El Sano Banano Beachside Hotel

The staff are really friendly and do all they can to make your stay enjoyable. You can also use the pool and restaurant at their sister resort, Ylang Ylang, which is a great extra. They have indoor and outdoor dining, plus a really good complimentary breakfast, something I don't know of other hotels offering. The location in Montezuma Beach is perfect for a little hotel. Rooms are clean and comfortable, with air conditioning and hot water. There's a shelf and safe for storage, but no nightstands or dressers.

We stayed one night because Sano Banano is usually where public transport picks up and drops off in Montezuma for trips to another town. It was a lovely stay, with a charming room in a great spot right in the middle of Montezuma. The price seemed fair and breakfast was included. Our pickup was so early that the restaurant thoughtfully packed a small breakfast for us to take along.

The worst part was having to leave. Breakfast came with the room and was unbelievably good, and the attached restaurant might have the best food in Montezuma, maybe even all of Costa Rica. Everything on the menu was top-tier, absolutely bussin. I'd go back just for the banana pancakes. Honestly, they were the only thing that got my extremely hungover self out of bed at 7 a.m., though there's plenty else to love about Montezuma too. The hotel is right in the heart of downtown, next to a store, the beach, a trip activity coordinator, an ice cream shop, a bar, and an outdoor seating area. The clean rooms each have their own character, the air conditioning was unbelievably good, and the beds were really comfortable. Our whole friend group had a fun, easy stay with no problems at all.

We were in Montezuma for a week and ate at Sano Banano five times. The food was delicious and the service amazing. Ishmael was so kind, funny, and informative. We love it there!