There is nothing really wrong with Manala Hotel. The location is excellent at the north end of Santa Teresa. The grounds are beautiful and well tended. The pool is pleasant to cool off in at the end of the day in the sun. We watched monkeys and their babies in the trees. And we had 2 lovely cats looking after our bungalow who greeted every morning and on our returns. The bungalows themselves are spacious with aircon, Netflix, fridge, huge shower and large comfortable bed. There is Free parking, it’s quiet (not sure why other reviewers have complained about noise) and good value. The are excellent bars and restaurants on the doorstep (we didn’t have breakfast at the hotel - we ate at Somos every morning 10/10!!). And the beach is just across the road where the sunsets are incredible. Manala hotel could be absolutely fabulous but somehow it lacks character. It’s got everything going for it but lacks personal touches. The reception feels like a portacabin. The staff aren’t particularly welcoming considering the effort it takes to get to Santa Teresa. The bungalows need nicer, more comfortable furniture. You can’t relax on your lovely porch because there is a hammock next to a structural pole and two hardback chairs. Our bungalow had a strange EasyJet meets African safari vibe. It needs nicer towels, free water and better bath products (no one likes a shampoo from a dispenser stuck on the wall). Also there are too many officious laminated signs telling you what you can’t do which again adds to the unwelcoming vibe. It’s a shame because it could be a fantastic destination without too many changes.…
A great hotel setback from the road, so absolutely no traffic noise. Very well maintained with staff around to assist A very nice welcome upon arrival Very clean Helpful staff throughout our stay Nice pool and area A very short stroll to the amazing beaches Thoroughly recommend
Don’t like to write bad reviews but after several issues I felt compelled to. Mainly because I’d tried in numerous occasions to give feedback directly but I didn’t not receive a hospitable response. On arrival all seemed fine. Lovely grounds, beautiful bungalows, very spacious, and nice pool too. We are a family of 4 so had a lot of luggage, and as I was looking after both kids (baby and toddler) my husband was left with no assistance, to bring the suitcases up the gravel drive which isn’t easy with wheels in 35degree heat, this didn’t bother us much at the time as it’s only a small annoyance but you’ll see it adds up. The mattresses were comfy but the pillows weren’t, very cheap, synthetic and lumpy feeling and the sheets and pillow cases felt “well used” like they needed to replace them. The fridge was great with little bits like chopping board and knife and ice bucket provided The table and chair set up outside was fine for a balcony set up, but this is where you get served breakfast so for a family of 4 it was bit of a tight squeeze. (High chairs not provided) Breakfast was very simple, for the topics- just gallo pinto and overcooked scrambled eggs - all a bit dry. And this sounds mean, and I don’t mean it to be, but it was served by the grounds men, who were also doing the trash and other grounds jobs, so served in scruffy clothes, no apron or kitchen uniform - just felt a bit unhygienic. After breakfast is delivered to the door on a tray (the table is not cleaned prior to service, nor after) you have it to yourself but there’s no1 around checking if everything is okay. No too ups for hot drinks, no condiments, salt or pepper. After breakfast is finished, the tray is removed but no1 to clean the table or floor until the rooms get turned over, so it becomes an ant and fly fest with all the crumbs and spillages (lots when you have kids). It also renders the table useless if you want to continue to sit outside and enjoy the sun reading a book. The AC was the biggest problem for us. Firstly it didn’t properly cool the room even at the maximum setting. Secondly it took so long to actually cool down after returning to the room and turning on. So we actually asked if there was a possibility of keeping it on during the time we were out. And we were told a firm no, and they would be obliged to come in and turn it off. Although a great location for the beach and restaurants, it is Also right opposite a very loud nightclub- very loud music starting at 9pm. The whole experience felt more like serviced apartment rather than a hotel. All the points put together has left me with a bitter experience. The customer service was lacking and no1 checked on us the entire time, even though they knew we were u happy. If you’re calling yourself a hotel, well that comes with certain expectations that just weren’t met. It’s a shame as it’s got the potential to be great with a more personalised and understanding customer service and a few other tweaks.…
My husband and I stayed here for our honeymoon and had the best time!! Our host, Natalia, was amazing. She was there for all of our needs and questions. She gave us great local advice on what to do in the area and was a very fun person to talk to! She is very sweet and we we're sad to say goodbye to her at the end of our trip. The bed was comfortable, the TV and wifi worked great, although we hardly used it! The breakfast service was great, fresh food served straight to our room. There was room service and cleaning every day. The pool was relaxing and the landscape around the property was gorgeous. The locarion is perfect, it is on the edge of the busy part of town. It's close enough to join the night life but secluded enough to have a quite night in. Only a 2 minute walk to the best surf in town, we both surf and had no clue we booked the hotel closest to the best surf! What luck?! We recommend renting an ATV to adventure all over the Nicoya peninsula, we went to Hermosa beach, Mal Pais, Cabo Blanco Nature Preserve, Cabuya and Montezuma all on the ATV. We absolutely love Santa Teresa and can't wait to go back, we would absolutely stay at Manalá again.…
This little gem surprised me! The most accommodating host Natalia and her amazing team made my stay the most pleasant during my trip! I stayed in the bungalow which is spacious, high ceilings and most important had a great cleaning daily service. WiFi worked great, nightly security on the entrance and a car par. Will definitely come back on my next visit to santa Teresa.
We stayed 2 nights in a room by the pool and the walls and ceiling are very thin so you can hear the neighbors. Wish they offered water in the rooms and shampoo/conditioner. The grounds are nice, pool could have been a bit cleaner, lots of leaves in it. Location is pretty good, there are a few restaurants nearby....I found that walking on the beach was better than walking on the dirt, dusty road to get to beach bars. There is a super cool Brazilian beach bar right on the beach that was awesome!
Still enjoying the bungalow we have rented for two weeks I can only praise the advantages of the place. Beautiful setting in a lush garden far from the dusty road and yet only 5 minutes walking distance to the most beautiful part of the beach. Good restaurants and a supermarket around the corner. Breakfast served on your own little terrace. Helpful owner and friendly staff. Only suggestion: coffeemaker in the room would be nice to have.
Right infront of the entrance to the beach, nice pool, quite place surrounded by lots of vegetation. Santa Teresa at its best! Highly recommended. The host was very very kind and was willing to help us even after our stay. Stayed at Tere's House and it's quite a dream.
This was the perfect location. The beach access was right across the street and the beach was very beautiful. Really enjoyed our stay. Extremely friendly and helpful staff, thank you for everything! The bungalow suited us perfectly, the hammock outside was just perfect. Good places to eat in walking distance. Would definitely stay here again!
After a month in Costa Rica we were visiting Santa Teresa and found this cosy and luxury hotel. We were staying in a bungalow, very beautiful and well cleaned every day. We like that it's close to the beach, has good restaurantes nearby and also places were we could rent surfboards. Every morning the breakfast was carried to our bungalow, it was terrific. The poolarea was nice and calm. The staff is friendly and helpful, we really enjoyed our stay.
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