Exōtico Beach Hotel

We had a wonderful birthday trip and were so glad we chose Exotico Beach. The hotel is a little off the beaten path, which turned out to be a great choice: at dawn and dusk you can hear howler monkeys in the trees around the property, and we were lucky enough to see a whole family of spider monkeys swinging through trees right at the hotel. The staff were really friendly and helpful, and the food was exceptional. We loved the fresh breakfast each morning, ordered from the menu and cooked to order. The beds were very comfortable, and the air conditioning worked great.

The first couple of days were marred by loud music from the private Airbnb next door. It was still shaking our bedroom walls around 10pm on our first night, and after my husband went to Reception, the Manager said he’d call the Police. The music stopped about an hour later, but started again the next day while we were back from a jungle walk, then resumed around 5pm after a brief pause. We had to complain to the Manager again. It stopped later that evening, apparently after other complaints reached the Airbnb owner, who put a stop to it. We later found out the Police hadn’t come the first night, and the Manager had gone off duty without checking. Exotico’s management never proactively asked whether we were still disturbed, and we were offered nothing. The hotel owner was unapologetic. We understand the noise was outside the hotel’s control, but expecting guests to simply put up with it was too much, so we can’t recommend the hotel on that basis. It’s a shame, because the place itself is beautiful, the staff member Fabrizzio was especially cheerful and fun, and its location worked perfectly for the start of our holiday, near Manzanillo, Puerto Viejo, and Cahuita. This was our first main stop in Costa Rica after a long drive from San Jose. We were impressed by the apparently quiet setting off the main road and the beautifully decorated, well-appointed rooms. We stayed at the back of the main complex, with two rooms separated by a kitchen and dining area, plus a small plunge pool. At first, everything seemed perfect, and we weren’t too bothered by the music when we arrived.

Fabrizzio was a great waiter and bartender, though the other staff seemed a bit sluggish. The rooms could be more comfortable at night: the air conditioning was noisy, there was no ceiling fan or mosquito net, and the walls let you hear everything. The doors already squeak, the rooms sometimes smelled musty from the humidity and poor ventilation, and it took a long time for the shower water to get warm. Still, the place is beautiful, modern, and clean, surrounded by lush greenery, with a nearly empty beach reached through a private entrance. The pool was lovely, and we enjoyed the open-air restaurant and its delicious breakfast and dinner.

The hotel and its rooms look lovely, and the welcoming staff made us feel safe from mosquitoes. A few things were less comfortable: bees were around during breakfast, heavy rain made the roof very noisy and kept us from sleeping well, and the monkeys could be heard at night, making it hard to sleep.