to anyone looking for a pleasant stay in montezuma.

  • Stayed January 2011, travelled with friends
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
San Antonio, Texas
Senior Contributor
35 reviews 35 reviews
Reviews in 26 cities Reviews in 26 cities
40 helpful votes 40 helpful votes
“Decent place to stay”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 February 2011

We moved to this hotel after one night in another hotel which was so noisy because it was Saturday night and that hotel has walls that were half screened and is right on the road. Hotel El Tajalin is also on the same road, but with a wall along the back of the hotel, and complete walls in the rooms, the noise was not nearly as bad.
Pros of this hotel: air conditioning in the rooms; ceiling fans also in every room; location is in the center of town; nice 3rd floor terrace with TV, wi-fi, hammocks, tables and chairs; good shower; comfortable beds; quiet; very helpful staff
Cons of this hotel: breakfast not included, some rooms are located near coffee station where people gather early, bathroom (and supplies) are very basic, wi-fi doesn't work well in the rooms towards the back
This hotel is a good value for the price, the staff was very helpful (moving us to another room when we requested), and we had a good place to park our car along the street right in front of the hotel .
The rooms are basic hotel rooms without much character, but having a/c during the dry, hot, dusty season and being able to sleep at night without fearing a car was going to crash into our room was very appreciated.

  • Stayed January 2011, travelled with family
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Ask frvg about Hotel El Tajalin
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Hotel Tajalin, Manager at Hotel El Tajalin, responded to this review
3 November 2011
Thanks for your review. As new hotel managers, we are dedicated to resolving any issues that have bothered previous guests.

We just installed a second router in the back of the hotel to enhance the wifi service throughout. There should be a good connection everywhere at this point.

We're also adding some character to the rooms with little touches here and there. I'm sure our current guests have already noticed a bit more color with plants, tapestries and more lounging areas throughout the common areas. We've added more chairs, tables and closets to several of the rooms and are soon to decorate with some new wall hangings as well.

Again, thanks for your suggestions. They've already made a difference. :)
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Additional Information about Hotel El Tajalin

Frente al parque infantil, Montezuma, Costa Rica
Price range (per night):* INR1,667 - 5,002

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