Hotel Villas Nicolas — Hotel in Quepos

The only confusing thing about this hotel is that it's only rated a 3 star! I've stayed in hotels around the world and if this isn't a 4 star then I don't know what is. Staff - Friendly, funny, helpful Superior Suit - huge, exceptionally clean, amazing lighting, great furniture and decoration Balcony - huge with tables, furniture, hammock, shuttered windows Grounds - picture perfect, pool, flowers, wildlife, saw dozens of monkeys and a sloth among other creatures from our balcony Restaurants and shopping - feet away, wide variety and delicious especially considering you are on the side of a mountain, overlooking the sea, in a rain forest Activities - more than we could get in but we did manage horseback riding in the forest and beach, night tour in the jungle, walked Manuel Antonio preserve and visited monkey filled beaches, zip line, on and on...

I've been all over Costa Rica and this is without a doubt my favorite place and what I think of when I picture a perfect vacation there.

To the complaints I've heard on hear, respectfully, you don't know much about travel. Bugs in your room? You are in a Rain Forest, you know what's in Rain Forests? Bugs. I'm glad they don't spray the grounds with poison. It's not Disney and I hope it never is. It Rained - That's too stupid to respond to. Blackouts, no generator, life wasn't convenient enough for me - why are you traveling to these places? Hilton has a great spot in Orlando, go there. If you are unhappy in Costa Rica because you don't have the same experience and convenience of home, travel is wasted on you.

To travelers and lovers of life, you should visit this place because you will leave a happier person than when you came and you can take that joy back home with you. Pura Vida!

Thanks Dennys and staff from...

I was really looking forward to this stay, after going through a tough family , it seemed like the perfect getaway from everything. Unfortunately things didn’t go very smoothly. Upon arrival, I asked what I could do in the area and about possible transfers to Uvita and was dismissively told that taxis are expensive and would cost $100 (no offer to help me book one or help to research cheaper rates). I also asked about a snorkeling trip to Cano Island and was dismissively told to ‘go do my own research’. The WiFi was not working in my room at all, and they had no water or drinks (alcoholic or not) of any kind on the property. I arrived really thirsty after a 5 hour drive and didn’t expect there would literally be 0 bar service for a place that calls itself a ‘hotel’. Also if you don’t have a car the walk down to the beach or even to the supermarket is pretty dangerous as you’re on the same road as cars and buses. My reservation was non refundable and there was 0 flexibility in changing the dates. Lots and lots of rules, such as wearing ‘appropriate’ attire at breakfast (which is patronising and mysoginistic if you ask me and not what you want to hear on a holiday)? and strict Covid rules which was less of a problem for me. The positives were : The bed itself was comfortable, animals surround your balcony, and Paula seemed the more helpful member of staff at...

A very solid and reasonably priced hotel in Manuel Antonio. I can see why the hotel only scores 2-3 stars as it does lack some amenities. There's no bar or restaurant, which would be more noticeable during longer stays. There's no spa, if that's the sort of thing you're interested in. The rooms would benefit from tea/coffee making facilities. And the reception opening hours were limited.

Having said all that, the hotel ticks lots of other boxes. The staff were really welcoming and helpful. The grounds are stunning; the pool area is exactly what you see in the photos. The wildlife was great. We saw lots of birds from our room.

We also booked an ocean view room, which I'd definitely recommend as you get a fantastic view over the bay. And you can enjoy your view from a massive balcony/terrace. In fact, the balconies are so big they are almost surplus to requirements for two people.

The location is very good. Manuel Antonio doesn't really have a "down town" or strip as everything is spread out up a steep hill. But the hotel is close to lots of the top rated restaurants and bars in the area. It is a little distance down to the beach and National Park. But there are public buses that run regularly and the bus stop is just down the road.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend a stay at Villas Nicholas, especially if you are just stopping in Manuel Antonio for...