After staying in nice hotels (both simple and luxurious, all booked by our travel agency) we ended our vacation in Costa Rica at El Milagro. We expected a lot after seeing the site, the hotel was also recommended in the Rough Guide. But the good days of this hotel are clearly over.

We were met by a friendly but strange and quite confused man at the reception. The rest of the staff was very unfriendly and looked at us as if we were an inconvenience.

We were given a lousy room: filthy and with bugs crowling around (my girlfriend got several bites through her cloths), no television (but we did receive at remote, LOL), dirty sheets and towels, a broken phone, unusable safe and a deteriorated bathroom with a toilet that sounded like a motercycle when you flushed.

Breakfast the first day was terrible: old cornflakes, burnt pancakes, lousy coffee, ... Next day a big group of American teenagers arrived and all of a sudden there was a breakfast buffet.

Judging from positive reactions here, much depends on the staff at a certain time and on the room you receive. Still, my advice would be: don't go there, there's better accomodation in Tamarindo. We decided to sweat it out but soon regretted it, you don't feel comfortable when you have to sleep in a filthy room, also it didn't feel safe to leave your valuables (staff didn't lock after cleaning).

Gorgeous location & deluxe accommodations. Good food & outstanding service. Staff made our vacation a wonderful & relaxing experience.

+ Nice and friendly staff, ok breakfast, free wifi in lobby, the beach is just across the road, sporadic hot water. Good stay for backpackers.

- Filthy, rundown and dirty. The pictures on their website are lightyears from the real thing.

I was screwd pretty good by a travel agent that recommended the place, but I think it's pretty chap. So you probably get wha't you pay for.
The beach is nice, but Tamarindo is a pretty filthy place in it self, and most of the infrastructure(with a few exeptions) tends to keep the same low and overpriced standard.

We stayed our first night in Tamarindo at El Milagro because of it's proximity to restaurants, shopping and nightlife, as well as for the charming cottage-style bungalows surrounded by lush tropical flowers. The price was economical, and the room was comfortable and roomy, with air conditioning, television, a safe for our valuables and plenty of space. We could have paid a fraction more for a room there with hot water, but we really didn't need it after baking in the sun all day on the beach just across the street!

We ended up staying a whole week after trying the delicious complimentary breakfast (everything from pancakes, eggs and juice to black beans, rice and plaintains with buttered toast) and meeting the wonderful staff. The front desk staff was friendly and attentive, helping us with everything from getting a reliable taxi to a remote beach on short notice, to keeping us supplied with Imperial and Pilsen at any time, day or night.

So, if you're looking for a charming and economical place to spend a few nights in Tamarindo, give El Milagro a chance. And make sure to get a cup of their coffee before you check out--it's as good as any we tried in Tamarindo.