We stayed for 11 nights which is a long stay for this resort, and we would have happily stayed longer as everything is perfect! I cannot recommend this resort enough!!

Service

Service is second to none here. The staff are all so helpful and friendly, and nothing is too much. Pretty much every member of staff we met made our honeymoon the best it could be. In particular, we would regularly chat to:
Gabriel, Ronny, Laura and Elaine (front of house / white shirts)
Alex, Brandon, Wilberth, Rodbin, Sergio and Paul (carrito drivers / green shirts)
Danier (night security / brown shirt)
Ramiro, Minor, Kenner, Pedro and Julio (bar/restaurant staff / light blue shirts)
Roger (guide / brown shirt)
Leo (management / navy blue shirts)
and there is so many I've missed (my list of names is written elsewhere)

Value

OK. So this place is not cheap, but what you get for your money is great value. The resort is very eco-friendly earning them 5 leafs, and with a 5 star service/hotel rating, that makes them a 7 star resort - the only one in Costa Rica (I think). Pretty much everything in the resort is recycled and this does not come cheap to do, so the money you pay for the room is vital in helping them continue to be eco-friendly and therefore preserve the rainforest and the nature in it. Even the water is 100% pure, and the pool only has the minimum requirement in it!
Furthermore, you do get a wonderful breakfast included in the price (which you can request takeaway if you're off on an early morning tour) with a daily stocked fridge with a few snacks and free phone calls from your room (international as well!)

Rooms

Rooms are very clean and well-presented. There is enough storage for clothes/etc and we had packed enough clothes for 3 weeks even though we were only there 11 nights - all this was put away and the suitcases hidden from view. We were in room 302b to start with which I am guessing is an Ocean Breeze standard room - the view was of the Playitas beach, and you could hear the sound of ocean waves at night. I would recommend that you do lock the cupboard door to the fridge as we heard many a story of guests losing their snacks to raccoons. We had no problems with mosquitoes at this resort either, but we were heavily covered in repellent most days and nights - the wildlife does do a good job at keeping the population of mosquitoes down though ;o)
After 302b, we were upgraded for free to 203a for our last 4 nights! This Ocean View suite was amazing with some much floor space, two sinks in the master ensuite, additional shower room, sitting room, jacuzzi on the balcony and large sofa. The view was fantastic from the room, but I personally wouldn't spend the extra money on this room for a couple as the extra space was unnecessary for our needs - plus, 302b was actually so much more private!

Location

The location is perfect. Right on the beach, one (kinda private) beach called Playitas and then access to beach that connects to Manuel Antonio National Park called Espadillas. With the resort in the rainforest you can actually see many of the animals you can see at the National Park with some of rarest animals like a Mono Titi (red back squirrel monkey) which we only saw on the drive down the very steep road to Arenas del Mar. You only have to stay by the main restaurant/bar called El Mirador for an hour or two to see at least one Capuchin (white faced monkey), and at night you can often hear the howlers. Oh, and look out for your breakfast if you eat by the pool - an iguana jumped up onto the table while my wife and I were eating; had to grab our plates just before he got his chops around it! *lol*

Spa

We had a couples massage at Las Brisas and it was fantastic and well worth it - very relaxing!

