Hotel Mansion del Rio

The pool and dock are great. In Rio Dulce, Mansion is probably the best hotel and restaurant.

The staff were the highlight for me and my kids. They were friendly, caring, patient, responsive, knowledgeable, helpful, and always smiling. We felt at home, and ended up extending our month-long stay. The resort is part of a gated community with both road and water access. There's a small shop inside with snacks, a few medicines, and drinks to take away. San Felipe is about a 20 minute walk for quick essentials, and you can walk to the Castillo too. If you'd rather not walk, the front desk can give you lancha numbers, and guests can borrow bikes for free. Superwings is also just down the road, and their wings are...SUPER! The other direction takes you to Fronteras for anything else, nightlife, street food, or an ATM. It's an easy 40 minute walk, but I preferred catching a colectivo at the gates. They stop running around 6. Tuc tucs from Fronteras aren't allowed to come to the resort, which isn't the resort's fault, but taxis and lanchas worked well for getting around after dark. The restaurant is beautiful, comfortable for big groups, and quieter than the busier spots in town, which made it nice for a calm dinner or drink. At the time I posted, they had drink specials every weekday. You can take your drink to the pool, where they swap it into an unbreakable glass. The food was amazing: everything we tried was unique, delicious, beautifully presented, and good enough that we ordered it again. There's an air conditioned room for hot days, and the whole space is clean and especially pretty at night. You can dock there by boat, then go for a swim after eating. We didn't try every facility, but the kids loved the garden maze, trampoline, basketball/futbol court, ping pong, foosball, paddleboats, kayaks, and the pool with waterslide. Equipment for the court is at reception, and these activities were all included. I got quiet spots with wifi to work while the pool kept the kids busy. The grounds are lovely, and the paths are maintained and well lit. I had no safety concerns: the community is gated, there is 24/7 roaming security, and the staff are alert and attentive.

The landscaping around the hotel is beautiful and well cared for. The restaurant was great for both food and service, and there's a nice swimming pool with towels available by the water. You can rent kayaks too. It's a very good place for a few days or even a few weeks. Just remember to return both room keys, which I nearly forgot.

We stayed a couple of nights and really enjoyed the place. The rooms were roomy, clean, and renovated, and the service was excellent. The food was outstanding at any time of day. We'll definitely come back.