A lovely, (eco-friendly - proving that being eco conscious doesn't mean you have to give up on comfort, nor amenities; it's all about choices) piece of perfection! What an exceptional place, with an exceptional staff to go along with it! The restaurants were excellent, right down to the beautiful presentation of the entrees on the plates! I love seafood and veggies, my husband is a steak and potatoes guy, and we were both extremely pleased by the many varied choices on the menus. Each morning, breakfast came with a delicious selection of local sweet breads, and local fruit. Lunch: (I loved the veggie wrap!) was beach side, and delightful! Dinners were of the five star caliber, and the staff was knowledgeable and friendly (loved them!). Our trip was in early November and the weather was perfect! Sunny mornings, that sometimes would wind down with a soft relaxing tropical shower. Aaahhhh...what a nice end to the day. Ours was a romantic getaway. We were looking for a quiet little spot by the ocean, where we could unwind, enjoy quiet dinners, walking on the beach and taking in as much, or as little, of any "touristy thing to do" that we wanted. This was such a perfect choice for us!! While we didn't feel the need to leave this relaxing and romantic oasis at all, we did take in zip lining (although, I was terrified... it was thrilling; I'm sure that it helped that my husband was so at ease about it), and a tour of the nearby national park. Both trips were extremely enjoyable and well run, and we were glad that we did them. The staff at the front desk was always eager to help us in the planning and booking of these excursions, and the staff as a whole was always readily available to help us with anything else that we needed. We can not say enough wonderful things about them! Our room was extremely clean, comfortable, and spacious. We had a wonderful deck (with a tub) that overlooked the ocean allowing us to be lulled by the sound of the waves as we slept. Another exciting aspect of our trip was seeing quiet a bit of wild life right on the resort grounds. During our stay, we had regular sightings of white faced monkeys, Iguanas and various other lizards, two and three toed sloth (one mother sloth had her baby tucked tight to her belly - such a wonderful thing to see), and one morning revealed the tracks of a female sea turtle who had a very special task to accomplish before heading back into the sea. Our stay was special and so was the staff. (Ask Danny for his signature cocktail "Danny's Fruity Passion" Delicious!) We really got to know them and appreciated their commitment to making our stay so memorable. We look forward to coming back, with our teenage kids, on a family vacation - I'm sure that trip will involve white water rafting and other equally exciting activities. This is now "our" getaway destination, as a couple, and I'm sure, will prove to be a destination of choice when we getaway as a family.
Also worth mentioning - the grounds of the resort are extremely clean, and extremely safe.
To the Staff: Thank you for a wonderfully memorable vacation!
Sincerely,
John & Rochelle (Rachel)

I cannot say enough about the overall excellence of this property. It is comfortable, beautiful and brings you amazingly close to nature. My 10 year old son and husband loved playing in the waves of the Pacific while I could relax on the shaded part of the pristine and uncrowded beach. We all enjoyed the pools and the food. Sloths, monkeys and lizards abound. We really did not need to leave the property; we saw more animals and got much closer to them then we did going to the National Park! The food was great and the STAFF IS TREMENDOUS! I have never stayed at a place where people were so genuinely kind and considerate. This is true for everyone we met in Costa Rica. It is a special place. It was so great to see the staff as excited about seeing the animals as we were. Costa Rica is a place to be proud of and the unpretentious way the residents show that pride is really touching. I want to especially thank Elaine at the Front Desk. She was poised, perceptive, attentive and took such good care of us. She is a treasure. Everyone working in the restaurants were also just so wonderful. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

This eco-property is in an excellent location with great views and great service. We were very pleased with the quality of the staff at the hotel (all from local communities) and the food was consistently first class. The rooms were very comfortable with great views of the ocean. Recommend the rooms with a bath on the patio.

Notably: The locally-sourced coffee was very high quality - could taste the difference.

12 of us recently stayed at Arenas del Mar for a week and every one of us left delighted with our experience. I was personally impressed with the eco-friendly features of the property. The General Manager, Robin, gave me a tour of their recycling/composting area and nursery. The rooms themselves are super comfortable. Everyone raved about their bed - I normally have a horrible time sleeping but could hardly keep my eyes open after my head hit the pillow.

I noticed one of the other reviewers complained about the hotel being remote from the road and parking lot. This is one of the best features of the hotel!!!. Upon entering or leaving the property you always encountered wildlife - howler monkeys, sloth, white faced monkeys, Halloween crab, raccoon, guinea pig like rodents, huge iguana, jesus christ lizards....we saw more there than at the national park.

My absolute favorite thing was the Playitas (little private beach). We spent several lazy days lounging on the wicker chairs, sipping fruity drinks and playing in the waves. Nothing can quite compare.