Before diving into my experience, let’s address some of the negative reviews I’ve seen: ||Ants Yes, there are ants. This is a tropical climate, and ants are a natural part of the ecosystem here. They don’t bite, don’t invade your luggage, and are easy to wipe away. It’s not a reflection of poor housekeeping or lack of pest control—just nature. If the presence of ants ruins your stay, you may want to reconsider tropical destinations altogether. ||Hotel Condition This is not a “run-down” property. It’s a beautiful compound sitting right on the ocean, facing the daily challenges of salt air, wind, and rain. It’s a well-maintained, perfectly representative example of what you’d find at affordable beach hotels worldwide. If you’re expecting the pristine sterility of a U.S. luxury hotel, you’re in the wrong place. ||Service In my experience, service in Latin America reflects how you treat others. If you’re polite, patient, and make even a small effort to speak the language, you’ll find the staff to be wonderfully warm and accommodating. Central America is a favorite for me because of the incredibly kind people. Just don’t be a demanding “Karen” or “Karl”—it won’t work anywhere, especially here. ||Price You know the price before you book, so why complain about it after the fact? If you need to cancel a reservation at the last minute, travel insurance is your responsibility—not the hotel’s problem. It’s unfair to penalize a small business that depends on its bookings. ||---||My experience at Nosara Beach Hotel:||We flew into Liberia airport from Miami. Though it’s only 70ish miles, it took roughly 4 hours on mostly paved roads to get to the hotel. ||Accommodations This place is simply awesome. Check-in was an incredible start—an open-air desk overlooking paradise. Our room was spacious and had breathtaking views of Playa Guiones. The grounds were beautifully landscaped, the pool was gorgeous, and there’s private access to two stunning beaches. Nature lovers, you’ll be in heaven: birds, squirrels, iguanas, monkeys, and even Pepe, the resident wild parakeet who visits the front desk for treats. ||Service Outstanding. Obed and Hillary deserve special mention for their humor and kindness. And Hillary makes an excellent piña colada! Housekeeping, bless them, had to deal with my husband’s unfortunate bout of Montezuma’s revenge. They were so empathetic and professional. We had to purchase the towels we used for clean-up, but that’s understandable and something I’d expect anywhere. ||Food limited menu but everything we ordered was tasty and delicious - especially the French toast kebabs! Awesome tres ceviches appetizer - maybe the best I’ve ever had. ||Location convenient to a few restaurants and small businesses and just a quick car, tuk tuk, or atv ride to the nearby eclectic town of Nosara. Lots of restaurants, shops, smoothie/coffee stands, and a few swanky places to find unique items. ||Great surfing. Zip line company on-site, but we did not do that. Hammocks for relaxing under the palms and bird watching. Perfect place to unwind and chill. ||Nosara Beach Hotel is everything I love about travel: authentic, welcoming, and deeply connected to its natural surroundings. If you want cookie-cutter luxury, stay home. If you want a genuine slice of paradise, book this place...
Read moreI stayed at Nosara Beach Hotel in February 2025, and it was such a great experience. The staff here is incredibly friendly and helpful—everyone from the front desk to the maintenance crew. Even the guys working on the lawn or cleaning the patios always had a smile and were happy to help if you needed anything.||One of the best parts of the stay was the morning monkey show—every single morning while we ate breakfast on the veranda, we got to watch dozens of monkeys swinging through the trees right out front. It was like built-in entertainment to start the day. And speaking of breakfast, the food is great. The breakfasts are fresh and delicious, and their ceviche is the perfect light snack for lunch.||The location is amazing, with beaches on both sides. Playa Guiones is huge—you can walk three miles to the end and back for a good six-mile beach walk. The other beach is at more of an incline, so it’s a little trickier, but still beautiful. Plus, La Luna, the hotel’s sister restaurant, is right there, and everything is super walkable. You can take the jungle path or walk along the beach to get into town, where there are lots of great restaurants (though I did notice prices were quite a bit higher than when I was here two years ago).||Now, just a heads-up—this isn’t a luxury resort. It’s a really nice place to stay, but it could use a little touch-up of paint here and there. And yes, you will see some ants and bugs—it’s literally right in the jungle, so that’s just part of the experience. Honestly, it didn’t bother anyone. It’s just how it is when you’re surrounded by nature.||A couple of extra things I loved—the hammocks all around the property are perfect for lounging, the pool is a great temperature, and the views of the ocean from the hotel are absolutely stunning.||Overall, this place is a gem. It’s got a chill, welcoming vibe, great staff, and a perfect location. I’ll...
Read moreNosara Beach Hotel was such a pleasant surprise! Daniel who works the front desk was soooo kind and helpful throughout our stay. The hotel is lovely. Our room was such an amazing surprise - room # 21 - had an expansive private terrace with our own private soaking pool! Laying in bed in the morning & looking out through the french doors to the terrace, trees & beach was fantastic. The bed was super comfy. The bathroom was spacious. My only suggestion is to provide more bath and beach towels in each room so that you don't have to trek back up to the front desk. The staff communicates strictly through What'sApp so be sure to have it downloaded. Walkable access to Playa Pelada and Playa Guiones (this one is private to the hotel) & to their beachside restaurant, La Luna. ||||Breakfast was included daily & the breakfast burrito was FANTASTIC! The addition of the fried plantain in the burrito was such a delight! The restaurant is currently only open for breakfast & lunch so definitely ask the front desk for some dinner suggestion. We ate at La Luna (delish), Coyal (amazing food & views but just be aware that the drive is a solid 45 minutes of winding, pot-hole ridden roads even though it's only about 5 miles away) & then Il Pepperoni (for a more casual experience - & their pizza was really quite good).||||We also took a drive down to Playa Samara & Playa Carrillo from here for an afternoon (it took about 90 minutes due to the bad roads) & both were great.||||Something to keep in mind: the roads in Costa Rica are horrific & the road to get to this hotel is very rocky with lots of pot-holes. Definitely rent an SUV while staying in this area just to help make things a bit easier.||||Just an FYI - We did beachside horseback riding via Playa Ponies & you ride Playa Pelada and Playa Guiones. It was...
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