* A cozy hotel with a beautiful view * Spacious room * Friendly staff * Abundant wild nature surrounding the area; we observed numerous capuchin monkeys in the evening and shy coatimundi early in the morning. * Conveniently located on the route to Manuel Antonio National Park

- Located pretty far from the ocean, we could only observe it. - A noise road nearby, we couldn’t open windows - The staff at the reception didn’t speak any English; they preferred to use Google Translate on the phone. - We were promised a late breakfast consisting of fruits, as we were on an early morning excursion, but it was not provided, which was very disappointing. - The loud live music on Friday evening was a bit much. In my opinion, a quieter atmosphere would have been more appropriate, better complementing the indescribable beauty of the natural surroundings and the hotel's concept.

This is a beautiful, open, airy property set high up on a hill with a view of the ocean. The infinity pool and pool deck was very nice, which they let us use the day of check-out as well. Our King room w/ocean view was also large and nicely decorated, with a big closet and mini fridge as well. Our other room in the lower building was freshly painted, clean and comfortable.

The noise insulation was non-existent, as we were woken early each morning by people outside our door or workers drilling. Our room seemed to share a public deck, and the lock on the door also seemed rather flimsy. The on-site restaurant was pricey, but luckily our breakfast was included. Location is a bit off the beaten path across a busy road, but ok with a car.

Breakfast is superb! Loved staying at the bungalows, comfortable clean rooms, there's a well equipped common area kitchen available, a relaxing area with family games to play. TV's don't have cable, but Wi-Fi is very good to access own-content provider Apps. Area pool is suitable for relaxing and children playing. Local small animals and birds pass about the bush area behind the rooms, so one can enjoy that.

Only a few details. Drainage could be improved in the lower area, the bungalows and pool, to prevent smells surfacing from time to time. A playground for children by the lower pool would be nice IF that's the approach the hotel wants to take. A mesh cover on the bathroom windows would prevent insects from entering the room.

Everything is great at Marala Very friendly staff and very helpful Aamel (the owner Bring us around) Tina (very helpful, welcoming, polite and accommodating) Jefferson, Rayan, Chalim, Kathrin, Rose, Masiel, Christina, Yahona, Bilma, Karin, Alfonso all of them are great and make our stay fantastic at Marala Great breakfast and great Lunch and dinner a big thanks to the chef

Everything Great staff great food Location Very large comfortable room

Delicious Food!!! Hands down the best food experience I’ve had at any hotel. From breakfast and coffee to dinner and cocktails. Their Piña Colada and Mussels are to die for!!! The ocean view offers an breathtaking outlook. The bungalow’s view offers an tranquil view of the rainforest scenery. You will even see monkeys because the hotel is surrounded by mango trees. The General Manager hails from Boston, Massachusetts USA and has YEARS of concierge and hospitality service. The Hotel is 25mins away from JACO and 50 mins away from Manuel Antonio. You will definitely NOT regret your stay here. This was my first international trip from Nashville, TN USA and this hotel has contributed so much to my trip. Looking forward to returning here again with my family.

Needs more than one mirror in the rooms.

Fantastic boutique hotel with very friendly & helpful staff!! The pool is big and has a great ocean view. You can even sit in the pool and sip on your delicious welcome drink! We stayed here with my parents before their flight back. The hotel has a very convenient location, it’s only 2hrs from the airport and close to the main road. Both our rooms with beautiful ocean view were very clean and the beds super soft and comfortable. The suite on the top floor has is all… it’s very spacious with a big balcony and 180 degree ocean view!! I very much enjoyed relaxing in the whirlpool and watching the waves and macaws. Dinner and breakfast were also excellent. We’ll be back!!!

The property was gorgeous! The pool and its view were spectacular. The greenery was lush, and the views around the property were fantastic. The staff was very accommodating. The restaurant was lovely and provided a live band the first night I was there. I even got to see a monkey during breakfast one morning.

Some places looked like there may have been slight water damage. However, it’s nothing that a bit of detail cleaning wouldn’t fix. The bed was too soft for my life but could work wonderfully for others. This is small, but a property this nice should invest in two-ply tissue

This property is beautiful! The owner met us for check in and was so friendly and welcoming. The food was delicious and reasonably priced. The waitstaff and bartenders were very friendly and accommodating. It was a pleasure. We had a party of 6 adults and 4 kids aged 2-10. We were in the bungalow which is a separate building with 5 rooms that can be rented separately and a shared kitchen/living space. There was a full sized refrigerator, oven range and lots of counter space. There were some dishes and kitchen utensils- enough for us to do what we needed. The bungalow also has a separate pool in addition to the main pool that is centrally located near the bar/restaurant. The pool near the bungalow was nice with kids. We also swam in the main pool but could relocate with the kids if other people were there trying to relax. There are monkeys in the trees around the hotel which was fun. Overall, a very nice hotel with a still laid back feel.

Cruz is awesome! We need more Cruz’s in the service industry. His attitude is everything you hope for in someone carrying for your guests. Overall staff is great CR will sometimes have a relaxed pura vida approach to service not here service is fast and hospitable. Well planned boutique. Expat owner is very present and his care for what I assume has been a long time dream is noticeable. Monkeys playing in the trees in the morning.

I was surprised by the “villas” the photos make it look like you have a private kitchen/living not the case. But also not really an issue because the property is beautiful and it’s a waste to spend time inside.

The staff is very friendly, top rate food at all meals, with great views, all at a reasonable price. We saw a troop of squirrel monkeys, a coati, Scarlet Macaws and Spiny-tail Iguana will sitting at the hotel. The hotel has an interesting origins as it was made possible by the success of a jigsaw puzzle company during the pandemic.

You will need a car, or transportation arranged. It is a long walk to the beach at Esterillos Centro, with some on the highway, and the small market area at Este is even farther. The highway noise is ever present as the hotel is above the road, but the views, service, amenities more than makes up for it, and the rooms are quiet enough that we never heard the noise while sleeping.