In the past 10 years I've probably spent 3-6 months annually in Nicaragua (incl the SJDS area). Always knew there were houses at Remanso Beach.... and something that looked like a private clubhouse on the southside of the bay.

But it was only this month that I became aware that the "clubhouse" was actually the "Remanso Beach Bar & Grill" (see reviews/photos here in TripAdvisor).... and that restaurant is just one part of a HOTEL...... surprise, surprise! (Found this accidently via Craigslist Nicaragua)

The hotel consists of 14 private rooms.... and all rooms are a mere 30-50 seconds from the sand! It's by no means the Ritz, but it's heaps above "Nica-Average" as far as lodging goes. The rooms I looked at all had high 10' ceilings, nice tile... it's obvious to me someone had spent some money building this place. (My guess is it might be 5-10 years old). Rumor is that the hotel was built by the majority landowner (who is also selling homesites in the area) but has been plagued by management turnover in the past. I found the current management and employees to be great!

The room we had included as standard: A/C, T/V (no cable, but they provided free a DVD player and a stack of DVD's!), WIFI, mini-fridge, ceiling fan, private outdoor patio in back with extra shower, and a nice bench on the front porch for us to enjoy the great ocean view. For a couple dollars more, the management (Denise?) provided us with a hot-plate, some pans/dishes/silverware/glasses so we could cook meals in-room during our stay. (90% of what I eat, I make myself) Although we never visited the bar/restaurant, other guests said that the food was quite delicious. (They also offer room service as well)

THE GOOD
a. Location - Right on a nice sandy beach, only 5km from San Juan del Sur (5-10 minute drive) This is a GREAT location for families or people who might be a little uncomfortable about going in the ocean. Beach is predominately sandy and bay is well protected so wave size is almost always smaller than other area beaches. (And for this reason you typically see 2-10 people daily here taking surfing-lessons via SJDS instructors) Bay is quite large, so no worries about feeling crowded.... this isn't Playa Maderas.
b. Quiet & Peaceful - Due to the fact that this area isn't heavily visited, and construction quality of the rooms. For the two weeks we were there, in the few nights where there were guests in adjoining rooms... never heard even a peep. Also, early morning and end-of-day typically see only a couple people on the entire beach.
c. Value - I believe standard nightly rate per room is $20/person (w/o A/C) and $25/person (w A/C).... great in itself considering beachfront hotels are usually quite expensive. But since we were looking to book a two-week stay, they offerred us a great long-term rate.
d. Secure - They have on-site security, and parking lot is very well lit at night. Only real "stranger" to wander onto the grounds was the occaisional horse. Hotel actually had a Nica National Police officer on the grounds... but he looked a little bored.

THE BAD
a. No hot water - But then again there's no real cold water in southern Nicaragua... taking a shower in "medium" water isn't that bad.
b. WIFI signal - could be a little stronger. Only got a connection immediately inside my front window... further inside the room the signal dropped.
c. Reputation - The PUBLIC road in/out of Playa Remanso has been said to have robberies in the past. Neither myself or anyone I know down here has ever had a problem, but it has happened. As I understand, this typically takes place on the last 1/2 KM of the public road AFTER it splits into two routes.... the left goes through a security gate onto the hotel/resident property, the right is the public road that very much narrows and continues down to the beach. Apparently if you drive that last section of public road and see rocks or branches on the road - either drive over or around.. or back-up. Don't stop to move the items.
d. Transportation - There is no regular shuttle provided by the hotel.... but my guess is they could arrange transport if you needed it. Also, several of the hostels in SJDS run shuttles in/out daily... so you might be able to hop on one of those.
e. Too quiet - For people looking for a party-atmosphere, this location has nothing like that. (although if you stayed here with a group of friends, I'm sure you could have your own jolly time!) Travelers with cars won't find this an issue, with SJDS being a mere 5-10 min drive.

NET
I would DEFINTELY recommend and will visit again! Fantastic bargain for beachfront!