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Reviews of Hotel Playa Negra

3.5 out of 5
Hotel Playa Negra
Playa Negra, Paraiso, Veintisiete de Abril, Guanacaste

Reviews

8.4

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 98 out of 218 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 86 out of 218 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 17 out of 218 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 9 out of 218 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 8 out of 218 reviews" "

8.4/10

Cleanliness

8.4/10

Staff & service

8.0/10

Amenities

8.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Bonita

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We first visited Playa Negra in 1999. We are so pleased to say that nothing has changed! We love the rustic feel of the Round thatched roof cabins and how close they are to the beach. The rooms while simple and rustic were maculate and the linens crispy and fresh. We heart Playa Negra hotel! Thanks for keeping Playa Negra the same.
Stayed 12 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Emily

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
An amazing tranquil spot to relax and unwind. Simple, yet beautiful. The staff was very helpful, the food at the restaurant food fresh and delicious. The beach is a great spot to hang out and either surf, boogie board, or bob around in the waves.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Rachael on 24 Mar 2024
Hi Emily, Thank you for your lovely review. We are very happy that you enjoyed your stay with us. Everything you wrote reflects what we want our place to be, so thank you for appreciating it as much as we do. We hope to see you again soon. Pura Vida

10/10 Excellent

Hugo

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The location is the best. The place is a beach front hotel very close to other restaurants as well.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2023

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
It was good. We basically had the place to ourselves as the rest of the cabinas and restaurant were undergoing renovations, so it was a trade off. We were there for the location right on the beach at Playa Negra and ease of access for surfing. Enjoyed watching the waves from the pool. The one thing was that there were more bugs in the room than I remembered last time I stayed there, but you’re in the jungle so… seems like the renovations are sealing up the rooms tighter and we did see someone treating the perimeter of the rooms and didn’t see bugs after that.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Awesome place to stay, but between September and November the cafe, restaurant and surf shop are closed. Make sure to hire a car!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Shelley

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This place was beautiful, we woke up to birds singing in the morning, howler monkeys on a tree close by, wonderful relaxing place to stay.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Brainerd N

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great peaceful room with lots of wildlife. Great service at the restaurant. Amazing location for a getaway to surf or do yoga. Far from night life and tours, but we really enjoyed our stay.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

6/10 Okay

Leah

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
This is a great, secluded spot with beachfront access, an on-site restaurant and bar, and a surf shop with rental snorkel, boogie boarding and surfing equipment. There are flowering bushes that smell wonderful and their fragrance is delightfully strong. The hammocks and yoga room overlooking the beach were special too. I’m vegetarian and was also pleased to find a number of items on the breakfast and all day menus I could enjoy. The cabins were clean and they were cleaned daily. You won’t find air conditioning but the ocean breeze, screened windows, tropical shutters and overhead fan were sufficient for me. It’s rustic and simple, but thoughtfully designed and all my needs were met. NOTE: I stayed in one of the original 10 cabins. There are newer ones on site with some upgrades (not sure what) that are listed as suites on the hotel website. The downsides? The second half of my stay, I was plucking hundreds of no-see-ums off of my bed each day, and dodging moths, beetles, caterpillars, geckos and a roach inside my cabin. It wasn’t a lack of hygiene or cleaning: the gaps around the door make it impossible to keep critters out. I’m not sure what more could be done, other than hanging mosquito nets around the bed. My only other complaint is that the smell from the septic system would waft every so often near the pool and my cabin. If you’re looking for a self-contained, peaceful space for a chill solo or a family trip, this property is great.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

JACOBUS

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Overall setting.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Angela

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Love the daily yoga and surf lessons. The staff was great and we enjoyed breakfast a lot. I read that breakfast was free but we ended up having to pay so I'm not sure what that was about. The smoothies are fantastic and perfect for a hot day. The only negative was the drain in our bathroom had a bad sewage smell coming from it. Other than that, we loved our stay. Thank you!
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Claude

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

scott

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Could hear the surf and birds and monkeys at night , no ac no problem

