We booked our trip from a Travelzoo deal, and I’m so glad we took advantage of this great offer! We discovered such a gem! We traveled during the rainy season so it was less busy and we received more personal attention, but the weather was great. Every morning we had blue skies and sunshine. The clouds would roll in later in the afternoon, and if it rained it did so overnight.

I tried to capture a lot of detail from our trip for those who are interested, but if you want the short version – you will not be disappointed with Gaia at all! It’s a wonderful place with great facilities and amenities, a wonderful staff, and I highly recommend it to everyone! There is wildlife at every turn, the food is incredibly delicious, the views are sensational, and rooms are quiet and comfortable. There was some construction and updates happening while we were there, but it was never a bother. The newly complete wine bar / lounge is a welcoming space with low chairs and a chill vibe. There is also some beautiful local artwork on display for sale. We were only there for four days and didn’t use the pool (I only dipped my foot in one evening, but we never swam). They appeared clean and the water was comfortable.

Before beginning to describe our wonderful time at Gaia, I'd like to encourage anyone going to Gaia to get in touch with the main office before you travel down to book your excursions and spa visits. We did, and it worked out great as we were able to do everything we wanted, which I've read in other reviews was a problem for some. The main office staff is wonderful and super helpful, so don't be afraid to reach out to them.

Our wonderful trip to Gaia started with an enjoyable ride from our first great driver, Jorge. He efficiently navigated the way to Gaia and informed us about his beautiful country along the way. He was very friendly and we enjoyed our conversation with him. Jorge stopped to show us the Tarcoles River that is home to over 4,000 crocodiles! Further down the road, he spotted scarlet macaws so we pulled over to take pictures. That was a great catch on his part because we didn’t see them for the rest of our visit! (Thanks, Jorge!)

When we arrived at Gaia, the friendly, welcoming staff at the gate took our bags and drove us up to the main office for check-in. We were greeted by Andres, our fantastic personal concierge. He took us on a tour of beautiful Gaia which ended in our jungle studio room where he explained the amenities and made sure any of our questions were answered. Our bags followed shortly, we freshened up, and headed to the La Luna Restaurant for a delicious dinner. After dinner, we relaxed for a bit and headed to the Terra Spa for our 90-minute hot stone massages. It was incredible! I highly recommend it! The masseuses were so fantastic. I felt like a noodle when we left. It was so perfect after a day of traveling and it knocked me out. I slept so well in the comfortable bed.

The following morning we had our first scrumptious breakfast at La Luna. After breakfast, we left for the 9 AM Midworld Ziplining Canopy Tour. I cannot recommend this enough (and I’m a giant wimp and was nervous to do this)! It was incredible – especially the Superman line! Simply phenomenal!! The staff at Midworld is so great! We had an amazing adventure there after which they fed us a delicious lunch prepared fresh in their kitchen. We left their property and headed back to Gaia. We relaxed for the rest of the afternoon before heading up to La Luna for another incredible dinner where we met David, one of the owners. It was so nice to meet him and see the care and interest they take in making sure each guest has a fabulous experience at Gaia. The ambiance in the restaurant is so welcoming and comforting. There is live music provided by two talented gentlemen that we greatly enjoyed. The staff at La Luna is just wonderful! Christian mixes up some tasty cocktails! Aldo and Jose took care of us for each of our meals, and we truly enjoyed getting to know these genuinely wonderful men.

On our second morning, we ate another wonderful breakfast before heading off to the Manuel Antonio National Park for a guided tour with Jordan, the resident nature expert at Gaia. We learned a lot on our tour and I’m glad we did it because Jordan’s amazing eyes caught things we would never have seen! We stayed in the park after the tour and saw white-faced monkeys near the Manuel Antonio beach. The only disappointment was that the path to Playa Escondido was closed so we couldn’t see that beach (where some of the movie ’Castaway’ was filmed). We left the park and had lunch at the Marlin Restaurant in Manuel Antonio where we called for transportation back to Gaia. It was a gorgeous day, but I didn’t realize how warm I was and started to feel a little ill. We got back to Gaia, and I rested before getting a deep-tissue massage at the Terra Spa. It was very healing and I felt great by the time I went to La Luna to join my husband. I found him relaxing in the lounge adjacent to the restaurant watching NFL on the big screen. Christian and Jose brought us our drinks, appetizers and dinner in the lounge. It was a perfect evening.

The following day we had breakfast and went on the Manuel Antonio Catamaran Adventure. It was so awesome!! The Ocean King Catamaran (the largest in Central America) is a two-story vessel with a full bar and two hot tubs. The staff was very pleasant and professional. We got lucky again as we saw both bottle-nosed dolphins and humpback whales on our tour. It was an incredible experience! The last part of the excursion was snorkeling off the coast and it was very cool! After snorkeling, they opened up the two slides on the back of the boat and you can jump off the side – very fun afternoon! They provided a great lunch before returning to port. This is another excursion that I highly recommend!

Our last morning at Gaia was just as wonderful as every other and it made me sad to leave. We had a great breakfast and said goodbye to the staff at La Luna before heading down to the main office to check out. I cannot wait to go back! I felt very at home at Gaia and very well cared for. Our driver back to San Jose, Andres, was also very wonderful. It was a pleasure to meet him as well. Everyone we interacted with embodied the Pura Vida spirit and I’m trying to hold onto it as well until I can get back to Gaia. Muchos gracias mis amigos!

