This hotel is unique with a friendly staff. The pool and views are beautiful. The price is reasonable, and the hotel is not too over the top. We did not want the generic resort feel that many of the hotels in Costa Rica have, and Villas Nicolas offers a comfortable stay. We loved the hammock and the hotel staff was great. They set up our excursions and provided great recommendations.

We (two parents, two teens and two young adults) loved this place. We had two villas with huge balconies, comfy beds, air conditioning and wildlife at our fingertips. Howler monkeys and sloths hung in the trees around us and white faced monkeys came by almost every day. It was truly amazing and at night we sat on our verandas and listened to the most incredible night sounds. WOW--I don't see how anyone can not LOVE this place. Our villa number 12 up was like a tree house with a screened veranda, a hammock, a comfy sitting chair, two rocking chairs and a table for six where we had great hearts games into the late night--and the guard did let us know that we were too loud, but we were so we didn't mind him saying so. The view from 9 up was incredible. We didn't use the kitchen because we ate out all the time and the places we went were great. Cafe Milagro is outstanding, went there every morning. The only dinner that was not inspiring was next door at Hotel Si Como No, the seafood place. It was a nice setting but after all the costa rican food we'd consumed over ten days it was too American for our tastes, and it was the most expensive of all our dinners! We loved Marlintinis where mangos kept falling on the roof and scaring us at first. Byblos is fun for pool and gambling, especially for the younger ones in our group. The park is amazing and full of exotic life, especially white faced monkeys--they were everywhere! We took the bus to the beach and back which was great fun and easy to catch. Taxis overcharged compared to Jaco where we spent a few days, and loved it there, too. We went snorkeling and saw so many colorful fish. Villas Nicolas is a very special place and they are so nice. We needed water bottles and beach towels almost every day and although there is small charge we were always served with a smile and I think we can be pretty annoying sometimes. The kids loved the bidet in their bathroom and took photos with the caption "we didn't know there was a drinking fountain in the bathroom" Ok so we're kind of an interesting group, but with that said all I can add is WE LOVED THIS PLACE!! and hope to return some day. Manuel Antonio is a very special place and Villas Nicolas has that Costa Rican touch that we so loved.

I'll never forget the balcony of our room as Villas Nicolas because that is where, on our trip in May 2008, we got engaged! Even before that, I loved Villas Nicolas because of the spectacular balcony. The room is just big enough to fit a bed and a bathroom, and really - why would you want to spend time in your room, anyway? The balcony is almost as big as the actual room and featured a hammock (that sadly had a pretty sizeable hole in it), table, chairs, and a large built-in bench for lounging. We spent a few hours each day/evening on the balcony, sipping wine or coffee and looking out at the beautiful view of the water.

We enjoyed hanging out, a bit, at the pool and met some really nice other couples who were staying at VN as well. If you're with a large family and will be spending many hours inside your room, you might want to look elsewhere. Otherwise, I think Villas Nicolas is perfect for a relaxing Costa Rica vacation.

Well, we just came back from Manuel Antonio, and we love it. The place we stayed, was very artsy, but not very well take care of. The bathroom needed some renovation, and the bedroom was leaking during the rain. The bed was very uncomfortable to sleep on - very hard.
staff:Julio- a nice yung man. and Sharyl a manager not very friendly.
The smell of the reception teribble!!!!!! like cat and dog.