We booked directly with the hotel website. We had no problems with reservations. Friends who used a travel broker had reservation problems. It may be that The Alta Hotel in San Jose is the owner of the Sunset Reef and they relay the reservations. We stayed for 8 nights and found the staff to be very accommodating. The big city hotels are moving in and this is a small 14 room hotel of the old type. Open air dining, air conditioned rooms. The food was OK, a few resturants are close by, and the cook would try anything we taught him. The bar is well stocked and we taught the boys a few new recipes. The hike in the jungle gave us sight and sounds of the howler and the white faced monkeys. We did not see any of the lovley birds we hoped for (it was the dry season) but made up for that in the glorious colors of many iguanas. There is even a pet near the pool who loves lettuce from your sandwich. He is huge. We rented 4 wheelers and went touring for a day, with a guide, that was super. The Reef is home of a surfing school run by women, the Punta Vida. They hold surfing 2 miles north at Mal Pais. The manager, Gregario, lives on site and was very helpful in locating a customers lost luggage from the airport, interpreting for another, and after I lost my return trip reservation on Nature Air he helped me get that information. Some of the locals come on Sunday to watch soccer on the large screen TV. This hotel has family members employed and is a favorite of clients from Latin America. We met folks from Germany, Argentina, Chili, Mexico, Brazil, as well as America. I would certainly stay here again. It is a piece of the old paradise that is slowly being lost to the new and modern world of mega hotels. Our room was sufficient. The beds were comfortable. The staff is a part of our satisfied memories.

Sunset Reef is set on a beautiful piece of property overlooking the ocean. Right in front of the hotel they have hammocks that you can sit in and admire the view. You cannot swim in the ocean directly in front of the hotel because of a reef.

The hotel is very basic, but clean and the staff is very nice. For example, we were wondering what coconut milk tasted like and one of the guys went and got a bunch of coconuts off a tree and then opened them up for us to drink at no charge. The bedding and pillow leave something to be desired, but we made due. One thing to note is that the hotel asks you not to flush your toilet paper. I noticed that most restaurants and bars in Mal Pais made a similar request. We tried to follow the rule where possible (and when we remembered), but even when we did toss the paper in the toilet everything was fine. The fresh water pool has a great view, but its waterfall wasn't working and the hot tub only worked for part of our stay. Overall I would recommend the hotel, but with the understanding that its not a luxury hotel.

Also, I cannot comment on reservations as my stay was arranged through Pura Vida Surf Camp that runs out of the hotel.

As for Pura Vida Surf Camp, my friends and I had a ton of fun and enjoyed learning to surf and meeting the other guests. The surf instructors were very good and we spent a lot of time in the water. I think everyone got up and surfed a wave by the end of the week. Also, the yoga in the mornings was good and the massages were excellent. The food, which was provided by the hotel, was good and fresh, but it was basically the same thing over and over. The surf camp staff/instructors were nice. That said, Pura Vida could have been run better at times. It isn't the type of place where they focus on customer service. For example, they cancelled a planned shopping trip, they ran out of chicken/fish one dinner and things often got started a bit late. Also, given the owners description on the website (i.e. her desire to share surfing with other women) I was surprised to see how hands-off she was with running the camp and her lack of interest in meeting/interacting with guests. However, if you go into it knowing its not a well-oiled machine and more of a place with a "chill" attitude than you will likely have a fun time and learn to surf.

Had a confirmed reservation paid in full 30 days in advance. Upon arrival, hotel was completely full. Sent me away at night, on a dirt road, in the rain. I was on a motorcycle so this was extremely challenging as I slid off the road into a mud bank. When I tried to get a refund from the internet provider that set up the reservation, they disputed the fact that I was even there. Fortunately I had a signed copy of my reservation showing I was turned away. Beware!

After arriving in Costa Rica for my first time I phoned the hotel and they had "lost" my resevation. Now stuck in foriegn country with no idea where to turn, I phone expedia (who we booked through). The Sunset Reef Hotel confirmed with them, while we were on the phone, that they had our reservation. We called imediately and they told us they had no reservation for our name or confirmation number. They in no way tried to accomidate us. DO NOT BOOK WITH THEM!