We stayed 2 nights as part of a G Adventures Tour. Large room. Quiet other than howling of wind at night. A bit of a walk to town (uphill coming back). Breakfast were not cheap ($7), didn't include any meat, and they charged our tour guide for 3 breakfasts we apparently didn't eat. (Overcharging and bad exchange rates seem to be common in Costa Rica.) Nice scenery..

The Hotel Cypress was a somewhat disappointing stop on our tour of Costa Rica. The rooms were small and had a rustic charm about them, which was nice. They also had a television, computers in a common area, breakfast, and set up towels into animals for you each morning. The hotel will only provide you with one key, but if you leave it in your room, will quickly get the master key to unlock your door. The hotel was located near the main road, which happens to be rather steep.

The walls are thin, so noise caries through quite easily. The television is in a rather high spot, so you may not be able to reach it. Also, our room had a hole in the wall. Ants were coming through the hole.

This was my least favorite hotel of all the hotels I stayed at during my stay in Costa Rica. The room was on the smaller side. The comforters on the beds were dusty and looked like they hadn't been cleaned in a long time. The fitted bedsheet didn't quite fit the bed we slept on, and came off easily if we even moved slightly. We could see the blue mattresss underneath -- the bedsheet only fit the top two inches, if at all. The bathroom was awkwardly designed -- there wasn't enough room in the shower area. Didn't get hot water for more than a couple of minutes, so if two people had to shower, the second person had only lukewarm water at best. The bath towels were very thin and small as well. The room felt very damp and smelled the same way too. We didn't really enjoy spending time in the room, and were glad to be out most of the time. However, the people at the counter were very helpful and friendly. Also, the breakfast was great. The best gallo pinto I've had in Costa Rica. They also served scrambled eggs, pancakes, toast and fruits. Location-wise, it's probably a 5-10min walk into Santa Elena downtown. It's easy when you're walking there coz it's all downhill, but tough on the way back. A taxi back from town is about $2, which we thought was money well spent. The uphill walk after dinner is too much of a punishment.

Of the four hotels I stayed at in Costa Rica, this was my least favorite. A small room felt even smaller with wood paneling and a very low, wood ceiling. The bathroom was tiny. After a steamy shower one night, there was still condensation on the bathroom mirror in the morning. I did keep the windows closed to keep the bugs out, but an array of bugs did find their way inside. The whole place felt damp at all times. There's no heat or air conditioning. Not even a fan. The comforter on the bed looked like it hadn't been changed in years. It's not exactly close to town. It's a long walk up a steep hill after dinner.