I first stayed here five years ago and remembered I wasn't impressed with the lodging. Although I was reluctant to return this visit, I did since we didn't want to waste time driving to the northern coast. The beach is incredible although I wish there were more guest lounge chairs. Again we stayed in the condos and again I was not impressed. It seems like the little touches are neglected (shower head needed replaced, bathroom door wouldn't close, no blankets even for the wall bed, only a set of sheets). It felt more like a Motel 6 with a Hilton price tag. The staff are friendly, but they could take advantage of technology and upgrade their processes and systems. Food was ok. We stayed only a few days mid-week and left on Friday when all the locals were arriving which filled the place quickly.

I took some out of country friends to Restaurant Leona Mar for dinner. One of my friends ordered a club sandwich that had 4 pieces of dry toast (no mayonaise) no lettuce, one tiny piece of bacon. It looked like they had run out of food and this was the remaining table scraps made into a sandwich. The other plates that we ordered were very dry and overcooked. I will never eat at this dump again, this was very embarrasing for me since I invited my friends out for dinner. Not only was the food horrible but they tried to charge $9.00 for the sandwich.

Much as I liked all the wildlife we saw here, especially the scarlet macaws and the motmot, as well as the monkeys and coatimundis who made their rounds at mealtimes, this place was just too big and condo-ized for it to feel like a true eco-lodge. Swimming at Playa Blanco in the warm and buoyant Pacific water was my favorite experience, but the shuttle arrived so late to pick us up at the hotel that we only had a short time to enjoy the beach before the end of the shuttle service at 5 pm. The food also wasn't as good as what we experienced elsewhere in Costa Rica.

This is a fantastic beach resort on many acres. The grounds are beautifully landscaped
and include a butterfly garden. It is a great location to visit Carrara and Manuel
Antonio Parks. The front desk was helpful in arranging guided tours.