6/10 Okay

Marika

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Overall, pretty good and some of the downsides weren't truly the hotel's fault. Briefly, it POURED rain for our 4 day stay - steady, hard, rain, almost all day every day. That's definitely not the hotel's fault and/but it did make the trip not as enjoyable since it illuminated that there wasn't a lot to do during the very rainy times at the hotel. It is pretty remote-feeling, so once you're there, you're THERE unless you have a car (which we didn't). Besides being in your hut, the only other under cover amenities was the restaurant, which was nice, but after clocking many, many hours there reading, it got a little old :) So! If you're looking for a hotel that has things to do (or places nearby to go on foot) if there's inclement weather, this hotel isn't for you. If you're pumped to spend inclement weather days nestled in your bed reading, then great! Hotel restaurant prices were high (salad for $22, for example) but hotel staff were very nice. Our ceiling in our hut was leaking in 4 different places.

8/10 Good

Jeff

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022

4/10 Poor

Brian

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
At least the pool was open. But people who were not staying there would go to the pool and bring their kids loud as f.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Kenneth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful spot. Mostly surfer hotel. No AC, but slept fine. Somewhat primitive facilities (thatched huts-very cool). Nice pool. Food was great, people really nice.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2022

8/10 Good

Brandon

Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Jeff

Stayed 6 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Matti

Stayed 10 nights in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Victor

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazin location in Playa Negra
Great weekend at Playa Negra, amazing horse eventing competition right on site, great location, beach front, amazing sunsets and good restaurant. Recommended for a great not so busy beach
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2022
Response from Lito. on 28 Jan 2022
Thank you Victor for your great feed back. It was a pleasure to host the horse competition and also to meet you and your wife. Hopefully we will see you again here in the future, best regards from our staff.

10/10 Excellent

Jeffrey

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great stay
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022

10/10 Excellent

Iñigo

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2022
Response from Lito. on 11 Jan 2022
Gracias Iñigo, fue un placer tenerte aquí con tu familia y esperamos veros de nuevo pronto!

10/10 Excellent

mark, clayton

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The best sunset spot in Costa Rica!
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021
Response from Lito. on 28 Jan 2022
Thanks for your positive feed back! Hoping to welcome you her again soon for sunset and happy hour! Best from our staff,

8/10 Good

Grettel

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Staff & service, amenities
Disliked: Cleanliness
Cuando hicimos las reservación en los filtros yo solicite habitacion con aire acondicionado, la habitación que nos dieron no tenia. Los colchones son terribles, tengo una condicion, que me produce dolor, en casa duermo bien, en este lugar los colchones o el sistema que implementan de somier de cemento, me dificulto mucho descansar; me levantaba varias veces por dolor. La ducha impresiona estar sucia, supongo que tambien tiene que ver con la pintura decolorada. Todos los cobros en el menu son en $ pero al pasarte el cobro a la tarjera lo hace en colones, lo cual tampoco me parece bien. El restaurante me parecio que era caro en relacion a lo que ofrecia, me compre un coctel, caro y que no estaba para nada rico. Sigo con la impresion de que le venden un servicio caro y para extranjeros. Lo bueno fue: la habitación estaba cerca del restaurante, la piscina y la playa, esto me parecio muy conveniente, aunque la playa no me parece que sea para familias por su alto oleaje y piedras, es mas para surfeadores. La pisicina genial, rica agua caliente en la ducha. Mi hijo se cayo y tuvo un accidente, tuvo una herida en la frente, tenian un buen kit de emergencias para socorrerlo, aunque nadie en ningun momento parecio importarle o preguntarme si el se encontraba bien. En general no regresaria a este hotel.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

mark, clayton

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The location is heaven—most amazing sunset spot in Costa Rica! The rooms and facilities are great…the perfect beach/surfing spot.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2021

8/10 Good

Deborah

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Grass huts were really unique and very clean. The a/c did not work that well and kept shutting off.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2021
Response from Rachael on 16 Nov 2021
Hi Deborah, thank you for your comment and we are delighted you enjoyed our bungalows. We apologies for the issues with your A/C and hope that you still had a wonderful stay. look forward to welcoming you again in the future.

