The room was nice and our view was absolutely beautiful. We had dinner in the restaurant one night and the food and wine were quite good -- liked the big fish tanks, too. The bat cave bar was interesting, not exactly our style, though. They were very helpful in giving us breakfast to go one morning because we had an early tour picking us up and they helped us organize a guide for Manuel Antonio Nat'l Park. The 360 view on top was pretty and there were some cool iguanas there and a handful of monkeys eating breakfast right outside our window one morning, which was lots of fun to watch. Overall it was nice and the review would have ended there, but...

Some things were stolen out of our car when we had to leave the keys with the front desk. We'd heard the warnings about not leaving anything in your car when traveling through Costa Rica, so we always brought in all of our electronics, wallets, etc. We had just returned from a long day of ziplining and came back to freshen up before going out to dinner, so we left a couple sweatshirts, a jacket, a backup cell phone, a small bag of dirty clothes and some souvenirs we'd bought at a village and in town in the car. The souvenirs were covered by the sweatshirt and/or in a nondescript plastic bag, so it certainly didn't look like anything worth stealing. My boyfriend had his backpack in back so when we returned he opened the trunk to grab it, locked the door and handed me the keys to lock mine (no fancy door-locking key buttons on this Jimny!)

The car was parked in the hotel lot WITH A "SECURITY GUARD" and the hotel/parking is up a hill off the road, not near a lot of foot traffic, etc. We had to leave the car with the front desk because we blocked another car (lot is very small). When we got back to the car roughly 2 hours later everything in the back was gone -- nothing life-changing but all told about $375 worth of stuff, including an indigenous mask we got on a horseback trip that we really dug. After talking to security and to the front desk, nothing was solved so we headed out to dinner. They called the police for us and we met with them the next day. The hotel showed us "security footage" of the front desk guy going out to move our car and said it was proof nothing happened, but our car WASN'T ON CAMERA so the video was pretty pointless. You couldn't see the security guy, the front desk guy or our car, you could only see when he left through the main lobby to move it and came back in through the lobby. We liked the front desk guy and wouldn't want to accuse him of anything -- maybe he just forgot to lock the door - or maybe he and/or the security guy were involved in the theft. Either way, it was a real bummer for our trip and the police officers even told us (unsolicited) that the security footage was totally pointless and didn't prove anything. Meeting with the police pushed back our long drive to Tamarindo an hour+, too, which sucked.

Nice hotel but nothing all that special, particularly if you're left wondering if an employee might have been involved in something fishy.

My husband and I stayed at La Mansion Inn for one week. It was the last week of October and most people assumed it was going to be rainy the entire time, however, we had absolutely fantastic weather. This was our first trip to Costa Rica and Manuel Antonio, it will not be our last. We arrived later in the afternoon on Saturday and did not have any energy to explore the town so we decided to have dinner at the hotel restaurant, the fish was fresh and delicious. The service we received from the restaurant staff was phenomenal,(Marvin and Juan Carlos) everyone was sweet and gave great recommendation on activities for the day. We enjoyed every part of the hotel from the Bat Cave Bar (Jesus is a great bartender) to the hotel lobby (Juan was excellent). We stayed in 2 different areas, we stayed in room 7 and then in room 24- both offered different views but both still breathtaking.

I cannot say enough about this hotel and how welcoming everyone was. La Mansion definitely has the best view and animals to see everyday from monkeys to sloths, iguanas, and horses!

Nothing was a hassle, the staff really makes your visit enjoyable- I did not have to do any work!
If you do go to Manuel Antonio, please stay at La Mansion Inn!

If you're searching for a first-class hotel experience in Costa Rica, I highly recommend a stay at the La Mansion Inn in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica.

What sets this hotel apart from high-end chains like The Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, and Intercontinental? The service, atmosphere, and location provide a combination of luxury and easy-going enjoyment.

When you arrive at the hotel (a 2.5 hour drive from the San Jose airport - ask the hotel to send a driver to pick you up when you make reservations - the drive itself is fairly easy - all paved highway, with beautiful sights of the country along the way), you'll notice original artwork everywhere, much of it from local artists. The staff are genuinely friendly, and they will do just about anything to make your stay enjoyable.

The rooms are beautifully furnished, with carved doors with a nautical theme - and the views of the Pacific Ocean from the guest rooms are amongst the best of any hotel I've stayed at.

Definitely enjoy the pool and pool-bar (great drinks menu, and they'll make just about anything you ask for), and especially the hotel breakfasts. The Jacques Cousteau restaurant offers an intimate dining room for nice dinners at the hotel, and the staff are also happy to make recommendations for restaurants in the area.

One of the benefits of staying at La Mansion Inn is the hands-on management by the owner, Harry Bordaan. Harry creates a relaxed atmosphere with a focus on understated luxury and having a great time. You're likely to see Harry on the property, talking with guests and seeing after details to assure everyone's stay is going well.

The staff at the hotel were helpful with coordinating activities (tours of the nearby national park, etc) - choosing local restaurants, etc. It would be easy to spend several days there without leaving the property - everything is there. The free WiFi and access to computer in the hotel lobby were also handy.

This is a unique, one-of-a-kind property - different from "you've stayed in one, you've stayed in them all" experiences with a hotel chain. Highly recommended.

We stayed here three nights and it was pretty amazing. The only negatives I had were about the restaurant and bar, but I would review that separately. The view is unparalleled and hands down the best. Your balcony area overlooks the coast and the park and the pool as well as breakfast area do as well. The rooms are very, very clean and the beds are the most comfortable we slept in on our two week trip. The AC unit was also one of the quietest we had on our stay. All the employees are super friendly and helpful and there is a shuttle to take you to or from the beach 4 times a day so that you don't have to worry about parking or catching a taxi. Even better was that one day there was a sloth on a tree right outside the hotel and then on our last day I was standing on the balcony area when a group of white faced monkeys (two with babies on their backs) climbed down the tree and across the handrails right in front of me to get to the trees below. I stood about 5 feet from the first one as he crossed and then backed up to give the others some room! I wish we had been able to stay here longer, as Manuel Antonio was my favorite location in Costa Rica due to all the animals and amazing views. The only part that wasn't entirely perfect (and it wasn't horrible, just not perfect) was the dinner since they are working on the dining room. It seems as if they put the dining room in the lobby until they are done working, which means you can hear the music from the lobby (nice and soothing) but also the loud blaring music from the bar. The Cacophony was a little overwhelming for me, and I wasn't a huge fan of the food either (although my husband liked it). The air circulation was also really poor in the lobby/eating area so that it seemed hotter inside than it was outside, but it was raining so we had to eat inside. Overall, the hotel was amazing. The bar is a little obnoxious since it serves overpriced drinks ($5 for a local beer) and blares really loud local dance music. It seemed geared toward a younger party crowd whereas the rest of the hotel seems peaceful and quiet. You can probably get away with staying somewhere else if all you do is sleep in your hotel, but if you enjoy delicious breakfast, morning coffee with great views, a comfortable bed and nice room, and the best views Manuel Antonio has to offer... I would really consider this place.