My wife and stayed at the GAIA after we bought a travelzoo deal. My wife got sick and we missed our flight out... the hotel management was gracious enough to allow us to reschedule our trip.. and thank goodness... what a great place. The driver, Jorge, to hotel was absolutely a great sign of things to come at the hotel. He drove to see crocodiles at the Tarcales bridge and drove us along the beach.. the whole time kept us entertained with friendly conversation.

The hotel staff is amazing.. everyone was so friendly and attentive, especially the waiters at breakfast. The breakfast every morning at La Luna was amazing. Fresh pastries and fruit.. fresh juices and the Costan Rican Breakfast was incredible as well. There is so much to do in the area that we felt like we were cramming in everything but still for our 5 days there we wanted one afternoon to chill and relax at the three tiered pool. The pool could use some work but the view from it was incredible and the iguanas were great company as well there... wildlife at your doorstep here. Very relaxing environment and pool bar is great at sunset as well. Yet, the best place to watch the sunset is eating tapas (ceviche is incredible) and enjoying the two for one happy hour menu.

The view from the restaurant was amazing and the service was great too. It is one of the view places I have been where the owner and his friends will converse and have a drink with you.. Thomas couldn't have been any more delightful to talk to about the property and the area. The new wine bar/room was being worked on while we were there but it looks to be great when completed. The spa at GAIA is wonderful as well.. beautiful facility and the message put me to sleep.. highly recommend the hot stone massage. I also enjoyed the guided tour of the reserve and also would recommend checking out the view from the roof above the restaurant.

Overall, I would come back here in a heartbeat. The rates are usually a little higher than what I would normally pay but the place is really wonderful. Worth every penny spent there and would and will do it again. The area is not "cheap".. you will pay Chicago/ LA prices in the area for food and attractions... unlike spots in San Jose. Great place.. definitely Pura Vida

The stay at the hotel or as some might call it Resort was simply wonderful. I would rate this among my most favorite places I have stayed and also among the most comfortable. It is a 5 star treatment and the room we had for our week long stay was fantastic. Our stay included a breakfast everyday with good options allowing us to try various meals. All of the meals were very good.
The basics - The room was great and offered plenty of space. The bathroom was large and left us pleased and wanting for nothing more out of the bathroom. The bathroom had all fixtures you would expect in a US hotel. The AC was effective and kept the room at the various temperatures we changed it to over our stay. TV and number of channels offered were good, used this to watch one Sunday Night football game. Out room had a hug, roomy bed which my new wife and I both found to be comfortable. We stayed in a suite with a private balcony on top which we made use of and rather enjoyed. The hotel offers various but similar views which were all spectacular.
Hotel amenities - Internet was available on most of the property via a wireless connection, in addition a computer is open for use to surf the net and print directions and tickets should you need it. The pool is very nice with a friendly bartender. The pool has two tiers and was never crowded while we stayed. the water is turned off in the evening and thus stop makes the running water sound.
Extras - The hotel offers a van service and we made good use of it. the van service will take you to the beach and any number of various attractions in nearby areas. It was wonderful to have this offered as parking is not easy to find and this eliminates the concern of knowing your way around. The hotel offers partner programs to go on zip-line and kayak tours among others. I opted to use the services partnered with Hotel Gaia and had great experiences with each tour. The tours picked us up from the hotel and were typical tours which we very much enjoyed. These tours were either the same price or minimally more than advertised prices I saw in town when walking around.
The restaurant - It is excellent and the food is delicious. We left the hotel about half the time we were there to eat, but every meal we had there was good. The restaurant has a bar which is excellent.
Spa - Excellent and wonderful. My wife got 3 massages and each was exquisite according to the descriptions she gave me. I got 2 and they were both very good. I would make the purchases of these again.
Anything you didn't like? Tipping is confusing. The receipts have a line on them for tips ... but it is not expected. I tipped, but all the same the tipping was confusing. This is advertised as an adult only hotel. While I was there I saw a family (or father) with two children, one looked to be a teenager, the other was maybe 8 or 9. The children were no bother but when they were playing you could hear and see the extra commotion. We had a billing question which was not an issue once we discussed it, but be sure you know your pricing. To be clear there was was no dispute, the billing was corrected and I was happy.
Would you stay again? The beaches and beauty of the country would be enough to go back. the whole trip was beyond fantastic. Hotel Gaia was 5 star on every count and I would recommend that folks looking to stay in the Manuel Antonio strongly consider it if they want a 5 star stay.

We spent a little over a week at the Gaia and enjoyed the excellent food at La Luna (with great service by Aldo at breakfast), excellent service from our personal assistant Andres, and excellent spa services (with Milton being a particularly skilled masseur). In particular, Andres was professional, personable, and dependable. He went above and beyond to make our stay enjoyable by offering spot-on advice and helping us plan our activities.

While the service was excellent, the hotel itself in our honest opinion needs a bit of polishing. The middle tier of the pool had a few algal patches that were noticeable when walking in the pool. We also noticed rust stains on some of the exterior walls that could use re-painting. Our room was spacious and the bathroom modern and large, but the floor in the living area was uneven and had a nailhead or two sticking up. Also, we didn't sleep well during our stay. We couldn't quite get the air conditioner at a comfortable setting: either too humid or too cold, with the air blowing too directly on the bed. The pillows were lumpy, and the second morning I woke up with a neck ache that lasted a few days. Admittedly, we didn't complain about the pillows or AC, and perhaps should have more directly mentioned it while we were there.

However, of the hotels in Manuel Antonio, we wouldn't have chosen a different one. The service is excellent, the food at La Luna is among the best options around, and you will definitely be made to feel welcome by professional assistants such as Andres.