Bahia Esmeralda Boutique Hotel & Villas

Remember to wash your own utensils before checkout, or they’ll charge you a hefty $20. The staff was reasonably professional, but I never felt like a valued guest, just another person staying there. The rooms are quite dated and the bedroom was small. The air conditioning worked much less well unless every door stayed shut. The multicolored “tips” envelope beside the “rules” sheet under the bedroom TV, along with the tip jar on the concierge desk, took away from the atmosphere. Nothing major went wrong, but the place was just alright.

The service really brought the stay down. The host came across as cold and unprofessional, with little empathy or interest in helping. Every interaction felt forced and like an inconvenience to her. The waitress seemed just as disengaged, spoke very quietly, and barely seemed awake. The long faces and bad attitude made the hotel feel worse than its facilities deserved. There were a couple of practical problems too. The pool is much too small for the number of guests, and on one of our two nights the toilet bubbled and let out a little water. There wasn’t even a mini fridge in the room. Cars, motorcycles, and other loud vehicles were easy to hear from the nearby main road. The location is excellent, with important beaches nearby, and there’s a supermarket right across the street where you can find just about anything. The hotel itself is clean and cozy, with comfortable, clean beds, large clean comforters, and fairly modern bathrooms. The air conditioning worked perfectly. The food was acceptable, though neither especially varied nor outstanding. It’s not a luxurious place, but the price is fair. Physically, it’s fine; the staff’s lack of hospitality and customer service is the real issue.

The people who work here were so friendly and went out of their way to take care of my wife and me. They were really helpful, thank you again. There are unbelievable food options around the hotel, from Costa Rican food to pretty much anything you might want, and the ocean is only a short distance away. The location itself is a little busy, and there can be some traffic noise in the morning, but that’s a very minor downside.

There are several grocery markets within walking distance. The grounds are nice, the room was clean, and the setting was quiet. By the pool there are plenty of lounge chairs and a couple of hammocks. The hotel sits at the north end of the beach, which isn’t a great swimming spot, so you’ll want a car to reach other beaches and more restaurants.