Tamarindo Bay Boutique Hotel — Hotel in Tamarindo

We stayed in Tamarindo for 5 nights in March and picked the Tamarindo Bay Boutique Hotel because of the great reviews, proximity to the shops and restaurants and that it was an adult only hotel. I would like to say that Marie was a dream, she was extremely friendly, professional and knowledgeable. I booked the estuary boat ride and a sunset catamaran and she was able to recommend tour providers and book everything for us quick and with no effort needed on our end. I can’t say enough about her professionalism and care she puts into her interaction with us.

On day 3 of our 5 days at the hotel we had a second “manager” oversee the hotel on Maries day off. Our day stated at breakfast, which up to this point was great. Marie would usually greet us ask us about our stay and look after everything for us. On this day however we were not greeted as usual, instead the “manager” on didn’t even say so much as a hello when we arrived for breakfast. I honestly wouldn’t have even given that a second thought… had we not had the experience we did leading up to this. It was like two different hotel stays. We as guests had to have masks on to go to the buffet (completely understandable) but she and the gentleman that was also “ managing” that day didn’t seem to follow the same rules. He approached the buffet several times to get breakfast talking and laughing without a mask on.. didn’t seem like the rules applied to them. That night we went out to watch the sunset have a nice dinner and at 10:07pm we came up the back beach entrance as we had the other nights. When we got to the door it was locked and our code wasn’t opening the door. So we rang the doorbell and waited. After a few minutes and ringing the doorbell a few more times the door opened with the security on duty and the manager from breakfast.she proceeded to very rudely ask us if we can read the sign… and that we can’t use this entrance after 10pm.,.. it was 10:07pm. She was extremely rude, was scolding us and confrontational. She threaten to call the police on us and told us it was a private business therefore she could kick us out for coming in the wrong door…. Needless to say the evening got heated and we retreated to our room. Terrified the police would show up and we would be without a place to stay. I spent the rest of the evening on the phone trying to get us moved (we booked though points). We ended up moving hotels for the last night as we did not feels safe or welcomed at this hotel.

I work in the hotel industry and have for 20 years. I understand rules and hotel security. I followed every rule the place had. What I didn’t realize was that we couldn’t come in that door after 10pm. I also know we didn’t roll up at 3am intoxicated yelling and screaming. We are paying guests of the hotel, she made us feel like she was doing us a favour by letting us stay there and treated us very poorly…. This person should NOT be customer facing. She has no interest in the hotel guests or their comfort. Our last day in Tamarindo was ruined because of her.

If you are going to book here please be aware that after 10pm they except you to walk down a dark red clay dirt road that has sharp rocks everywhere…, it’s unsafe and you can’t get the clay off your shoes or skin.

Extremely disappointed in our stay here and will NEVER go back and NEVER recommend this...

TLDR good location and kind staff, but rooms have no privacy on first floor and all noise can be heard easily since the walls are thin.

It’s a very reasonably priced property that’s walkable to everything in Tamarindo, in particular the grocery store and bank are 3mins away.

It was a straight forward check in, there’s free parking at the front entrance. There is a back entrance that’s closer to town if you want to walk. The one thing to note is that the main road (that the back entrance connects to) has no sidewalk and is not paved, so walk carefully.

Our room was in the first floor facing the pool which was actually quite convenient. The AC was amazing especially given that most establishments in Tamarindo do not have AC.

The rooms are huge, with a decent sized bathroom, closet, and main area.

All essential amenities were available in the common area like coffee, tea, cold water. There also complementary sun screen which was great as we were slowly running out.

The breakfast (8-10am) is honestly mediocre and we only ate it a few times out of our 5 night stay, not sure why people hyped it up. The fruits are great but everything else felt like Holiday inn quality.

I would recommend just grabbing breakfast at one of the nearby cafes like Sol Bakery, or from the supermarket if you’re in a rush.

The other downside with the first floor rooms are the slight lack of privacy if you want natural lighting and in all rooms, you can hear all the outside noise. The doors are reflective sliding doors and have no sound proofing. since there are no sheer shades, people passing by can still look in.

On the final night of our stay there was a fellow hotel guest who decided to take his business call outside in the pool area, likely thinking no one can hear him (including his partner in his room). His booming voice is what woke us up at 4am. This property is supposed to be quiet otherwise, digital nomads and remote workers have quite a lot of space and a desk in the room to use but they decide not to use it which is frustrating. The crazy thing is that after I notified him that he already woke up the entire hotel, he still continued taking his call (quieter but can still hear) instead of going back into his room.

Agree with the other review that this place is more like a b&b...

We cannot say enough amazing things about this hidden gem! My husband and I came to Tamarindo for our honeymoon based off a friends recommendation and stayed our first night in a not so romantic, run down condo. After a completely sleep less night we decided that morning we needed to find better accommodations as we had just begun our stay in Tamarindo. We struck out pretty much at every single other resort and hotel in town. Until we found Tamarindo Bay and that was completely by luck/fate, because we came literally right in between a bunch of check outs/it was still the off season so that definitely helped. The minute we arrived I felt so relieved/relaxed, because the environment is so quiet and clam which after talking to the owners is a very intentional detail. Tamarindo is a busy town but being on property you completely forget you are in the midst of so much hustle and bustle.

The first night we stayed in a more basic room with a queen, but the next day we had arranged to move into the deluxe king suite (all the rooms have special names and it’s been awhile since we stayed). They were extremely attentive to getting us checked into our new accommodations asap. The first room we stayed in honestly was perfect for us, but the experience of the deluxe king suite is unmatched. The comfortable king bed, the spacious room to spread out, the gorgeous bathroom, and beautiful terrace overlooking the property are just a few of the wonderful things the room has to offer.

I seriously could go on and on about this place. The staff were all so wonderful, which was my favorite part really. It felt like we were staying with a bunch of friends but still had our own space. The property is immaculate. The included breakfast is tasty and filling, and the location is perfect (not on the down town strip but close enough you could technically could walk if you wanted to). My husband and I definitely plan to come back and cannot wait to see everyone again.

Thank you Tamarindo Bay boutique hotel for your kindness and making our honeymoon so...