Socialtel Bocas Del Toro

My boyfriend and I stayed here for two nights. ***Strong points*** friendly and helpful reception staff, clean and tidy place. ***Weaknesses***: there is a lot of noise around the “hotel” due to the bars that surround the place. So for those who like to go to bed early and do activities during the day, this can be quite detrimental! Points for improvement: the hotel should invest in better soundproofing.

Rarely do i feel compelled enough to leave a bad review but socialtel at bocas is the worst hostel i have ever stayed in. This comes from someone who has been travelling for 4 years and stayed at dozens of hostels. It's not fit to take guests! The rooms are not fit for purpose, there is no social atmosphere at the hostel and you have constant noise 24 hours a day. Firstly, they had downgraded me to a smaller room, which was only rectified after i complained. I was told to feel lucky that i could still have the room which i initially reserved. The room itself was old, worn and lacking space. The balcony was nice and overlooked the bay. Unfortunately, due to there being a club a few doord doors down which plays deafening music till 5am, i was not able to sleep most nights. I am used to noise but even with earplugs i could easily sing along to the lyrics at 3am. The common area is under construction so there is no social area or activities. When the club finishes, the construction workers start their own playlist of drill and saw noises, making it impossible to get any rest. It's clear they should have closed to the public during this period with such poor conditions and maintenance. Overall this was a poor experience and hope this review helps anyone else avoid socialtel.

No facilities, under heavy construction with noise starting early in the morning. Staff incompetent/ no hospitality experience. Book a bed in a 4 dorm, only top bunk available with barely enough space to sit before hitting the ceiling and it's impossible to put valuable in the locker that can barely fit more than 1 laptop. Socket next to my head was very dangerous. They sent my to an 8 person dorms without any refund. Only after check-in I learn that there's no kitchen, no common area, no activities and they also wanted to charge me to access to co-working area. Their "smart key" system was down, so we had to reach out to security/staff every time we needed access to our room. Staff is very rude and is not making any effort to accommodate customer while nothing from the advertised offer is available. If you stay there expect to only have a simple bed, low water pressure and that's it. Expect to go eat out everyday at your own charge.