Marenaz Oceanfront Resort

There’s a lot of potential here, with recent construction, nice landscaping, direct beach access, spacious high-ceiling rooms, good beds, and attractive decor. But to me it doesn’t live up to what a “resort” should be, where you can relax, eat well, and be looked after and entertained without leaving. The trip in was like something from an Indiana Jones movie. The road is full of huge holes, and driving at night we nearly damaged our rental car’s suspension. The manager said they were waiting for the government to repair it. The room water IS NOT POTABLE, but there were no signs saying so, and the room had a coffeemaker but no bottled water. We made coffee with it, and one of us got sick. When we asked, staff told us not to drink the room water and pointed us to the one dispenser by the bar. It was empty half the time, and we had to ask staff to refill it. We couldn’t find safe water anywhere else. Unacceptable. Room cleaning was minimal. The restaurant food was mediocre, mostly fish, with few other choices, especially for vegetarians. Breakfast was okay. Staff were courteous and helpful, but the restaurant was seriously understaffed and service was extremely slow. On Christmas Eve we waited 30 minutes between courses. Apart from a good massage service, there weren’t activities available, so anyone wanting an active vacation might want to stay elsewhere. There’s no shop on site for sunscreen, snacks, or other small things. We were glad to have a car to get necessities and good local food in the next town. Not going back.

If peace and quiet away from crowds is what you want, this was my best experience on the Pacific in five trips to Costa Rica. It has an authentic Costa Rica feel, with a nice mix of locals and visitors, and I made friends from all over the world. There are some decent surf breaks for beginners, and the currents are very mellow. Roberto and staff, especially Lorenzo and Randall, were lovely and went out of their way to get us into town for groceries. Stop for supplies first, since getting a cab out here is difficult. There are two sloths on the property that you may have a chance to see at night.

Quiet and safe, with hardly anyone on the beach. This hotel right by the water gives you a very different experience from staying in Jaco if you’re in the area. The staff were really helpful, and the food and cocktails were excellent.

We weren’t guests at the resort, but stopped in to try Las Olas restaurant on someone’s recommendation. The grounds, pool, and open-air restaurant were beautiful and welcoming, with a lovely ocean and sunset view. Randall greeted us warmly and took great care of us. We shared the seafood pasta, a generous serving packed with different kinds of seafood, and had the best sangria with it.