Hotel Flor Blanca — Hotel in Quepos

I stayed three nights at Hotel Casa Blanca in March 2010 and found it at best to be "just okay."||||The grounds are beautiful, and the pools while small are pretty good. However, the rooms were kinda awful. Walking-in to our room it was apparent they hadn’t remodeled it in the past 20 years. The double bed we were expecting was actually two twins pulled together with a fitted sheet over them. That wouldn't have been too bad, but the mattress was probably one of the worst I've encountered in my life. Rickety coil support is far from ideal when you've been hiking and swimming all day long. To top it all off, they put a ragged single sheet on top of the bed that looked it had been in constant use since the Reagan administration. And oh yeah, there were aunts in our room.||||When we checked-in, we realized with the exception of three or four rooms the hotel was empty. Accordingly, there wasn't too much of a happening gay vibe there, though we did meet some friendly people. Hotel Villa Rocca, the other gay hotel in Manuel Antonio, is apparently the more popular option, though from what I hear the accommodations aren't much better.||||The reception staff is friendly and provided good recommendations on restaurants and excursions.||||Casa Blanca is in a very good location - close to some of the best restaurants and shops in Manuel Antonio. Don't be deceived though by its proximity to the beach or the actual park. I read somewhere it's a 10 and 15 minute walk respectively to those locations. (--) -- it's actually more like 30 minutes to each (and uphill on the way back). You're better off using the local bus to get to the park or even the beach. ||To respond to the claims of theft below, we placed our money, passports, and valuables in our safe with no issues. Felt safe the entire time there - multiple gates and keys needed before you get to your room.||||Overall, I would not return to Hotel Casa Blanca. There are much nicer places to stay in the area...

Truly blessed by this safe haven and we will tell you why… HOSPITALITY at its FINEST. We’re from America and have traveled quite a bit around the world so after a while you start to realize that the most important thing when traveling is the hospitality that comes with the place. It’s phenomenal to have a beautiful room that’s immaculate and up to standards but for someone like me it’s even that much more precious to have the essential things you need along with feeling safe, feeling at home and knowing that it’s more than just money for the facility you’re staying at. Daniel (the owner) went out of his way to work with us and extend our stay. This is a mamma papa joint so it’s him and a handful of other employees that make sure the rooms are cleaned and the shared space (pool, tables, chairs etc) are cleaned, swept and sparkling. If you want a party place—this is not it. They shut the common areas lights down by around 9:30pm so that’s when you would go to your room and relax. For my friend and I who is staying here that was perfect for us because we did adventures all day so to come home to a peaceful place to stay where we felt safe. I am a pretty tough critic to be honest and very rarely write reviews but this place has a little piece of my heart and out of all the places we stayed on our two week Costa rica journey this is the one place I will never forget. Note: The common areas are beautiful with healthy plants hanging everywhere and flowers along with a small pool to do laps in but don’t expect much in the rooms it’s very simple and essential things that you need. Don’t let that stop you though. Again—we fell in love with our little piece of Flor Blana heaven and will forever be grateful for the opportunity to rest and...

I was in CR for Spanish school, and I was staying with a family. It was a miserable experience so I packed my bags and walked until I saw the flag at Casa Blanca. Bottom line -- super friendly staff, nice grounds, clean rooms, walking distance to great restaurants and bars, two pools, great view of ocean and sunset, cheap laundry service, etc, etc. I can't say enough about the experience. I'm surprised by some of the negative comments. Yes, there is construction next door, but there are 20 other hotels in the area that are affected. Besides, what are you going to do? It's not the hotel's fault that another hotel is being built. Construction time starts at 8am, if that's too early for you, bring earplugs. I wouldn't suggest sleeping late in MA anyway -- the entire population is up early. The early bird gets the worm. ||||As far as the rooms go, yes they are basic and simple. But let's get clear -- you are in Costa Rica, not the U.S. You are in Manuel Antonio not New York. It's not the W, so don't expect it. Live a little and try something different. Cleanliness before snobbery is what I always say. ||||Also, I met 4 guys at the hotel that I am now friends with and will stay in touch with. The entire experience was wonderful. Thank you...