Hotel El Manglar

“Book for longer than you than you do...you'll wish you had.”

What a beautiful spot. The beach is just a couple of minutes walk away...uncrowded and clean. During the hottest time of day the pool and pool area is cool and restful. We were in one of the spots on the ground floor with kitchen, sitting area and outside table, chairs and barbeque. there were … more

What a beautiful spot. The beach is just a couple of minutes walk away...uncrowded and clean. During the hottest time of day the pool and pool area is cool and restful. We were in one of the spots on the ground floor with kitchen, sitting area and outside table, chairs and barbeque. there were 12 of us so this was our main area to be together and right in front of the pool area. Only one thing to watch out for... when we used the barbeque the smoke came into our rooms. Easy fix is to use the outdoor kitchen area on the other side of the pool to cook at. Not a big fix at all. We are already planning to come back and stay longer next time. Loved the staff, loved the hotel, loved the restaurants close by, loved the surfing opportunities, loved everything about it.

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“A peaceful and restful oasis next to the gorgeous beach”

We enjoyed our 3 night restful break in the one-bed villa with rooftop patio. The suite with kitchenette came with all the facilities you might expect, except a toaster and a kettle for tea (you must use a saucepan or the filter coffee maker to boil water). The 'drying rack' refers to a crockery … more

We enjoyed our 3 night restful break in the one-bed villa with rooftop patio. The suite with kitchenette came with all the facilities you might expect, except a toaster and a kettle for tea (you must use a saucepan or the filter coffee maker to boil water). The 'drying rack' refers to a crockery tidy on the sink, there is no rack for drying clothes, just clothes hangers in the wardrobe. It was clean and although the wifi was unreliable at first, it was much better after they came and fixed it . The bed was very comfy and we slept well. The shower was a good size and a good temperature provided you leave it on for 5 mins to get hot. The rooftop patio has a BBQ and a couple of loungers, and it certainly catches the sun but there is not really any shade and in the evening the lighting was too poor to do anything there. We didn't have any problem with bugs or the unwelcome 'guests' other reviews mention. In general, it's a peaceful collection of rooms and apartments with a lovely little pool for cooling off in. The staff are friendly and keen to help iron out any niggles. We chose here because we wanted to avoid Tamarindo at all costs but if you want, you can get there quickly and easily using the boat crossing during the day though not after dark. The long, almost empty sandy beach of Playa Grande is just a couple of minutes stroll away, good for sunset walks and surfing for beginners but not so much for sunbathing as there's no real shade from the fierce midday sun - best stick to the pool and shady hammocks instead. Our stay was after the leatherback nesting season but I understand that there are no longer any reliable turtle-watching tours available within the national park any time of year because leatherbacks are so endangered they need to keep tourists, cameras and lights away during the nesting season. The next-door Mar Azul all-day café offers good food and very good value which is more than can be said for the Palm Beach Market, the only grocery within the Palm Beach estate - prices are really exploitative there.

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