HOTEL COSTA REAL

Everything about the Hotel Costa Real is truly wonderful. I've been a customer for many years and wouldn't change hotels for anything.

Very friendly staff, good location with nearby services and easy access to attractions. Although the building isn't new, the upkeep makes that detail less noticeable.

Overall, it's a good hotel, but as a hotel near the city center, it has its pros and cons. Pros include its proximity to Plaza de Armas, the Japanese Garden, and being about nine blocks from La Recova Market. Cons include its distance from the beach (more than 1.5 km as the crow flies); its location at the intersection of Avenida Francisco de Aguirre and Pedro Pablo Muñoz, which contributes to the noise at night (many vehicles pass by with loud music). I stayed in rooms facing Pedro Pablo Muñoz Street. Perhaps those facing the interior of the hotel are less exposed. Furthermore, due to the temperatures, I couldn't sleep with the windows closed to reduce the noise. I think that with temperatures rising every summer, the hotel management should consider installing air conditioning in the rooms (at least gradually), as the column fans are insufficient for this purpose. Some rooms don't have a mini-fridge, but rather a kind of refrigerated display case (like a wine cellar) where you can see inside, but the light is bright and bothersome at night. The restaurant is cozy, and the breakfast is generally quite good with many seasonal fruit options. The staff is friendly and welcoming. Public transportation in La Serena isn't great, but Uber works well, and if you don't want to drive to Avenida del Mar, it's essential since there's no public transport to that area.