Guest reviews Arenas Del Mar Beach & Nature Resort, Manuel Antonio National Park

by olozbal Decatur, Georgia

2nd visit - still a solid resort

Visited this resort back in 2012 and came back again in December 2020 and it was mostly just as good as before. Note this is written in the middle of pandemic so frankly even having a decent uneventful vacation in a foreign country is a win in my book and this accomplished that. My previous review from 2012 is mostly the same. Amazing resort - this time we stayed in 302A (building 11 I think) which is down at the beach area. Last time we were up higher closer to the main pool and restaurant. I'd go with 302A - it's their large room with the hot tub on the deck and you can walk down to the beach and lower pool. We put two adults and two teenage boys in this room (they put two twin beds in the other room) and it worked fine. Not mega roomy for four but good enough. Our major gripe with this hotel was food service at the restaurant. Wow was it slow. There was periods where we felt we were on some blacklist because simple orders would take forever to get out. We're talking show up to breakfast, tell them you only have about an HOUR to eat because of an excursion, ask which things are easiest to make, and they say no problem and your scrambled egg order comes out with two minutes to go. Drove us crazy. Half our wait staff had "trainee" badges on so hopefully that'll get better. Our friends stayed at Tulemar. I'd argue if you want more "beachy" experience this resort is better for that. But you may be able to get a more appropriate size place for your situation better there (they rented a villa). They seemed to be always complaining about the van never coming to take them where they needed to go, whereas we had golf carts coming in ten seconds for us every time which was nice. They could walk to restaurants though, we could not. They had a nice beach too but it was a long walk/climb. Some Covid related things I hope you can skip reading by the time you read this: - The resort (and all of Costa Rica frankly) does a great job with mask compliance. I felt safer here than I did in the U.S. frankly. People were nice about it. I saw people out by themselves in the middle of a field doing gardening wearing a mask for example. - Some of our wait staff was very rusty as several of them had not worked in 6-8 months. I'm not going to give them a full pass on that, but FYI. - If you feel comfortable travelling I'd recommend visiting Costa Rica. Resorts are heavily discounted, no crowds, and like I said they do a great job with safety.

by Go15114 Greensboro, North Carolina

Fabulous Excursions

Stop looking and book a vacation at Arenas - it is spectacular. We stayed last week and can't say enough about the extraordinary service, location, and amenities. We scheduled multiple excursions - from Los Campesinos to Manuel Antonio Park to the Nocturnal Rainforest tour and Big Day birdwatching, among others. Mauricio and Esteban were extraordinary guides - phenomenally knowledgable and crazy-good at spotting wildlife - it was a joy - the diversity of species we saw was simply breathtaking. Our son enjoyed surfing and we couldn't have enjoyed ourselves more. The staff is very safety conscious and the resort is not crowded, making it safer during the pandemic.

by CRbyNataly San Jose, Costa Rica

Always perfect, love this place.

We’ve been coming to this wonderful place for over 8 years. We simply love it, the setting is right on a private beach where beautiful trees give shade all day and a nice restaurant serves good food. Very unusual to have all these in one place in Costa Rica) Service is attentive and laid back, Covid has left the hotel with a reduction of personnel so be patient and enjoy the spectacular view while they come to you. Rooms are spacious, suites with a view are the way to go. The Mirador Restaurant and bar serve yummy dishes, the view at breakfast is breathtaking. Rodbin, the manager, is always on top of everything making sure your desires are met. The only problem here, is leaving this place, it’s really depressing to go back to normal after such a wonderful stay.

by abijarquin San Jose, Costa Rica

Best Place to Stay at Manuel Antonio

Arenas Del Mar is the best hotel I’ve visited in Manuel Antonio; we wanted a family get-away and this place had everything I was looking for. They have strict health measures which was super important for our family since we have a 1 year old, they are a sustainable resort that supports local businesses and is customer centric. The food is amazing, the staff is friendly and they have a private beach where you can enjoy away from crowds. Thanks Cayuga Collection for having the best hotels in Cental America!

by kanga4 Melbourne, Australia

Holiday in Paradise

This was our second stay at Arenas del Mar and it is exceptional. The staff are professional, courteous, and so incredibly friendly. Nothing is too much for them and they go out of their way to make your holiday special and memorable. The resort location is simply stunning. Situated above Manuel Antonio the views are sublime. The animal life around the resort is incredible. We saw sloths, monkeys, iguanas, toucans, the South American raccoon and others. It was incredible. I highly recommend Arenas del Mar for peace, relaxation and a truly indulgent holiday.