I totally echo the previous reviewer. We stumbled upon this place by chance after the hostel we had planned to stay at was full. $20 for a lovely, clean room with bathroom. When we were being shown around by the "mum" of the house, she told us we had use of the kitchen, which was great for us as we prefer to cook our own meals. However, shortly after we started using the kitchen, it became clear that this was a problem. The utensils/plates etc are shared with the family - they cook their food in the same kitchen. I felt slightly uncomfortable with this at first as some of the plates/utensils were really nice. However there was no sign/cupboard specifically stating what guests were allowed to use, so we just used the stuff in the kitchen, as previously we were told.
The lady of the casa was rude and cold with us. She would huff and puff each time we cooked - she would instruct us to wash up straight away and put the dishes back, nitpicking about a smear left on one of the plates, for example. She clearly did not appreciate us cooking in her kitchen. This would be fine apart from the fact she clearly advertises the rooms come with full use of the kitchen.
I had told her we would be staying for a week, however after three nights she asked when we would be leaving as she had a reservation - exactly the same as the previous reviewer! We checked out the next morning and I begrudged giving them $80 of our money. Really bad customer service - don't open your house to guests and then be a poor host.

We were very happy to find this quiet, clean and cheap place. Our room was nice and confortable and the bathroom was okay. The access to the kitchen was very useful as well as the wifi. However the family was not friendly at all. The mother was always dark and cold. Furthermore we had the impression they were not very satisfied that we used the kitchen.
We wanted to stay two weeks but we paid only for one. 2 days before the end of the first week the mother told us that we had to leave because she had a resevation. We were very surprised as we thought they understood we wanted to stay one more week. She did not apologize. With that all the good thoughts we had about this place collapsed.

We stayed at another hostel in SJDS, and we much prefer this one. It's right near the main part of town - the markets, shops, and the beach. The service was great, the fellow working when we checked in was polite and helpful. The room was perfectly clean, with a nice shower, nice bed, and wifi. The hostel had a good kitchen, and a nice backyard area. After staying in other places and looking into other hostels in the area, this will rank as our top choice in SJDS. Great value for the money.

Although no-frills bare, Casa Romano is clean, colorful, and comfortable, with very attentive and considerate owner/managers. The younger Claudia speaks English well and the wifi is good.
My room was freshly painted, with new tile on the floor and in the bathroom, and a comfortable double bed.
A half-block from the beach, it is not air conditioned but there is a fan in the room. No food is served but a clean and well-equipped kitchen is available for use. And it is quiet. If you prefer to avoid the continuous loud party type of hostel and get to bed early, bring your own shampoo and relax at Casa Romano.