“Best. Hotel. Ever.”

This hotel is amazing. It's set on amazing grounds with its own private beach and access to the public beach, as well as views of the Pacific Ocean and Manuel Antonio National Park. We saw 2 sloths on the property, many lizards, and a few monkeys. The entire staff here is unbelievable!!! They made us feel like part of the family from the start. They helped us with our spanish, got to know us over the course of our stay, and always made sure we were comfortable and happy. The food is something I will be dreaming of for years to come. The rooms are spacious and immaculate, and the beds and linens are 5-star. This hotel made our trip to Costa Rica complete and my husband and I can't wait to return!

“Beautiful Beach and Great Staff”

We just came back from our trip and really enjoyed our stay. We were greeted with tropical drinks when we arrived which always starts our trip out well. We also enjoyed the mini bar with free local snacks that are stocked daily. The view from the reception and pool area is spectacular. The staff was very friendly and available for local advice. We stayed six days and ate most of the meals at the hotel. I thought the food was excellent. Our room included a hot breakfast from the menu every morning. The prices for room service were the same as the restaurant which was convenient after a long day. We were able to use the massage and pedicure services at the spa and also would recommend them. We were there during the rainy season which meant about 3 hours of rain a day. One day it rained all day and another day it did not rain at all. We saw monkeys playing on our balcony which was quite the treat. As other reviews mentioned, the hotel buildings are on a cliff with steep roads connecting them. We were fine with the steep walks and were able to walk where we wanted to go. If you are not as able, you would need to call for a ride to pick you up this includes the beach, pool, room or restaurant as they are in different locations. The two pools are relatively small but since it is a small hotel with about 38 rooms, they were never crowded and fine for our family. We also enjoyed half price drinks and smoothies during happy hour and the wildlife evening talks too. Great fun!!!

“Exceptional in every way - a great stay.”

From start to finish we were treated as special guests. The tropical surroundings including birds and animals and beach made it ideal for our vacation desires. Our walks on the long pristine beach to Manuel Antonio and the National Park there were interesting and delightful and good for our health The employees were genuinely friendly and accommodating all the time, the restaurant was excellent, and when we needed some medical attention or computer assistance or taxis they were arranged for quickly and efficiently. For any one seeking a quiet and relaxing and healthy holiday surrounded by wonderful nature it would be difficult to imagine much better places.

“Best trip of my life.”

This was the most beautiful resort. If you want a perfect mixture of luxury and nature Arenas Del Mar is for you. We saw monkeys walking back from our 90 minute couples spa treatments (which were perfect). The staff was friendly and the van was always available for air-conditioned transportation into town. I would send everyone I know to Costa Rica and more importantly to Arenas Del Mar. I also stayed at their sister resort Finca Rosa Blanca, it was also incredible and the food was fabulous!! They both have a real commitment to sustainability without taking away any comfort or luxury. As the Costa Ricans would say PURA VIDA!!

“Paradise”

It was near paradise. Though a 31/2 hour ride from San Jose to Manuel Antonio, once we were settled in, the atmosphere was beautiful. The resort is eco-friendly so you are transported about by electric carts. The staff are all unbelievably friendly and attentive to the guests needs. Arenas del Mar offers the best access to an essentially private beach in the area. Many of the other hotels are perched high up on the hill if you prefer this. Still our private patio had excellent views of the Pacific. Nature abounds all about, especially the white faced monkeys are entertaining to watch. Manuel Antonio area itself has plenty of sightseeing to experience. Certainly one of the ecosystems not to miss in Costa Rica. Definitely hope to return.

“Love Costa Rica”

The staff was very friendly and outgoing, helpful. Room, resort, beach very nice. Some difficulty with transportation from hotel to airport and expedia's contractor, but Expedia was helpful after a long phone conversation. The vacation was wonderful, Costa Rica and it's people are better than expected.

“Pura Vida!”

The hotel stay was very nice, the people were amazingly friendly and mostly very good with English. At any given time there were plenty of lizards, monkeys and sloths to observe. Expect a lot of golf cart rides, as the hotel is pretty much built in the side of a mountain. This also means you'll most certainly need a cab (assuming you don't have your own ride) just to leave the hotel. That can get kind of pricey. Hotel has 2 private beaches, one of them which is VERY private and secluded. The other you can use to walk to the Manuel Antonio National Park. There are plenty of things to do in the area. Highly recommend staying at this hotel, it was a great environment and we never felt like we were being taken advantage of.

“Wonderful place in Costa Rica”

We really enjoyed our one-week stay at Arenas. The staff was incredibly friendly and very efficient. Service was really tops. The hotel itself was also great, very comfortable, blending well with nature and ecologically-minded. The food was much better than we expected, as they used only fresh ingredients, with sufficient variety to keep us happy for the week---we never ventured outside to eat. The beach was simply wonderful. All in all, a great experience, that surpassed our expectations.

“Manuel Antionio luxury”

We really enjoyed our experience at this hotel. The beach was right there and the service was exemplary. The breakfasts were a little bland (but probably healthy). It would also be really cool if they could give rides to the front of the hotel or town of Manuel Antonio. Being able to experience things other than the hotel is sometimes what people are looking for in visiting another country.