We very much enjoyed our three-night stay at Shana. We had an ocean-view room, which we highly recommend for great sunsets.
FACILITIES/AMENITIES
Pool. Shana has a great pool area, adjacent to the al fresca restaurant and large pool bar. The pool area has a kids pool but no hot tub unfortunately. The pool overlooks the ocean, although it is obstructed, in a good way, by the natural forestry. We saw several monkeys and sloths playing throughout our stay in the trees. One nice things about the pool bar is Shana offers a happy hour everyday from 3-6 pm, where the otherwise most expensive drinks are 2-for-1, including pina coladas, daiquiris (made with fresh fruit), mojitos, etc.
Beach. Consistent with its name, Shana has direct access to Playa Biesanz, which—although not a private beach—is lauded by locals as one of the premier beaches in the area, due to its white sand, beautiful surroundings (greenery/forestry), WARM and calm water. Playa Biesanz is not touristy, and there is no one selling anything other than a few local stands with fresh ceviche and coconut water. The walk to the beach from Shana is about five minutes downhill, and the walk back is about 15 minutes :)
Restaurant. The restaurant is fantastic and FRESH. We recommend getting a room package that comes with breakfast included (most guests seem to have this). The breakfast includes one made-to-order dish (traditional Costa Rican fare, with eggs, rice, beans, and plantains, as well as other dishes like omelets and pancakes), as well as unlimited fresh fruit, pastries, coffee, and juice. Although we did not eat dinner there, we did try several appetizer/lunch items when basking at the pool, and the food was consistently excellent.
ROOM
Our ocean-view rooms was better than could be expected. It was spacious and clean, and came with a large bathroom and—most important—a balcony overlooking the pool and ocean. We always looked forward to the great sunsets from the balcony, while enjoying one final drink from the happy hour special :) Our room had standard amenities in good working order, including a secure safe, refrigerator, iron, etc.
STAFF
Where Shana truly excels is its hospitality driving by its incredible staff. We have stayed in hotels in numerous countries and Shana stands out above the rest. The staff was always willing to help, and someone found a way to go above and beyond in every instance. From check in (where we were given a personal tour of the grounds, along with complimentary fresh fruit and beers), to seeking to arrange tours (Shana hooked us up with the best tour company for Manuel Antonio National Park), to transportation (Shana arranged for taxi service at a moment’s notice / literally within ten minutes of calling the front desk, as well as below-market transfers to San Jose), to the everyday hospitality poolside and in the restaurant.
American hotels could learn immensely from this level of hospitality.
Although our interactions with all staff members were favorable, we would like to shout out several people who went above the call of duty to ensure our stay was special: Katie/Keiry (pool area), Michelle (reception), James (reception), Elie (reception), and Javier (restaurant).
LOCATION
Shana is in an ideal location, situated between Manuel Antonio National Park and Quepos (biggest city in the area). The hotel is located at the bottom of a large hill where most resorts are located. By “large,” we mean LARGE, where the drive down seemed treacherous at first, but then normal by the end. The closest commercial area from the hotel is “at the top of the hill,” as we were told, which is a somewhat strenuous 30-minute uphill walk. Although it does make for good exercise, the hotel can call a taxi—for any reason, actually—which costs about $7 USD to the top of the hill. Once there, there is a convenience store, pharmacy, and ATM, as well as two popular local restaurants: Emilio’s and Cuba Libre—both of which overlook the water and have amazing lunch and dinner options, as well as live music on weekends.
Most important, of course, is proximity to Manuel Antonio National Park. It is an easy ten-minute drive from the hotel to the Park. Shana arranged a tour service (Jade Tours) that included tickets to the Park, and round-trip transportation from the hotel. We could not recommend Jade Tours (especially our guide, Dylan) more highly. Shana got us a favorable rate for the tour, which was less than guests from other hotels in our group.
Side note: obviously, visiting the Park is a MUST. Without going into too much detail, there is easily enough to do for one full day, including various hiking trails and three stunning beaches.
Lastly, Shana is about a 15-minute drive from Quepos, which is the best and largest area for a true local cultural experience. A taxi each way costs a flat-rate of $10 USD.
