Hotel San Bada Resort & Spa

A fun, clean place with friendly employees. Our airy, spacious room had a new “towel animal” on the bed and in the bathroom every day. There’s a nice pool, and the hotel offers restaurants, including a rooftop option. The location is fantastic, right outside the park entrance and across from the beach, with little shops and restaurants within a five-minute walk.

The main thing to keep in mind is the toilet flush. It feels like a large turd is trying to get through a toothpick-sized drain, and flushing can be a struggle. With a big turd, good luck, it swirls around and bobs up and down like poo on a chopstick in a Jack in the Box. It’s ridiculous to describe, but accurate, and seems to reflect Costa Rica’s broader water pressure issues rather than a problem unique to this hotel. With expectations set, Hotel San Bada is a very good choice in its local class, and I’d recommend it and stay again. It’s better than many nearby hotels in its stated four-star category for location, amenities and overall experience. A four-star hotel in Central America isn’t the same as one in North America, though. In North American terms, the overall quality, finishes and some service details are closer to three-star at best. Within the local context, it performs better than most of its peers. The staff are consistently helpful, friendly and welcoming, and free welcome drinks on arrival are a nice touch after traveling. There are two pools: a quiet, relaxing adults-only one on the sixth floor, and a family-friendly pool on the main level that’s great with kids. The hotel has a gym and two restaurants, among other amenities, and works well for couples or families. This is an unbiased review based on my stay, with no affiliation or incentive of any kind. Arrive expecting a well-run, comfortable hotel with plenty of amenities among the better options in its local class, and you’ll likely be very happy.

The Congo restaurant was okay. There was a wide range of options at the breakfast buffet, while the dinner menu was not too bad. Our stay at this decent hotel beside Manuel Antonio National Park was good overall, except for loud noise in the middle of the night when monkeys jumped on the hotel’s metal roof.

The pool is one my kids will never forget, and the rooms were great. The staff were the kindest. Being on the jungle side of the property made the experience special. You can walk out of the park and be right back at your hotel. Wow, what an experience. Highly recommend!