My boyfriend and I spent December and January backpacking Costa Rica. We decided on Jaco for New Years Eve. We had an amazing experience. Todd Oborne was amazing. He gave us great advice and even set us up with a zip lining tour in Arenal. We even arrived to Jaco a bit earlier than our reservations and Amapola was able to get us into our room despite our early check-in. We were very pleased with this hotel.

We spent about 6 nights at Amapola in March/11 and noticed several improvements since we were last there in 2008. Most notably, the water pressure has improved considerably and the supply of hot water is more than adequate. As well, a large generator has been installed, and this eliminated any impact from a fairly long power outage that affected the rest of Jaco. Amapola seems to get most of its business on the weekends, which means that from Monday-Thursday it feels like a private estate. If you are looking for a party atmosphere this might not be appealing, but we really enjoyed the luxury of lounging by a large swimming pool in beautiful and quiet surroundings , either alone or with a small handful of people. The decor is still in need of updating, but our accommodation was well kept by the cleaning staff, and the grounds are constantly being tended. Even the outside of the buildings are constantly being scrubbed and hosed down. Amapola is close to the highway, but within walking distance of the beach and downtown Jaco.

We stayed at the Hotel Amapola between Christmas and New Years, along with two other couples. It was a very enjoyable stay. Service was good, the rooms were very clean and nicely furnished with a small balcony - we all had a rooms overlooking the pool., Although the hotel is a little removed from the main strip, it is therefore nice and quiet, and it is only a short walk to the restaraunts and shops. The hotel grounds are very pretty with lots of recreational areas, including a large pool and exercise area. The car park area is secure (important in Jaco)

Many younger families staying here - an ideal location for them - but it is quiet in the evening. We returned to the hotel after dinner and enjoyed an evening drink beside the pool before .

We booked 2 nights here as part of our honeymonn as it looked nice online. When we arrived we were given the key to our room. When we got to the room as soon as we opened the door there was a dead cockroach with a large trail of ants. There was also a dead cockroach in the bathroom. We immediately asked for another room which we were given. However about 6 hours later we saw 2 gentlemen checking in and they were given the key to the first room we had been given. I was shocked and disgusted when i saw them open the door only to see the dead cockroach still lying there. the housekeeper was passing the room at the same time and thought this was very funny. So if the attitude of the housekeeper was like this its no wonder the place was so dirty.
We cancelled our second night as the room was dirty. the curtains were filthy and looked like they had never been changed. the towels were grey and the floor was very dirty in the bathroom.

We had payed for breakfast but when they brought it to us i couldnt eat it. the eggs looked like they were cooked for hours as they were dry and shrivelled up. The toast was hard and cold and the staff were not too happy when we asked for a fresh piece.

We cancelled our last night and made it clear to the receptionist why we were cancelling but they made no apologies for the service. I would not reccommend anyone staying here. We travelled around for 3 weeks and this was the dirtiest place we stayed