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

by vnemzer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Amazing 50th Birthday Celebration!

Wow! Beautiful location, outstanding amazing thoughtful staff! Rodbin, the operations manager, went above and beyond- we felt like we were treated like celebrities! He upgraded us to an ocean view suite as a Birthday treat from the resort (!) and personally moved our luggage to our new room!! He also often drove us himself around the resort. One night we had a dinner reservation at a different resort, but were afraid to drive there since the roads are super curvy and it was pouring rain. Rodbin drove us himself to dinner and picked us up. Always personable, courteous and very warm. We travel a lot and in no other country we were treated like this. Julie, the front desk receptionist, met us with a delicious welcome drink and a sincere warm smile. She was super helpful with everything we’ve asked for, made wonderful dinner recommendations at La Galleria and even called the restaurant to let her friend who is working there know that we are coming. Alex, our breakfast server was so experienced, personable and friendly, it was a joy to see her smile every morning. For my 50th birthday my husband arranged for a private 5 course dinner at the beach. The presentation and setting were beautiful. Our server, Brayan was very professional and personable. Since the beach restaurant is still closed in the evenings, he drove uphill to the main restaurant for each course. But we never felt that the dinner was dragged out and we had to wait for the next course for a long time. The food was original, very fresh and tasty, but not outstanding. We were staying in building #1, right on the beach. We picked Arenas Del Mar for their location, and being right on the small beach ( Playitas?) and hearing the waves right outside of our balcony was unbelievable. The beach is beautiful, wild looking, authentic and natural. You feel like you are on a deserted island, but all the amenities are there - beach chairs, fresh towels, a bar, a pool, bathrooms and outdoor showers. The sand is coarse, but pleasant, nevertheless. The water was super warm, but there is a strong current. You can jump the waves, but don’t expect to swim there. A small negative- the overall resort seemed a bit tired and could use some sprucing up in the rooms and the pool areas. The road leading to the resort also needs some major upgrading. The main restaurant is casual with an amazing, stunning view of the ocean. I think, if they made it more fancy with white table cloth and a nicer ambiance, at least for dinner, they could attract more people. Despite looking a bit tired it is super clean and extremely efficient. Getting a golf cart never took more than 3 min! We were told that the resort was almost full during our visit, but we never felt like it was crowded. There was always plenty of room and we felt very safe regarding social distancing. Besides the amazing private dinner on the beach another highlight was the fauna!! The monkeys once came on our balcony! The super active hermit crabs were a part of our beach dinner experience, and one night we saw a raccoon. Oh, and a variety of lizards and birds everywhere! We stayed on the resort for the most part, except for one monkey boat tour, which was sooo fun ( Monkey Boat Tour/Chino ) - we highly recommend that! Overall, the resort is remarkable! What it lacks in upscale luxury it makes up in Impeccable service, attention to details, outstanding staff and the amazing location. I can totally see us coming back!

by jdgarcia05

Wonderful accommodations!

My husband and I stayed here in Manuel Antonio for the second half of our honeymoon in Costa Rica, and we had a blast! The hotel is wonderful, the staff are super friendly and helpful, the views are breathtaking. Rooms are kept very clean with a well stocked minibar, and the complimentary laundry service was really nice! You can leave your clothes in a basket in your room and fill out a card with information and they wash and fold everything and return it to your room. The restaurants and bar on the resort were very delicious with a nice selection, and if you want to go into town for a meal the resort is a very short shuttle or taxi ride away. It was awesome to have access to the private beach. The waves were bigger than we were expecting and made for really really fun boogie boarding! The National Park is also a short ride away but we even saw a lot of wildlife right there at the hotel: monkeys, sloths, iguanas, ocean crabs, and an agouti! Last thing I want to say is that the staff was awesome! Super responsive, always made sure had everything we needed. The concierge helped us book an additional white water rafting tour we hadn't planned for on our last full day and it was SO fun!

by nelmo55 Brooklyn, New York

I'd Give it 7 Stars if I Could

This is one of the best hotels I've ever stayed in in my life, and I've traveled all over the world. The views alone are mind blowing. The room I had was out of this world, with a fabulous view, Jacuzzi and tons of space (they actually upgraded my room very graciously and with no hassle). The staff are very solicitous and friendly. The property itself is very natural and hilly. You feel like you're in the middle of the jungle/forest. And you need a golf cart to go just about anywhere. But the carts come almost immediately whenever you want them. The whole place is well organized and run very efficiently. In terms of activities, the hotel's guide to the Manuel Antonio Forest, Esteban was first rate. Their yoga teacher was also wonderful, very spiritual, gentle and kind. The property has two pools, one higher up next to the reception and one lower down near the beach. I found both to be relaxing. This is one of the only hotels in Manuel Antonio that has beach access and that was a big plus. The beach itself is comfortable and leisurely. Manuel Antonio itself is relatively well designed and has almost a European feeling, unlike towns in Guanacaste that I also visited, like Tamarindo and Santa Teresa. It has wide selection of good restaurants. I just had a great time and would love to go back soon.

by 786charliee Jenks, Oklahoma

Costa Rica After Covid

Last month we completed our fifth visit to this wonderful resort. With international travel just opening up because of the pandemic we were a bit uncertain. However, once we got through all of the requirements the whole trip was very seamless. Again, we had a wonderful visit at the resort. All employees were very good about following the Covid protocols, in fact they were very comfortable and exceptional doing their jobs while maintaining the protocols. We felt very safe during the entire trip. My hat is off to all of the Costa Rican people who made our trip an excellent trip. I highly recommend Areans del Mar resort. Exceptional service and friendship. We very much look forward to our next trip.

by 814ulrikek

Absolutely beautiful!

It was absolutely fantastic in all regards. Nice staff, beautiful location, clean and beautiful rooms. Best of all were the nature tours we booked at the front desk with the hotel staff tour guides maurizio, jose and Esteban. They are all equally knowledgeable and without them we would have seen only a fraction of the animals/birds. From squirrel monkeys to toukans and hundreds of exotic plants... we will be back for sure! (With our kids next time)