Facilities

Guest education on local ecosystems and culture
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Restaurant
Room service
Terrace
Luggage storage
Express check-in/check-out
Safety deposit box
Tour desk
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Great location
Friendly staff
Comfortable beds
Cons:
Mold in rooms
Noise complaints
Basic breakfast

Categories

Cleanliness
7.73
The cleanliness was poor with reports of mold and a damp room.
Service
9.7
Exceptional service with friendly and helpful staff.
Location
9.24
Perfect location directly at the beach, convenient access to restaurants.
Room Quality
7.69
Rooms were spacious but some lack ventilation and had damp issues.
Amenities
8.72
Good amenities available, but with some noise complaints.
Value for Money
8.68
Standard value for the amenities offered and location.
Food and Beverage
8.23
Breakfast was good but considered basic by some guests.
Overall Experience
8.8
Overall enjoyable stay despite some issues with cleanliness.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2025-12-10 14:40

Property Description

Luxurious 4-Star Beachfront Accommodation

Spectacular Views and Comfortable Amenities
Experience stunning sea views from select rooms while enjoying the comfort of air conditioning and a well-appointed desk. The private bathrooms with free toiletries add a touch of luxury to your stay.

Delicious Dining Options
Start your day with a scrumptious à la carte breakfast offering American and vegetarian choices. Indulge in a variety of cuisines at the on-site restaurant, including American, Mexican, and local dishes. Dietary preferences are catered to with vegetarian, dairy-free, and vegan options available.

Book your stay at El Deseo Serendipity Tortuguero now and immerse yourself in beachfront luxury and exceptional service.

Important information:

This property does not accommodate bachelor(ette) or similar parties.
Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
Guests under the age of 18 can only check in with a parent or official guardian.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 10:00 AM

Location

Guest Reviews

8.6
Based on 91 reviews
Cleanliness: 7.73
Service: 9.7
Location: 9.24
Room Quality: 7.69
Amenities: 8.72
Value for Money: 8.68
Food and Beverage: 8.23
Overall Experience: 8.8
T
Thomas • extended_group • fr
9
2026-02-12 • via Nuitee
O
Oren • family_with_children • us
10
Great hotel with the friendliest staff ever
Pros:

We had a wonderful experience. The room was spacious and comfortable, with excellent air conditioning. The staff was exceptionally friendly – receptionists, guides and housekeeping - everyone. They were also super helpful booking tours. Breakfast was very good as well. We highly recommend this hotel.

Cons:

Nothing.

2026-02-11 • via Nuitee
L
Laurence • couple • be
4
Personnel au top mais hôtel indigne d'un 4 étoiles !!
Pros:

Le personnel bienveillant et accueillant

Cons:

Ce n'est nullement un hôtel 4 étoiles :
- La chambre donne l'impression d'être en prison: au rez de chaussée, fenêtre embuée donnant sur un patio sombre et délabré
- Le plus gros problème était l'humidité excessive dans la chambre : impossible de faire sécher nos vêtements, pire les vêtements mis secs dans la penderie étaient mouillés le lendemain ! Même nos guides de voyages étaient gondolés après deux nuits passés dans cet hôtel.
- petit déjeuner simpliste, peu varié et peu copieux, même pas un morceau de pain
- abords de l'établissement négligés

2026-02-10 • via Nuitee
H
H.M. • couple • nl
7
2026-02-08 • via Nuitee
V
viollin • couple • fr
9
Pros:

Le personnel très attentionné, bienveillant, disponible et souriant. Ça a compensé largement les petits défauts de l'hôtel.
L'emplacement au bord de la plage
L'organisation des transports et excursions directement par l'hôtel

Cons:

Chambre qui sent l'humidité et sol pas très propre, mais seuls points négatifs à trouver. Excellent séjour dans cet hôtel avec un staff super

2026-01-29 • via Nuitee
M
Michal • couple • pl
10
Pros:

Staff, rooms, location, breakfasts, activities :)

2026-01-25 • via Nuitee
M
Marvin • couple • de
9
2026-01-24 • via Nuitee
P
Peter • couple • nl
7
2026-01-20 • via Nuitee
M
Malte • couple • de
7
Sehr freundliches Personal und gutes Frühstück, zudem unschlagbare Lage. Für ein paar Nächte gut geeignet.
Pros:

Top Lage direkt am Strand, sehr freundliches Personal, guter Service, gutes Frühstück mit Blick auf das Meer.

Cons:

Das Zimmer hatte nur ein Fenster zum Innenhof, welches sich nicht öffnen ließ, man ist daher auf die Klimaanlage angewiesen. Die Zimmer wirken durch die Betonbauweise zudem recht karg. Die Tür zur Toilette hat einen Spalt und schließt somit nicht richtig ab.

