The hotel had changed hands in January and our November booking had not been passed on to the current management. However, the delightful new manager, Lorena, quickly found us (two couples) two rooms. Nothing was too much trouble for her. She recommended a local restaurant and organised a tour for us the following day to Manuel Antonio National Park. We swam in the hotel's pool, watched by a troop of monkeys and ambled over the road for cocktails at a bar with a stunning view over the bay. Lorena's English is excellent, probably because she is married to a Texan, who plays guitar in a band at a restaurant a little further down the road, which we discovered by accident when we wandered in to get a view of the sunset. She also organised a private shuttle bus to get us back to Heredia on our last day. We really wished we could have stayed longer than two nights. PLEASE NOTE that reviews written before the 15th January 2013 are now out of date. Since Lorena took over the running of the hotel things have changed out of all recognition. We had no problems with hot water or air conditioning and the rooms were clean and light. The pool was clean and the breakfasts were delicious, served out in the open air overlooking the pool with those monkeys looking on. We were told that a sloth passes by at about four o'clock in the afternoon, but unfottunately we missed him! Thank you Lorena, you're running a great hotel.

Fabulous stay at Hotel Mandarina. I just learned it came under new management and was renovated as of Jan 15 as their reply below to one posting says. We stayed there for 3 nights starting Feb 17th. I chose this hotel even tho there was a very negative one posted which I read after I made the reservation because so many of the other postings were positive.

Ceiling fan and air conditioner excellent. Clean, lovely room, comfortable king size bed in our room. Mini Refrigerator. Excellent lighting. Daily cleaning care excellent.

The front desk personnel could not have been more attentive and helpful. Pool was clean. Grounds are lovely with flowers in bloom everywhere. Chaise lounges at pool were in excellent condition.

Breakfasts were excellent. I drink iced coffee in warmer weather and the lovely lady who made us breakfast each of the three days made sure I had plenty of ice for it. And since I usually use half and half, and not the fat free kind, she had at least whole milk for which I was greatly appreciative.

Note that Manuel Antonio topography is made up of hills which means one needs to walk up or down to get to places in the hotel/resort/complex where one stays. Knowing that because we had been to Manuel Antonio before (25 years before, actually), we requested a room closer to the parking area, which is not even seen from our room. There were a few stairs down to our room.

In the rooms, one might need to walk down a few steps to the sleeping area and another few steps to the bathroom. Our bathroom had a shower, large mirror over the sink, plenty of places to store stuff on the shelf near the mirrors.

You can't go wrong with Hotel Mandarina. The price and location and amenities are great!.
And I will post more about our trip in general to Costa Rica as soon as I can

Hotel Mandarina is a secluded getaway nestled in the trees but close enough to all the action. The room was very clean, the breakfast was homemade and delicious. The beds are extremely comfortable, and the hospitality is phenomenal. The pool was clean and refreshing, and the staff can connect you with tours and tell you all the great places to visit. The location is perfect - I walked to the beach every day. This is not a touristy chain - it was recommended by a local and it is a perfect place to get away from the loud tourists and relax with a slice of culture, nature, and peace. That is exactly what I did, and I can't wait to return!

My family and I are hearty travelers, and we're pretty easy to please. Not much phases us, and we're go with the flow folks. But we felt that we had to warn others that this hotel is not at all what you see advertised, and is falling apart cosmetically and mechanically. Over a hot stay to Costa Rica, one of our two rooms had no air conditioning or hot water. The reply from the front desk? The cool water will feel good given how hot the room is without AC. Seriously? The place is also dirty and falling apart -- peeling paint, cracked floors and walls, and things floating in the hot tub and pool. The pics we attach tell the tale. Sorry that we lost the pics inside the rooms so you can see that they are no better than what you see in pics outside. Steer clear of this place.