We visited Hotel Guanamar from March 2-8, 2006 when the dry season was at it's peak. Even though it was considered to be very hot and dry to most locals, we (being Floridians) found it very lush and completely tolerable in terms of the heat. The evenings are perfect for sitting in an open air restaurant, of which there are many in the area, and enjoy the comfortable weather without mosquitos and other biting insects.
The Hotel Guanamar is very clean and the view from our little, duplex style bungalow, was breathtaking. We had an oceanview room that had a very large lanai (porch/balcony) approximately 10 x 15 with a spectacular view of the sunset and small harbor where fishing boats anchor. If you request a room, #128, 129, and 130 probably have the best views for sunsets because some others are at an angle that just misses the sun setting on the water. These three have a direct view. Although, the other rooms also have a great view.
The accomodations are simple but adequate. We found the beds to be comfortable but certainly not special or luxurious. Our room had a large shower and dressing area with a single sink. There are large shelves for getting your things out of the way which gives you plenty of room for walking around. We had two double beds which we didn't need because my husband and I travelled alone but we felt like we could have easily brought our grown daughter and shared the room with her without feeling cramped.
There was a small television in our room but it did not have a remote and it was situated across the room with our air conditioner on the wall above our bed. Consequently, it was hard to see (for our old eyes) and to hear it while the air was on, it had to be turned up loud and then turned down again while the compressor was not running. Getting out of bed to turn it up and down was not fun so watching television was not something we did much of. This is a great vacation to catch up on your reading. Maybe this is why Costa Rica has such a high literacy rate which is obvious and refreshing.
The restaurant and bar have a gorgeous setting overlooking the bay and pool. The quiet of the area is very relaxing and makes for a very nice place to have meals and enjoy the sunset. However, there is much better food in other restaurants that are easy to get to (realatively speaking) by car. In six days, we ate there three times and all in all it wasn't bad but you wouldn't want to have all of your meals there while vacationing.
The hotel staff was good. They are nearly invisible unless you need something.
The casino was a joke in comparison to any casino that I have ever seen. It was a room where you could play cards and a few slot machines. The size of the room may have been about 30' x 30'. Don't come to Hotel Guanamar for the casino.
I would definately come back to the Hotel Guanmar for the laid back atmosphere, the clean accomodations, and the spectacular views. The price of the room with taxes for six days was around $850.00. Our view alone was worth that amount.
You must rent a four wheel drive car and visit some of the beach bars and restaurants in the area of Playa Carrillo and Samara. Try Rancho Tico, El Legartos, El Ankla, and Club Fandango. Ask the locals where these places are and you won't be disappointed.
One other tip, try to learn some Spanish before you go and try to use it while you are there. The Costa Rican people will be more than happy to work with you to try to find out what you want but, in general, they are not as fluent in English as I had expected.
This area of Costa Rica is not as commercialized as some areas such as San Jose and it still has the flavor and culture of Costa Rica without being overly Americanized. Very refreshing but may be considered a little bit rugged for Americans which may be used to convienences that have not yet filtered into the Tico's daily lives (such as the internet, Walmart, and McDonald's).
Great, great, great week. This is an area of the world that you could visit and never want to leave.
