We stayed 6 nights and the hotel is a very nice place.
GOOD
Situated a little faraway from the main street it is quite intimate and not noisy neither at day nor at night.
Still the walking to the beach is really 10 min only with a small baby walking.
The room we had was a large one with full kitchen (we gladly cooked fresh fish purchased in a big supermarket at the entrance to the village), sleeping room with bed and bathroom with shower. A private sitting area (ground floor - it's a kind of balcony) was huge to run and play there a little bit.
They prepared a baby bed when we arrived and we were so happy with that!
We loved the fact they only have a few rooms so we were never crowded and almost all the time stayed in the pool alone. At night, watching the stars, warm water is a great feeling.
The team of the hotel is very friendly and supportive. Although they did not have sunday room cleaning once we asked to empty the trash bins only we got a completely made room immediately.
The howler monkeys are singing for you right next to you, you see parrots in wild and many wildlife.
They have the TV, DVD, A/C, wifi, everything worked perfect.
THE BAD
As for the hotel itself we disliked the beds only in fact. They are not so large for two adults and the main thing was that the mattress are either very old or of that bad quality that they will be pushed down by your body remembering your body shape - once you are in bed you try to change position and get back to the hole you made for the last two hours :) by the next sleep it's like a new one again :) so we did not sleep well.
The manager is an italian guy who does not speak much english or spanish but for the major needs it will be fine. We tried to find out details of some place to visit and could hardly understand each other.
I dislike the A/C installed that way that they will blow into your face and body when you are in a bed but this is very common in the hotels and probably just my own thing.
These are small things really, the hotel is nice. But the area!
THE BAD ABOUT THE AREA
Find out first what are you looking for before you go.
Hundreds of surfers climb a 30 centimeters (15 inch) waves "learning" to surf. That was a scary show I could not afford as I was sure they will finally injure each other. Kids trying to swim or just play at the same place in the water. The whole village - and the place is a village, not just a beach- is full of young tourists came for fun and surfing, not many people came for quiet relaxing vacation.
The place is so dusty everything becomes dusty in seconds. Also and especially in our hotel as we are on a sandy road...
Last but should be the first. Beach and sea.
The sea is not calm in the morning and in the evening when it is not so extremely hot and the sun is nice so you want to stay at the sea. Thre is no shadow at the beach. No fresh water shower. No other facilities. It is just a long line of beach with rocks in some areas. Well in some places you can rent a couple of beach chairs for 12 usd with what they call an umbrella but it will cover half of one chair only.
The vendors will pass every second offering something of really bad quality. Cigars bought on the beach nevertheless were good my husband sais.
The waters are either dirty or dusty but you do not see the clear water, just 30 meters from entrance once you passed the waves.
All in all we would not go there with a baby again as we could not swim in the sea, were uncomfortable on the beach and there was absolutely nothing to do in the whole area.
ADDITIONAL
We went to check the nearest Conchal beach and did not find it beautiful either..not worth paying 500 usd a night for all inclusive hotel at all!!!!
But when we saw the Playa Flamingo it was something really beautiful. Quiet private long clean sand beach with natural trees shade, almost no visitors at all and such a beautiful calm idillic sea... 5 meters after the shore line. At the beginning- entrance - the waves were just scary high and strong. At least in the morning when we were there. Nobody was swimming there. Neither could we.
I do not know why going to the Playa Conchal/Flamingo/Tamarindo looking for relaxed family vacation.
It is absolutely unbeatable and worth it coming to Playa Carillo near Samara instead where we are just arrived and already stayed at the beach and sea.
Will do another review on that.
- Yam Hotel Tamarindo
- Tamarindo Yam Hotel