8/10 Good

Kai

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Unique property, great beach, surfer's paradise
The location of the property is a surfer's dream. It is right on the beach where "Endless Summer 2" was filmed in 1994. The waves are incredible and the surfing is out of this world. The beach is walkable. The property itself is truly off the beaten path but well worth the trip. My wife and I stayed for 3 nights during rainy season (it did not rain). We stayed in one of their a/c bungalows. Some bungalows have a/c, others do not. The grounds are very nice. Since we were there during September we did not get to experience the food. They do not offer and food or beverage service during September or October. They also use that time to perform maintenance. While there was some noise it was tolerable. The accommodation itself is basic but since you only sleep there it is fine. Our unit had a mini fridge. There are restaurants in the area but you will need a car to get there. For swimming, head to the beach and turn left. Walk about 200 meters / yards and you come to an area with no rocks and easy access into the water. The staff that was there (remember, rainy season) was very friendly and helpful. Definitely a place to check out for a few days.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2021
Response from Lito. on 1 Oct 2021
Hello Kai, Thank you very much for your very complete review and all your positive comments. We hope you will be able to visit us again when our restaurant is open to make your experience here even better! Best regards form our staff.

8/10 Good

Flavio

Stayed 22 nights in Jul 2021
Response from Lito. on 20 Sept 2021
Gracia Flavio, estamos felices que haya disfrutado su estadía en Hotel Playa Negra y esperamos volver a verlo aquí en el futuro, saludos de nuestro staff,

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very cool place. Loved the low key laid back vibe. Beautiful beach, though rocky. Walk south s but got a sandier swim. My kids loved the hammocks and the room.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2021
Response from Lito. on 25 Aug 2021
Thanks you very much for your great comments. We are glad you and your kids enjoyed our hotel and we hope you visit us again soon. Best regards from our staff!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
My wife and I have visited this property a number of times over the past 20 years. This is one of our favorite places and properties to visit. The bungalows are so well designed to take advantage of the cross breeze and natural surroundings. The central restaurant is open air with a perfect view of the surf spot and sunsets. The staff are super warm and welcoming. Food is great. Love this place and how it blends in with the natural beauty of its surroundings. Can’t say enough great things about it.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2021
Response from Lito. on 13 Sept 2021
Hello, we thank you very much for you great feedback and kind comments. It is always a pleasure to welcome you ans your wife here at Hotel Playa Negra. We are looking forward to your next visit! Best regards from our staff,

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great surf..great people..awesome nature. Nothing to complain about what so ever
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2021
Response from Lito. on 25 Aug 2021
Thank you very much for your positive feed back. We are happy you enjoyed your stay at Hotel Playa Negra and we look forward to welcoming you here again in the future. Best regards from our staff,

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Amazing place with friendly staff and unreal food. The waves are pumping and you can hear them crashing while you sleep. This place is great for couples or a group of surfers looking to score good waves at a very reasonably priced hotel.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021
Response from Lito. on 3 Aug 2021
Thanks a lot for your great feeback! We are glad you enjoyed you stay and we hope to welcome you again in a near future. Best regards from our staff!

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Playa Negra Hotel was really nice as it is steps from the beach. They have a nice pool for adults and a kiddie pool. The restaurant was great and staff super friendly. Prices are like in the US. I would definitely return here or recommend to anyone.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2021
Response from Lito. on 3 Aug 2021
Thank you very much for your positive comments. We are happy that you enjoyed your stay at Hotel Playa Negra. We hope to welcome you here again soon, best regards fro, our staff.

10/10 Excellent

Michael

Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2021
Response from Lito. on 13 Jun 2021
Thanks you very much for your positive review. We hope you will come back and visit us again in the near future, best regards,

6/10 Okay

JESSICA

Travelled with family
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2021
Response from Lito. on 13 Jun 2021
Thanks for your feed back, please do not hesitate to give us details about what you thought about your experience at Hotel Playa Negra so we can improve our service! Best regards from our staff,

10/10 Excellent

Tara

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing Trip!
Hotel Playa Negra was magical and everything I could have asked for in my first Costa Rican vacation. Everyone was incredibly nice and it has a very convenient restaurant on site where you can watch the sunsets and, in my case, watch your surfer husband spend his morning over some espresso and a good book. I can't wait to go back and bring some friends!!
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2021
Response from Lito. on 28 Apr 2021
Hi Tara, Thanks for your kind comments. We are very happy Hotel Playa Negra was the right place for you and your husband and we hope to welcome you here agin soon, best from our staff.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Fantastic...... in just the right spot!!!!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2021
Response from Lito. on 28 Apr 2021
Thanks for you positive feed back! We are glad you enjoyed your stay with us and we hope to welcome you again in the future, best regards on behalf of our staff.