From the time we arrived we were treated like royalty. The hotel is built on the side of a hill going down to the ocean, and our taxi took us down about half way on a tortuous road to the entrance, where were greeted warmly, provided with refreshing cold water. A three seated golf cart took us further down to the lobby, where we took care of the formalities. Throughout our stay, several of the staff assisted us with questions we had.
We were shown to our room, 602B, which is a standard sea view, no Jacuzzi (we don’t use them). Our luggage was already there. We had a clear view of the ocean, and could hear the surf clearly.
The bathroom is very roomy with a huge shower, a welcome change to the very small shower we had endured for our 7 day cruise from Panama (see my review of that cruise separately (coming soon). The sink was in a small counter, and the toilet was beside a bidet.
Of special note, the complimentary wifi was the absolute best I have ever experienced in a hotel at any price.
The bed was super comfy. There was TV, DVD player, remote controlled air conditioning and ceiling fan, and a sliding door leading out to a large deck overlooking the ocean. On the deck was a wet bar including a fridge with some complementary items in it. There was plenty of space for luggage, as well as a safe.
Near the lobby is a pool with beautiful views out over the ocean. Also a bar and a small gift shop. A small reading area is well stocked with books. The dining room features tables inside and a few around the pool. Breakfast (included) and dinner is served here. The area is visited frequently by large iguanas and white faced monkeys. Howlers were heard, and even seen once.
Breakfast was good, and lunch down at Playitas Beach was also very good. The special dinner on Saturday night (also offered on Thursday) was also very good. But the one dinner we had up in the regular restaurant was average. We ate out the third night, which was planned.
TIP: If you are here on a Saturday or a Thursday, definitely take dinner down on the beach. It is a wonderful setting and the food was really great. Tiki lamps lit the way to tables under the palms with little candles on them. My wife said, “Cloth napkins on the beach! How can you beat this?”
With a short golf cart ride, we were down at Playitas Beach, a small but beautiful beach at the bottom of the hill. The restaurant (and bar) here serves lunch, and on Saturdays and Thursdays, dinner as well, in a tiki lit beach area with outside tables. There is a pool here also. A security person is on hand to watch things, but the beach is a long ways from a public entry, so there are few non-guests. Showers and rest rooms are available.
While there were a few families here, it is most suited for couples. There are many restaurants within a short taxi ride. We ate dinner here twice, and lunch twice. We ate two meals out; El Avion, and Kapi Kapi, reviewed separately (coming soon).
This is really a special place. We saw lots of different birds, iguanas, and two sloths. The people here are very friendly and helpful with taxi’s, rides, advice, etc., as well as general conversation. They are quick to point out observed wild life. A very nice, relaxing, upscale place to get away from it all.
Pictures here are very representative of what you will find, so I won't add any more. Recommend whole heartedly.

Truly a well designed beautiful resort. With Ocean on one side and the secondary forest on the other, it is a very restful and tranquil place to stay. They have their own private beach and beautiful shady trees where you can spend your whole afternoon eating lunch and enjoying the views...And the hospitality was amazing. Everybody knows your name and are concerned about your comfort. Very charming staff. Free phone calls, even international. No charge for food & drinks in refrigerator. Private balcony. Loved this resort very much.

We traveled to Costa Rica for the first time in June 2012 and stayed at Arenas del Mar and we could not have been more pleased. This eco-friendly, boutique hotel is tucked into the jungle on the beach.

If you appreciate wildlife like our family does, wildlife is abundant here. On the property, we saw sloths, coati, howler and capuchin monkeys, raccoons, agoudi, iguana and much more. The hotel owners have done an amazing job of providing a hotel with first class amenities while respecting the natural surroundings. We truly appreciated this.

The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. They were great about pointing out animals to us in the trees, many of which we would not have seen without their trained eye. The food was amazing and our room was incredibly comfortable with a lovely hot tub on the balcony overlooking one of several pools. I think we had the most fun enjoying the monkeys on our porch and the baby sloth that came down from it's tree.

We highly recommend a surfing lesson from Alex and his brother. They give lessons by the hotel. Our 8 year old daughter had a blast and has not stopped asking when we can go back.

The hotel's location is great with proximity to Manuel Antonias Park and many other activities.
If you rent a car, we suggest renting a GPS too. It saved us.

We are planning our next trip to Arenas del Mar soon and cannot praise this "gem" enough. Thanks to Arenas del Mar, our first trip to Costa Rica far exceeded our expectations. Like some other reviewers, we are almost reluctant to let others know how wonderful Arenas del Mar is. We would like to keep it our little secret.