Montelaguna Boutique Hotel

The room lacked a blanket or comforter, so bring your own. The espresso machine was broken, the fridge was rusty and poorly kept, and the bathroom toilet paper was rough. Breakfast choices were extremely limited. The hotel is far from town, and early morning traffic noise is very loud. Don't waste your money.

The loft suite was spacious and had good amenities, and the staff were nice. We enjoyed the breakfasts and the pool, and Samara itself was incredible. But the bathroom smelled strongly of drains, and the shower was broken, so we had to hold it ourselves. The mezzanine has a big drop, so I wouldn't book this place with young children. We were there four nights. Maybe we were unlucky with the room, but the air conditioning didn't work the first night and it was unbearably hot and stuffy. They fixed it on the second day, but it never worked properly, so sleeping stayed difficult. It's quite far from Samara, so I'd only stay here if you have a car. I liked some things about the hotel, but I'd choose somewhere else if I returned to Samara.

The location was excellent, and breakfast was good, traditional Costa Rican food. The property has a lot more potential, but the stay was just okay. Our room wasn't cleaned well. There was hair on the sink and toilet, and the shower wasn't very clean. We booked a room with a balcony, but they first tried to put us in one without. Then they said there were no other balcony rooms, though the balcony was one of the reasons we chose the place. She switched our room with another guest arriving later that day, so someone else lost out too. Their website still showed the same room available, meaning people may pay for a room they don't actually get.

The grounds and rooms are very nice. Playa Carrillo is about a 10-minute walk away, and busy Samara is a 10-minute drive. The real highlight, though, is Ms Loyda at the front desk. She's one of the kindest, nicest people I've met anywhere. If you stay here, take the chance to talk with her, you won't regret it. Thank you, Loyda, for making us feel at home. She is amazing.