10/10 Excellent

Ryland

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very accommodating! Perfect place to relax, the restaurant is good- beautiful location.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2021
Response from Lito. on 26 Jan 2021
Hello Ryland, Thanks for your review and your positive comments. We are glad you enjoyed your stay with us and hope to see you here again in the near future, best regards from our staff!

10/10 Excellent

Eugene

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
What a great find!
What a great find! Bungalows were very cozy and not far from the beach and restaurant. The hammocks added a nice touch. The food was great, too.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Quiet and relaxing
Located a Bit off the beaten path, but in a good way. Waze helped us to find it with No problems Accommodations were rustic yet comfortable. Setting was private and secluded, and overall it was a very pleasant experience
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location. friendly staff. Limited restaurant menu due to covid closure .
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2020
Response from Lito. on 23 Nov 2020
Thanks for your positive review and for visiting us. Hoping to welcome you again in the future. Best regards form our staff.

2/10 Terrible

daniel

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Superou expectativas
Impecável
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2020
Response from Lito on 14 Oct 2020
Obrigado ! Gracias por su comentario, esperamos verlo pronto de nuevo en nuestro hotel, saludos de nuestro personal

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2020
Response from Lito on 14 Oct 2020
Thanks for your positive review and for choosing Hotel Playa Negra, best regards from our staff!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2020
Response from Lito. on 18 Aug 2020
Thanks for your positive review, hoping to welcome you at Hotel Playa Negra soon again.Best regards fro our staff,

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Hotel is nice,beach line ,in my case think the hotell need some updated ,unlees
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2020
Response from Lito. on 29 Jul 2020
Hi, Thanks for your review and for staying with us in this difficult time. We are doing our best to keep our hotel open and safe! best regards,

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Could not have asked to be at a more tropical place on earth. Location to the beach is amazing and had a Beautiful pool for the kids. Best sunsets on earth!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2020
Response from Lito. on 24 Mar 2020
Thanks for your feedback and for staying with us. Best regards fro our staff

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
One of a kind beach, local spot. Pool is amazing. Massage and as closed Monday. Resteraunt microwaves the expensive food, so bring your own or travel a mike to eat decent. For a few nights amazing!
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2020
Response from Lito. on 17 Mar 2020
Hello, Thanks for staying with us and for posting a review, best regards from our staff!

10/10 Excellent

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hotel
Playa Negra is such a comfortable hotel. Having the beach right there was fantastic. I'd definitely stay here again.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2020
Response from Lito. on 12 Mar 2020
Hi Michael, thanks for staying with us and for posting your enthusiastic review! We are glad you enjoyed our hotel and we hope to welcome you here again soon, Best regards from our staff,

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Left after 10 mins and no refund at all for 5 night stay. Isolated, nothing close for miles, no ac. No activities other than surfing, 1 overpriced restaurant with few options. Not clean, bugs in bed. 50 mins from Tamarindo. Do not book here unless you are staying for 1 night and love to surf.
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2020
Response from Lito. on 6 Mar 2020
Hello, We are sorry to read that you did not like Hotel Playa Negra and we understand that you were looking for a different kind of location for your vacation. However, to the attention of potential guests who will read your review, we would like to make a few comments: the fact that our hotel is isolated (actually at 35 minute drive from Tamarindo) is usually appreciated by our guests. The hotel is surrounded by beautiful nature and lies in front of unspoiled beaches far from the crowds of Tamarindo. We do offer a good choice of activities on site, horseback rides, yoga classes, massages, and many tours, besides surfing or surf lessons and beach activities. For guests who like more comfort, we also offer suite bungalows with A/C and our restaurant has a wide choice of Costa Rican and international dishes. We hope you enjoyed your stay in Tamarindo, which is a very nice tourist destination too, and again we are sorry you didn’t appreciate the authentic Costa Rican feeling we try to preserve at Hotel Playa Negra.