Santa Maria Hostel Kovalam

I came here from North India and I was not sure how the place or service would be, but everything turned out to be really great. The hostel is clean, peaceful and very close to the beach. The atmosphere is friendly and safe, and the staff always treat you very nicely. A special thanks to Emmanuel, the manager. He made me feel very comfortable from the first day. On my birthday, the whole team gave me a very sweet surprise with a cake. Later, when I had a minir foot injury, one of the staff members immediately went to the hospital to bring my medicines and they kept checking on me to make sure I was okay. Overall, I had a very good stay and felt truly taken care of. Highly recommended!

S

Wow such a gem of a hostel!! Really happy we came across this place… the staff is very kind and the spot is very clean and comfortable. The location is perfect right near the beach…. There is very cute yoga shala and nice rooftop/ balconies in the hostel. The alley is filled with cute shops, restaurants, artsy cafes. This hostel is great for any type of traveler. ALSO the breakfast included was such a nice addition, delicious and made with love. The whole experience was 10/10 and if you’re in the area I really recommend you to stay here! Thank you so much for the amazing hospitality!! Until next time

Geena Soyak

Stayed at Santa Maria Hostel, Kovalam in a Non-AC private room with balcony for 4 nights. The stay was average overall. The bed was comfortable and the staff were friendly and helpful. The location is good, and having an open kitchen is useful. However, room maintenance and water quality are major concerns. There was no wardrobe and no proper facility to keep clothes in the room. The table and drawer were dusty and not well maintained. The bathroom was manageable, but bathing water often contained sand and dirt, making it very difficult to use. There appears to be no proper water filter, and we had to wait for the water to clear before bathing. This was the main issue during the stay. Hot water was said to be available, but the tap in my room was faulty and was not fixed despite informing the staff. At check-in, no amenities were kept in the room, including a blanket; items had to be requested one by one. Breakfast options were very limited—only bread, omelette, and jam. If milk was available, tea was served with milk; otherwise, only black tea was provided. Overall, it’s a basic stay with friendly staff, but water cleanliness, room maintenance, and better breakfast standards need urgent improvement.

Tobin Roy

This place is a scam! The room was dirty, there were stains on the bed sheets. The view that they showed in photos is actually from the beach, its not visible from the hotel. Bathroom was dirty. There was no geyser and water was brown with lot of sand. It is a very shady place. There are so many good budget stays available in Kovalam that we realised later. Please save yourself from infections later on. We checked out from the place though we had to pay for the room.

Charu Lata

I had a very disappointing experience with Santa Maria Hostel, Kovalam. I booked rooms for myself and my friends for New Year celebration on November 26, 2025, and paid an advance amount through Hostelworld. To avoid any issues, I reconfirmed the booking on November 24, 2025 via phone with the hostel manager, who clearly assured me that everything was confirmed and asked us to come and check in on the scheduled date. We arrived at the hostel at 2:00 PM, which was the advised check-in time. However, upon arrival, the reception staff behaved unprofessionally and told us that no booking existed, despite me showing the confirmed booking details from Hostelworld. When we asked for clarification, the receptionist gave us the manager’s contact number, which I already had. Unfortunately, the manager did not answer our calls or respond at all, leaving us stranded and confused on New Year’s day. This was a very poor and stressful experience, especially after confirming the booking in advance and traveling with friends for a special occasion. The lack of coordination, accountability, and basic hospitality was extremely disappointing. I would strongly advise future travelers to double-check and be cautious before booking this hostel, especially during peak or festival seasons.

kumaran palanichamy