We came to the beach during rainy season. Our books scared us away were from staying at other beaches. We ended up taking a day trip to Nosara and found that area more exciting! While the hotel and beach at El Velero were nice, I wish we had spent more time in Nosara because the roads were not as bad as the books made them seem like they would be. The El Velero staff were wonderful and nice. The food at the place was pretty good too, which was fortunate given that we ate many meals there. The rooms were alright. The view from the rooms were terrible (a wall) and an outdoor light kept us up at night. My kids LOVED this hotel because it had a TV. We had 18 people with us, 10 kids (ranged 9-18) and every kid LOVED the place. There are great snorkling sights available near the hotel. Ticos also come by and ask tourists if they wish to go snorkling by boat. We did both and enjoyed both. The beach is lovely. But goodness, the sand in the afternoon is HOT!!!! The hotel can also set up snorkling, zip lining and other tours. What I liked least was that I didn't feel like we were in the rain forest. I felt like we were at any beach in the US. ALSO, the restaurant across from the hotel made my entire family (and the other families too) extremely sick. Luckily, we were home before Montezuma had his revenge

We stayed for 2 nights this week, and I will tell you - the place isnt the Ritz Carlton, but it sure is a wonderful atmosphere. Mike, the owner, is a hoot. From my brief interactions he seems like a nice guy making a living keeping his place accessible to the anti-tourist crowd.

If you're looking to get away from the "tourist mob" then this hotel is for you. If you're looking for 5 star rooms, hot tubs, and spas, then maybe you should go elsewhere. The rooms weren't perfect, but they were clean and comfortable. Our room was clean, and had a digital A/C with remote control. The food was ok, the drinks were tasty and cold, and the beach was literally 20 steps from the patio. There were even free chairs for hotel guests to bring down on the beach. Now that's service!

There's a nice veranda (complete with ceiling fans, free library, and the occasional gecko on the ceiling), a small pool for the kids, a small market nearby, and plenty of good sand, surf, and sun. We made use of the veranda every evening to watch the sunset. Moments in my life I will never forget!

You're on vacation in Central America! Leave the large hotels behind. Chill out, grab a beer rom the bar, and go bodysurfing steps from your room. Everything here is relaxed and easy-going. I'm not a Jimmy Buffett fan (in fact I can't stand his songs), but if I could picture staying in a Margaritaville, this would be it!

Relax and enjoy!

The Hotel Velero at Playa Hermosa in Costa Rica is a must stay for anyone looking for a great quite beach getaway. Hotel Velero is not a large Four Seasons style mega hotel, it is instead a beautiful spanish hascienda styled two story hotel with a great beach location. The rooms all include state of the art air conditioning, tv cable, and feature natural lighting. They are clean comfortable and include wifi. The hotel staff are friendly, personable and helpful. The Hotel also features a great restaurant with excellent food located just a few feet off the beach. A open air porch area provides a great place to take in the cool breezes, ocean view, and enjoy the many exotic birds species or get a glance of the area monkeys. A small but clean pool is also included which the kids enjoyed. This is a great place for people with families as well. The beach itself is in a protected harbor so there is little danger of rip currents. The water is clear and shallow, and we were able to see thousands of reef fish, puffer fish, star fish, and other aquatic marine life as soon as your get in! Excursions to area attaractions are available from the hotel but we liked the hotel so much we never left! There is also activities provided by the hotel such as sunset sailing and more. A must stay!

HOTEL EL VELERO is the most awesome small hotel in Playa Hermosa, we stayed there for a few days, and came back each day for a visit while we were in CR. The place has the true spirit of Costa Rica , you cannot beat the location right on the beach.
Food, drinks , service is A+ , the rooms are spacious, with NO CARPET in the hotel, tv, phone, and top of the line linens. If you want to book tours, use Janett at the front desk, she knows more about the area than any of the other tour companies we spoke too. If you really lucky out you will share a story with Mike the owner. Also , the hotel has a beautiful sailboat, be sure to go on a sunset cruise, ... hotel is locally own. Again, value and spirit..