Manalá Hotel — Hotel in Cóbano

We were very disappointed that the hotel pool was not usable during our stay due to construction. Every time we tried to go to the pool there was either loud noise and dust in the air and over the water. There were workers talking, chiseling, or hammering from sunrise to sunset. Demolition of the former restaurant to convert to 4 poolside suites was in full force. The owner (Natalia) refused to compromise on the price we paid for the room that we booked ( back in early September) when we were told that the construction would already be done before our stay. We had to move rooms because our room (#6) was right across from the pool, and the construction noise started at 6am and continued all day. Not exactly the peaceful retreat that we thought we were paying for. If we had been kept informed, we would have preferred to stay at one of the neighboring hotels, also with a pool, that were renting for the same nightly price, including our supposed discount. We did check the prices of comparable hotels, they we’re equal and with usable pools, but could not switch because our booking stipulated no refunds. The other cons were the black mold in the shower, the slow drainage of the shower, the wastebasket for the toilet had no lid (no flushing of the toilet paper allowed), and the calcification of the shower sprayer which made showering more difficult than it needed to be because we had to stand where the majority of the water was actually reaching which was right up against the wall. There were definitely some pros to our stay. The manager (Camilla) and owner were very helpful in arranging taxis and ATVs during our stay. Natalia, the owner, lent us snorkeling gear which, although we didn’t use it, was a nice gesture. The security guard and the groundskeepers were very friendly and helpful. There was plenty of hot water for showering. The rooms were tastefully decorated, but lacking some furniture to put our luggage on, so our bags ended up on the floor. There were clothes lines outside our bungalow to dry our clothing, but the lines ended up leaving brown/red marks on the clothing, so we ended up paying for laundry while we were there. The beds were comfortably firm, as were the pillows. The AC (in our second room #3) worked very well. The access to the beach was very close by. There were many restaurants in walking distance. Although not beach-side, it was conveniently located across the street from a road that led to the beach. The pool area will be very nice once the construction is done, but based on what we saw, I wouldn’t want to stay in one of the poolside suites due to privacy and noise concerns. We would probably stay somewhere else next time, just out of principle for the poor communication about the construction and no compensation for our inconvenience.

In response to owners response: First, there absolutely WAS construction on the weekend. We distinctly remember this because we found this strange. You were sick on Saturday, you weren’t even there. Second, the “discounted” price we payed was comparable to all the other hotels in town with pools. You mark-up your prices and then take off 40% and then all it a discount. When we booked we were promised one thing, then you delivered something else. There was no willingness to even find a compromise that was fair. This is a dishonest business practice, and even now you are being dishonest about the reality of...

Don’t like to write bad reviews but after several issues I felt compelled to. Mainly because I’d tried in numerous occasions to give feedback directly but I didn’t not receive a hospitable response. ||On arrival all seemed fine. Lovely grounds, beautiful bungalows, very spacious, and nice pool too. ||We are a family of 4 so had a lot of luggage, and as I was looking after both kids (baby and toddler) my husband was left with no assistance, to bring the suitcases up the gravel drive which isn’t easy with wheels in 35degree heat, this didn’t bother us much at the time as it’s only a small annoyance but you’ll see it adds up. ||The mattresses were comfy but the pillows weren’t, very cheap, synthetic and lumpy feeling and the sheets and pillow cases felt “well used” like they needed to replace them. ||The fridge was great with little bits like chopping board and knife and ice bucket provided||The table and chair set up outside was fine for a balcony set up, but this is where you get served breakfast so for a family of 4 it was bit of a tight squeeze. (High chairs not provided)||Breakfast was very simple, for the topics- just gallo pinto and overcooked scrambled eggs - all a bit dry. And this sounds mean, and I don’t mean it to be, but it was served by the grounds men, who were also doing the trash and other grounds jobs, so served in scruffy clothes, no apron or kitchen uniform - just felt a bit unhygienic. |After breakfast is delivered to the door on a tray (the table is not cleaned prior to service, nor after) you have it to yourself but there’s no1 around checking if everything is okay. No too ups for hot drinks, no condiments, salt or pepper. After breakfast is finished, the tray is removed but no1 to clean the table or floor until the rooms get turned over, so it becomes an ant and fly fest with all the crumbs and spillages (lots when you have kids).|It also renders the table useless if you want to continue to sit outside and enjoy the sun reading a book.||The AC was the biggest problem for us. Firstly it didn’t properly cool the room even at the maximum setting. Secondly it took so long to actually cool down after returning to the room and turning on. So we actually asked if there was a possibility of keeping it on during the time we were out. And we were told a firm no, and they would be obliged to come in and turn it off.||Although a great location for the beach and restaurants, it is Also right opposite a very loud nightclub- very loud music starting at 9pm. ||The whole experience felt more like serviced apartment rather than a hotel. All the points put together has left me with a bitter experience. The customer service was lacking and no1 checked on us the entire time, even though they knew we were u happy. ||If you’re calling yourself a hotel, well that comes with certain expectations that just weren’t met. |It’s a shame as it’s got the potential to be great with a more personalised and understanding customer service and a few...

We stayed at this location and it was a 10+. The night before we checked into a disgusting place, Casa Zarka. It was not safe at all and the host is a LIAR! My daughter and I decided we could not stay the week in the filth so got online and booked Manala Hotel. We were at the check in at 8:30 explained our situation and the manager Comilla could not have been more helpful. We were extremely tight on tome as we were with a wedding party and had to be down the road at our meet point by ten. All rooms were booked and a checkout would not happen until 2 pm. Comilla told us to leave our bags in the check in office and she would take care of them. Mind you this was my 19 year old daughters first trip outside the country and up until now was not good. Comilla and staff changed all of that. She encouraged us to have breakfast at the onsite restaurant and introduced us to Fabian who had just arrived for his shift. He helped to arrange two quads for us while we had a great breakfast for a reasonable $9 I think. The quads came and we were off to our adventure......except Fabian told us that at breakfast they had a checkout and Bungalow number one was clean and ready for us. He took us to the room and explained all the features to us, beach towels, room safe, operating the A/C etc. Class! Long story short, the entire week Fabian and Comilla checked on us, stopped by our breakfast table ( included in the price of the room) and were a wealth of knowledge about the area and the activities.

My daughter and I give this place a huge thumbs up because of the accommodations, staff ( shout out to our terrific waiter, Joze) and the grounds with pool is beautiful and what you would expect for la Pura Vida. Thanks so much for the big turnaround of our vacation which made our first night at Casa Zarka a bad memory that will fade over time. You are terrific. As an aside I live in hotels about 125 nights a year so I know quality people that should be in the hospitality business and those that should not! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. ...