My wife and I went to Manuel Antonio for a Spanish Immersion program at COSI school. We had planned to stay at Costa Verde for two nights, then do a homestay with a local family through the school. When we saw the view (which I knew would be great from the many pictures posted here) from our balcony, we decided to forget the homestay idea. The pictures do not do it justice. The grounds are lush and blend seemlessly into the natural jungle surroundings. We loved the open air Tico atmosphere at the CV. The desk staff bent over backwards to accomodate us when we decided to extend our stay. Every one of them were helpful and friendly.

The view from the pool at CV II is amazing! There is a bar with food service there. The location is perfect for exploring the area and is close enough to the beach via bus for .20 cents. We went by bus almost everywhere. We only used taxis late at night or when it was pouring rain (which was frequent). Coming from Phoenix we loved the daily rains! It really cooled things off. We were glad we had good raincoats. The restaurant serves a good breakfast and great Tico coffee. We had several dinners there as well, and they were very good. The fish and steak dishes are the best. We liked Cafe Milagro for breakfast a little better. We loved Plinio for asian fusion food. It is also a lovely setting. We also loved La Hacienda for dinner and especially the desserts! It is really cute, and they had a chocolate "queque" or cake that was amazing! We also enjoyed the soda in the central area of Quepos that a cabbie recommended.

We heard Mono Congos every morning, but never saw them on the Hotel grounds. We did see lizards and iguanas every day. We recommend doing a guided tour of the National Park. Our guide pointed out animals we would never have noticed. We saw all three types of monkeys, and so much more. It is odd as the park is small and there are many people, but it is lush and full of animals. The beaches in the park are awesome as well.

We will return to Manuel Antonio, and we will definitely stay at Costa Verde again.

While the price ($125 per night or so for a Studio-Plus room) is a little steeper than some of the low-end spots throughout Manuel Antonio (I saw some backpacker spots for as low as $10), Costa Verde is well worth it. Our room, in the Costa Verde II, had one of the most incredible views I've ever seen. We had an almost 300 degree view of the ocean, with the rain forest in front of us. The room we stayed in had a kitchenette, which enabled us to take advantage of a nearby small grocery store and cook breakfast in the room each morning. Also, while the hotel may not live up to its "still more monkeys than people" slogan thanks to a disturbing amount of development in the area, we saw plenty of wildlife on the grounds -- tons of iguanas, more big bugs than I've ever cared to see (though not in our room, thankfully), and yes, even monkeys.

One important note -- it is difficult and dangerous, if not impossible, to navigate the area on foot. Everything is on one main road, a windy road filled with crazy Ticos and tourist drivers, and there really isnt't a sidewalk. So a rental car or taxi, will most likely be needed to get around.

A great hotel with fantastic views and a peaceful atmosphere. Stayed with our daughters aged 6, 4 & 2. On our first night we saw Howler monkeys and a sloth that came right down to the ground. Rooms are a good size and very clean - didn't see any bugs! The restaurant was okay but the menu could do with more variety.

OK... So, I went into this expecting both good and bad based on previous reviews (bugs and such)... 6 of us travelling from ages 33 to 83. The entire stay we were in Building A - Staying in Casa Quinta (three bedroom "house") for 3 days and then A1, A2, and A7 for the remaining 5 days. I have to say that Casa Qunita was lovely, but a bit over sold on the web site. All-in-all, we enjoyed the individual rooms better. Views were nicer and ultimately it seemed like we had more room. Also, if you stay @ Casa Quinta it's the "dumping grounds" for the cleaning folks until someone comes to pick up the laundry. On that note, the cleaning folks were never obtrusive and did their best to not clutter up the area too bad. Rooms were always cleaned thoroughly each day. OK- So... were there critters (bugs).. Yes- Funny how if you leave even a bit of food out, the ants seem to smell it from a mile away... Simple solution... Make sure you clean up after you eat something or spill something... It wasn't that bad at all...
At least once a day, someone in our group would see a troop of monkeys hanging out in front of the rooms. Views to the ocean were incredible. Lots of wildlife just hanging out. Pool was very easy to get to in building A. Adult pool was a bit of a hike, but very nice and again great views.
Downside... I'm really having a hard time writing anything bad about the hotel- Staff was extremely friendly and helpful- Food was fine at all restaurants. This is really not the place for elderly people. I had my older parents with me who were not comfortable driving in Costa Rica in general (both in their 80's), but also unable to get up and down the hill @ the hotel without a vehicle. Ultimately, they were held "hostage" in their rooms or the pool area unless one of us was available to drive them back and forth- even to the restaurant. Since there are no phones in the room, it made it a bit difficult to communicate with them at times. I really hate to call this a negative, but really want to warn anyone who has a hard time walking long distances or up and down steep hills that this might not be the hotel for you.
Bottom line... I would definitely return to this hotel in a second... just not with my elderly parents....