This weekend we visited the new Arenas del Mar hotel in Manuel Antonio. First of all, not the easiest of Costa Rica hotels to find as there are no signs, however this typically is not a problem as it means that the general public will not turn up on your doorstep.

The owners of the hotel are the same guys that own Finca Rosa Blanca. There are 3 owners and we met one this weekend who was vacationing with his wife and brother.

The road to the hotel is now fine, however, I understand before it was a mud bath. On arrival to the hotel we were met with pitch black as the electricity was out. The hotel you can see is sparkling new and with most new things they do not run like clock work.

The style of the hotel is similar to Gaia with white wash walls however it is more natural and less contemporary. There are 38 rooms in the hotel and the majority of them are superior rooms and suites all with Ocean views. The food was very good and of a high quality as was the beer, although the options were a bit limited.

The hotel is located above Playitas beach and has beautiful views of the Islands. You can tell the hotel is not finished as there is a continuous line of workers walking around, chopping stuff and banging things. We were told that the hotel should 100% be finished in one month.

The overall product is of obvious quality, but I might recommend that people wait till the New Year to avoid inevitable growing pains that come with building a new hotel in a tropical beach destination.

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Filed under: Hotel & Restaurant Reviews on November 12th, 2007