Mar Botánico - Avellanas Beach Hotel

We were looking forward to staying at Mar Botanico, but the room and location weren't represented accurately. Across the street, an active construction site starts work at 6 a.m. and continues all day. The room was clean, but there was no hot water for showers. When we raised these problems, the owner got defensive and basically said we couldn't handle ice-cold showers because we were city dwellers.

The setting is beautiful, the rooms are very clean, and the staff made us feel at home from the start. Such a lovely stay, and I'd absolutely recommend it to anyone wanting to relax and enjoy Costa Rica's beauty.

A terrible stay. We were promised warm shower water but got only very cold water, and the owner didn't seem to care. Large-scale construction across the street woke us at 6:30 a.m., with no warning when we booked. When we asked about it, the owner again didn't care. We requested a small compensation but were denied anything meaningful. The place is way overpriced for what it currently offers, and the owner won't take responsibility for problems that come up. I'll never return.

This is my go-to spot in avellanas. I absolutely love it, from the amazing rooms to the staff. If a great night's sleep is what you're after, this is the place!