El Faro Beach Hotel

Very good

✓ The view was amazing and the staff were super nice. Breakfast was good and the first night we we got cocktails from the bar and went swimming. There are restaurants just down the hill and on your walk you will find iguanas and monkeys.

✗ The walk up the hill wasn't bad but if that's something you cant physically do this might not be your hotel. After check in there was a very nice man that loaded our bags and took us up on a golf cart.

Disappointed in everything but the view

✓ The view! Spectacular. Breakfast was simple but good.

✗ Bathroom door wouldn’t work or close. Shower perfunctory at best. Hot/cold hard/soft constantly changing. Mirrors all chipped. Took the staff an hour to sort out our two room door keys as the main office is so far and they kept not working. They told us to come get towels for the pool at office … that is so far away down the hill. They can’t leave them in the room or have a towel pick up by the pool or in the restaurant? Outside our top floor room we could see the roof structure rusting so bad some supports weren’t even there any more! I usually don’t complain, but this was the most we spent for any night in our trip and it was disappointing…. Good thing the view made up for it.

Fabulous

✓ Staff was super friendly

✗ N/A

Please for the love of god do not feed the monkeys!!

✓ I had a great stay here, I would totally recommend to a friend to do the same! The view is truly unbeatable, and the staff are wonderful too. My favorite part of the stay is that I could just leave my valuables in the room, walk right to the waves, and not have to worry about my stuff. You can hear the ocean from the upper floors even. So chill, no stress. Nice pools too. Very family friendly. Be advised that you cannot simply show up to Manuel Antonio national park and expect to waltz in. It is very restricted for good reason, so you need to get your ticket from SINAC well in advance or book a naturalist tour. I booked my tour for the park myself, but since i had a free afternoon I popped into the reception and got some help booking a parasailing experience on the beach. I was grateful for that A few things that you might need to know that didn't bug me much at all but might affect your decision: * Here you have to put your toilet paper in the trash, not the toilet. This is fairly common in Costa Rica, but not universal. I've done that before in other countries and still, I would understand someone's hesitance to shower in the same room as their stinky business. Just FYI. It's probably the same elsewhere in the Manuel Antonio area, as it certainly is in restaurants that I visited. * Manuel Antonio is a truly priceless habitat to some incredible wildlife. This is probably at least one reason you are interested! Just know that the animals don't consider your room or balcony off limits. It is easy for insects to sneak in when you open the door for instance. More importantly, the local white face capuchin monkeys frequent the hotel because idiots leave snacks out. This is dangerous because if you encounter a monkey, you might need to go to the hospital. Also it is not good for the monkeys. Be responsible please and don't leave food out for them.

✗ My only complaint really is how steep the hill is getting there. If you like, you can ask the staff in reception to carry you up in a golf cart or use the elevator in the lower building to get to the platform where you can cross to the higher one. I didn't feel like bothering anyone or using the rather hot elevator so I was

Our visit to Manuel Antonio was enhanced by our stay at El FARO. We would definitely stay there again.

✓ The view is fantastic, and the staff wonderful. Having parking on the property is a plus.

Nice rooms, views and staff

✓ Cool concept (using old shipping containers to create the rooms), good location right next to the entrance to Manuel Antonio NP, nice pool(s), lovely views and nice and quiet (here was the best I slept in 10 days). The staff we really friendly and helpful too.

✗ The entrance to the rooms is at the front and you enter with a key card. I locked myself out twice, because I went out to look at the views over the balcony, shut the door behind me to keep the cool air in and the bugs out, leaving my keycard inside by mistake. Actual locks (that you turn with a key) would be better for this type of hotel.

If you enjoy nature, being close to the beach this is the best hotel for you

✓ The hotel has an amaizing view and a perfect location. The staff is verry friendly expecially Juan Carlos who helped with all the questions we had. We saw monkeys in the morning and deers as well, you trully are in nature.

✗ Everything was perfect

Pleasant

✓ Great view and very close to the Manuel Antonio Park.

✗ Compared to the other special accommodations in Cost Rica, it was too normal for me here. Standard 3* hotel.