We just returned from a disappoining stay at Hotel San Bada. I was suprised to hear that the hotel had been opened just 2 years ago as the run down appearance of the room, pool and common areas led me to believe the hotel had been in decline for many more. This is clearly a managment issue as the staff was obviously not well trained for servicing guests and maintaining the property. We were awakened in our room by maintenance staff at 8am who decided to loudly work on roof outside our room.

Pros
- Proximity to park & beach
- Polite staff
- Breakfast included
- Rooftop deck and pool

Cons
- Shabby maintenance of pool, rooms and common areas
- Service at pool was nearly non existent. Why have a swim up bar if you are not going to staff it properly?
- Gym was in state of disrepair- ladder set up in middle of room, exposed electical box, air conditioning not turned on so it felt like a sauna
- Walkway to beach feels like walking thru the slums
- Happy hour on 6th floor included only a few select drinks and were half the size of the drinks served in the restaurant
- Fridge in rooms so loud it awakened us throughout the night
- Low quality/lumpy mattress

I am confused as to how this hotel could have possibly received positive reviews considering the high end rates. Absolutely not worth the cost!!!

Visited March 1-5th, as a couple new to Costa Rica. After staying at other hotels later on in our trip, I can confidently say that nothing compares to hotel san bada! We were delighted with the value of our trip - $1008 USD for a 4 night package with national park tour & catamaran tour for 2 people (transport included).

What set's it apart from the others:

1. The staff were incredibly attentive and positive - they helped with special requests to fill coolers with ice, always had a friendly smile, offering towels etc. Upon arrival they were expecting me by name, saying "hello, I'm the one who arranged your transfer! welcome".

2. Special details - entering our hotel room we discovered complementary fruit dish in the fridge!

3. Amazing spa! With great value compared to some of the other spas/resorts we looked at, a 50minute massage was $65 inclusive of tax. we had a couples massage in a stunning room, looking into the jungle with beautiful silk pillows around.

4. By far the LARGEST most impressive pool in all of manuel antonio. It's got a wickedly fast slide, waterfalls worthy of "sports illustrated swimsuit issue" photo shoots, and if that isn't enough, the 6th floor adult pool is great area too!

5. Rooms were well appointed with beautiful bathrooms that had waterfall shower head! Compared to the other bathrooms we came across in costa rica, the cleanliness, lack of mold, and size were impressive. Just a note - pretty much everywhere in costa rica, the plumbing system is not as developed as north america, so you are aksed to put toilet paper in trash basket beside the toilet - a bit odd to get used to.

6. Complementary breakfast each morning was amazing! Buffet was always well stocked, with rotating options (ham, bacon, sausage on different days etc). The omelet station was delicious - they work so hard over the hot pans, don't forget to tip! From local food (rice, plantains etc), to the more typical options for picky north americans/children (yogurt, cereal, toast), you are totally blown away! Breakfast served 7am-10am, but they are ready a bit earlier if you need to head out early for a tour etc.

7. Proximity to beach is great! Understand that there are no real "on the beach" hotels in manuel antonio, but this is the closest. There is a little alley way connecting the property, along a 3 minute walk to the beach. Not ideal in dark night, but fine during the day. The view you get from the 6th floor of the coast is spectacular, so instead of other hotels that are perched in the cliff with serious hike to the beach, you get a view and proximity!

8. Meals are huge and delicious! The appetizer salads are a legitimate meal for an adult. Most full entrees can be shared between 2 people. We LOVED the carbonara pasta (surprisingly this dish was really good!), shrimp, fish taco (note this is a HUGE taco, really more of a salad because a bit hard to eat), the chicken wrap with onion rings for lunch.

9. Filtered water by the first floor elevator was a life saver! While we regularly drank normal tap water, it was greatly appreciated to have a place to easily fill water bottles for our time away from the hotel. It was cold, saved money, and was nice touch.

While our time at San Bada was perfect, I would say there are few considerations you should know when staying there:

Despite being popular dry season, the hotel wasn't too busy. While this was great for a few quiet moments, it would have been nice to see a few more young adults around - we were bombarded with a tour busy of elderly Israeli tourists for one night, but otherwise there were no more than 2-3 couples within site at any time around the resort. During happy hour on the 6th floor deck we visited 2 times and didn't find more than 1-2 people having a drink - not quite the social atmosphere we were hoping for. But music was great, staff always present and fresh towels handy whenever needed.

Also, the 6th floor lounge area had a great view, and very well appointed wicker furniture/cabanas however the cushions were regularly wet due to rain and very faded. It would have looked stunning when the hotel first opened, but since then the climate has caused the deck to severely peel and faded the cushions. Again, relatively small items, but when everything else is so excellent things like that tend to stick out.

I would ABSOLUTELY go back to San Bada - and recommend it for groups of all sizes/interests. It's the largest, most advanced and trustworthy option in manuel antonio. And it's 15 feet from the national park entrance!

Hotel San Bada is in a very convenient location, right next to the entrance to the Manuel Antonio National Park. It is also within walking distance to the local shops and restaurants, in addition to being a 5 minute walk from the beach. The hotel room was very nice, with all amenities. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The restaurant was not wonderful, but acceptable. There are better places to eat within walking distance.

Stayed at this resort hotel w/ my buddy for 2 nights during our trek up and down the Central Pacific coast of CR. We wanted to wing it on this trip so we asked a local bartender on the beach in MA for a referral and he pointed us towards San Bada. Western/beach facing rooms are pricey @ $300/night but we wanted a view & amenities. We got just that. Keep in mind that most "beach front hotels" in CR are set back a bit from the ocean, especially in Manuel Antonio. We had a 5 minute walk to the beach, but the elevated views from our 10th floor room were stunning.

The hotel seemed quiet during our 2 days there. There are 2 pools. The rooftop pool is small, but has a private bar that caters to adults and has ample seating and gorgeous views from the top of the hotel. It's definately a couples locale & view since some of the many seats are chaise lounge chairs/cabanas. You won't find many other comparable views of the sunset in CR than you'll find at this resort. La Mariposa in MA & Vista de Olas in Mal Pais (Guanacaste province) are similar, but this view is equally beautiful. The main pool is sprawling and includes numerous waterfalls over faux caves. There is a large concrete slide and overarching walkway, hot tub & pool-side swimup bar. The only negative here is that I'd be careful using the slide. My buddy & I both tried it twice and the quick turn in the structure can flip you over which can give you whiplash. I was kinda shocked at how scarey this slide was since it's super quick. If you're not spry enough to flip yourself over, avoid the slide at all costs. It's not the smoothest ride at the end :(

The staff & amenities set this hotel apart from most. The front desk staff & maids are 5 star all around. The maid knocked on our door the first night to give us candy. I don't care if you're sucking up....the effort alone is a bonus in my book. Customer service is #1 w/ me since I run a service business.

Overall, this is a large & beautiful property in MA. The entire staff are awesome! The roof top pool bartender made us the best LI Iced Teas. We saw him again at breakfast and he was equally as friendly with handshakes & hugs. Great location at the base of the national park & along the breathtaking Central Pacific Coast!