We loved the Casa Sueca! We stayed there in December 2010 for 8 nights.
The gardens and pool area are lovely. We stayed in a Studio Apartment with 1 bed and a futon fold out bed, both were very comfortable and the linens were nice. We had a nice little patio outside our apartment that looked out onto the pool. The whole apartment was spotless and very comfortable. A large TV with cable and lots of English channels in the room. The shower had lots of hot water, although sometimes we got flashes of cold water. We had a couple of problems when we arrived, like the refrigerator wouldn't close, but the manger took care of all of them right away. We used air conditioning at night only, which worked very well. The kitchen was small, but perfect for our needs and was outfitted with everything we needed. Taxis charge $4 to go to town. It is about a 10-15 minute walk along the beach to town. The beach was a 2 minute walk away down a sandy path. Loved having a kitchen in Tamarindo since the prices for restaurants are very expensive compared to other parts of Costa Rica.

We mostly always had access to internet, mostly using neighbors' networks.

We just left Casa Sueca today. We had high hopes on arrival, after reading previous reviews. Those high hopes were totally shredded.

The grounds of the site are beautiful. It is tucked amongst tropical vegetation, and the rooms are well separated for privacy. Also good is its distance from the main road, providing some quiet. To get to the beach is an easy quick walk of a few yards. The rooms are basic, the furniture is comfortable, the beds are hard and the pool is decent.

What caused us to scratch Casa Sueca off our list of places to return is the lack of service amenities. While WiFi is advertised, it was not available. Five people, three with excellent computer networking skills, and 8 different devices could not access the internet. When we discussed the problem with the hostess, we were simply shrugged off. One of our party depended on internet access to communicate with family back home. Also there seemed often to be issues of getting repairs (broken plumbing and cabinetry) accomplished in a timely fashion. While there was a coffee maker, there was no complimentary coffee. Boogie boards are available, if this is the only treat a guest desires.

The amenity most lacking was communication. There are no phones in the rooms, although there is television. Without telephone, the host cannot be reached. Neither is there a way to physically knock on a host's door if there is a problem. Guests are simply on their own. We surmised that the management and staff must have changed since the reviews from a few months ago. Unfortunately it was not a change for the better.

This place is off the beaten path, which in Tamarindo, is a good thing. I stayed at Casa Sueca with my wife for a week, and we had a great time. I really didn't want to leave. All I can say is to trust Barbara (the manager) and she'll point you in the right direction for things to do and see as well as the best places to eat in town. The location is perhaps 200 meters from the beach (across the street down a path), and there is a small but extremely well kept pool. All the rooms have kitchens and fridges, and there is free wifi which works most of the time.
I highly recommend Casa Sueca, especially if you are with a large group - there is a larger apartment and they will let you barbecue down at the pool - this is truly a place where I felt the spirit of mi casa e su casa..

We stayed at Casa Sueca with our two teenage daughters for Spring Break 2010. We had the large El Coco apartment and it was beautiful with more than enough space (including a large full kitchen and bathroom) for our family. In addition, there was a large balcony with lush green surroundings with flowers and birds. The on-site manager, Tanja made our trip. She helped us with everything from arranging transportation, finding grocery stores and restaurants, to sharing the local culture of Costa Rica. Our whole family adored the hard working Eduardo who was always smiling and eager to assist. Casa Sueca is a quiet, green respite off the beaten path from dusty Tamarindo, but close enough to go to town whenever you want. The beach is just across the street through a neat little path, and the pool was fanastic!