2026-01-16 • via Nuitee
C
Caujolle • couple • fr
7
Détente garantie
Pros:

Personnel très agréable et accueil pro. L'emplacement est bien, la chambre est très basique avec une bonne literie. Mention spéciale pour Johny le guide!

Cons:

Le petit déjeuner n'est pas mauvais mais cela peut être mieux, un petit effort.

2026-01-15 • via Nuitee
J
Jessica • extended_group • au
10
Wonderful and relaxing stay
Pros:

Had a wonderful and relaxing stay at El Deseo. Located just steps from the beach and an easy walk to the village too. The room was spacious and cleaned frequently throughout the day which was a welcome surprise. The hotels terrace area is a great place to relax and watch the local wildlife. The best part of this hotel is the staff. I have travelled quite a bit and I would say the staff at El Deseo were the kindest and most hospitable I have ever come across. They were all so attentive with big smiles on their faces all the time. A special shoutout to Alicia who helped us a lot before and during the stay. Highly recommend for anyone visiting Tortuguero.

2026-01-14 • via Nuitee
R
Robin Sulik • family_with_children • us
9
Wonderful place, wonderful people, amazing location, beautiful experience.
Pros:

Incredibly nice staff and helpful in all we needed from servers to admin, housekeepers, boat, driver - gracias!
Location cannot be beat - directly on Caribbean oceanfront with beach chair area and 2 spacious under cover areas for dining & relaxing, plus an all - day outdoor bar/cafe. Good hearty CR breakfast (continental also offered.) We wished there was swimming, but the current/riptides are just too strong - beautiful to watch the waves and walk the long beach though.
Located on the East side of the village, an easy walk from the main "street" and boat transportation. (no motorized vehicles - transportation within the canals by boat, and in town along dirt or paved paths, both of which added to the feeling and enjoyment of Tortuguero.)
Good space in the rooms, good sized bathroom, comfortable beds, clean.
Tortuguero was a special experience - for the natural surroundings but also the environment of the village and people. Don't miss learning about Sea Turtle history & global conservation efforts at the SeaTurtle Conservatory just north of the village (watch the movie to get the full scope). We had a great chat with a very knowledgeable tour guide waiting for his group to watch the movie - shared experiences re: our respective home habitats - very enjoyable and informative.
Our experiences with Roots guides (canal tour and night tour) were wonderful - great knowledge, great outings - enjoyed talking with the person booking the tours, and Febien (Fabien?) our tour guide for both a boat tour and night tour was knowledgeable and enjoyable to talk with. (PS: our hotel's boat ride to Tortuguero was a mini tour of river wildlife - thank you!).
For 2 of the 3 of us, Tortuguero was our favorite experience of the trip across 4 areas (& 2 oceans).

Cons:

It really was wonderful overall. The only very minor note is our room was a little dim - windows, but on a dim interior courtyard. No worries though, it helped keep the room cool and we weren't there to stay inside our room.

2026-01-06 • via Nuitee
M
Martin • couple • fr
8
Tres agreable grace à l'equipe de l'hotel
Pros:

Le personnel trés attentif et aux petits soins pour nous.

2026-01-05 • via Nuitee
E
Eyal • family_with_children • ca
9
Pros:

The staff in this small hotel were outstanding. Our room was cleaned several times a day. Our guide Johnny was great. Our excursion with him were all with small groups, so we got more attention. Thank you to the Karol, Alicia, Sarai, Rebecca and the rest of the crew.
You made our stay wonderful.

2026-01-02 • via Nuitee
V
Vera Mira • couple • ch
7
2025-12-31 • via Nuitee
S
Sabine • couple • de
6
Pros:

Die nähe zum Natur und Strand.

Cons:

Kein Fenster im Zimmer welches man hätte öffnen können. Das Frühstück war nicht abwechslungsreich. Nur zwei zur Auswahl!

2025-12-29 • via Nuitee
M
MIGUEL MARIA • extended_group • es
8
Pros:

Cercano a la ñlaya

Cons:

Sin desayuno hasta las 7a

2025-12-29 • via Nuitee
A
André • couple • ch
7
Pros:

Strandlage, sehr freundliches Personal.
Fussdusche am Strand

2025-12-28 • via Nuitee
E
Eric • extended_group • pt
9
Pros:

Low-key, small hotel with no frills but well located in the residential part of the town and right on the beach. Friendly staff.

Cons:

Breakfast was a bit limited

2025-12-19 • via Nuitee
M
Michal • extended_group • il
10
Pros:

Everything was grateful. Very good team

Cons:

Nothing

2025-12-17 • via Nuitee