Hotel La Mariposa, Manuel Antonio

Website for this hotel is very misleading. We were under the impression we were going to get an updated room. Instead, we were given an old room with two king size beds that had twin beds put together. The mattresses were extremely hard, plumbing in the bathroom did not work. We were placed on the 4th floor where we had to go 4 flights of old rickety spiral metal stairs. Where's the elevator for people that have difficulties walking up stairs?! There is no WiFi capabilities in the rooms. You must go to the main hotel lobby to access the internet. Finally, we paid in advance as requested. Big mistake on our part! The hotel manager will not refund our money because we decided to go elsewhere. We're disputing the charges thru our credit card company.

It appears that work is in progress to make La Miraposa truly a first class experience. Atmosphere is enchanting. Cuisine is exciting. And, the views of the ocean are spectacular. Will definitely plan a return visit.

Recommended by a local Canadien for the view, while sitting @ Barba Roja, a great restaurant near La Mariposa, I was almost gleeful when I saw the view my mother and I would share on her first time out of the U.S. at 63 years old. My tenth trip to C.R. and La Mariposa's staff was excellent. The housekeepers to the bartender (what was his name?) , the people in the lobby... we stayed an extra night because there was no point in leaving. five stars. The dining options were exclusively expensive and the restaurant not too busy. I was there in green season, maybe they've got the traffic then.

Our stay at La Mariposa was really beautiful. The entire staff are friendly and very professional. They couldn't do enough to make our visit a great success. I highly recommend La Mariposa with its remarkable views and highly efficient staff, along with its excellent restaurant. Our waiter, Alcione, couldn't do enough to make our stay worry free and very happy. Our many thanks to the entire staff. We will be back. Thank You. Jean-Ann Burke and Keith

La Mariposa is a classic hotel with the very best views in Manuel Antonio. It has managed to withstand the test of time and although it is aging, it has a classic style and feel that will not be outdated. With light updating of basic items ie. i-pod dock stereo, standard minifridge, it would be easy to maintain its edge over any competition. There really is no reason for a TV although it is a standard in most places. The service was good and not overly intrusive. The dining service was excellent and the menu was well planned and exicuted.

I took my girlfriend to La Mariposa for 4 days in January of 2008, and I must say the stay was equal to my expectations in every way. I do plan on going back (next time for longer) but that will mean I'll have to stay in one of the more modest rooms. I'll try to cover all the bases here for my fellow travelers... First, the trip to the hotel: Pretty easy flying in..flew out of Reagan in DC...had a layover in Miami..then off to San Jose. Of course from San Jose you have to take one of the domestic airlines. We flew on Sansa, and while it was slightly terrifying flying in a tiny plane (the upkeep seemed questionable) it was very fun and only took about 40 minutes. A few words of warning...the flights don't leave from SJO, but rather a small airfield about a 5 minute walk away. And they'll weigh you with your bags. The shuttle from the tiny airstrip we landed at in Quepos knew exactly where La Mariposa was etc., so our 1 day of traveling was actually pretty easy. (another couple we met at la mariposa told us they took a bus from san jose to quepos...not recommended, based on their experience...) A few other reviewers have said that the staff was rude, but I didn't experience this at all. Perhaps it is because we were staying in one of the better rooms, but I think everyone was genuinely friendly. Our room was clean, the air conditioner worked well, good water pressure etc. We stayed in the Premier Ocean Room for three nights and in the Penthouse suite for one night. The penthouse has remarkable views. When you book your reservation they charge you for your stay well before you arrive. I actually liked that because it makes the trip seem completely free in a way (for those of us who pay off our credit card balance each month) :) Anyway...the only reason I mention this is because when I asked to see the penthouse (which was available) I loved it so much that I asked if we could upgrade for a night. They were very reasonable and only charged me the difference between the premier room and the penthouse...so for 135 dollar extra (or whatever it was) we got to move up to the penthouse. They even let us keep all our stuff in our other room, which happened to be directly below the penthouse anyway. Well worth it! We didn't bring any watches and left our cell phones off so we pretty much lost all track of time...which meant we ate when we were hungry, slept when we got tired and woke up whenever we woke up! This often had us waiting for breakfast to open (i think it started at 7). But the view is so good that it was no imposition to just sit and enjoy the wait. The hotel itself was clean, the food was actually very good (though I have yet to be anywhere outside of the states where they know how to cook bacon...it's always undercooked). A bit on the pricey side, sure, but you only live once. The pool is nice as well, and they make pretty good drinks. Getting to the beach is a bit of a trek if you try to walk it (we did once) but you can easily take the free shuttle (just ask when it leaves) or a cab. The national park is pretty nice to walk through, but we didn't do any ziplining...next time maybe! I'm going to give it a "good" that's all i got.

I stayed here for 3 days, The views were spectatular, the food was very good (overpriced of C.R.) and the service was adequate at best. Sad, this hotel, with the right ownership could be awesome!!!

It is clearly not possible that objective assesements could range from best to worst for the same hotel. I leave it to you to sort out which of the reviewers here is objective, but count both of my thumbs up. If you want glitz and neon, go to Las Vegas. If you appreciate natural beauty want a hotel that fits perfectly into one of the world's most scenic spots, then you'll love the place. It's one of the most charming and romantic spots this world traveller has seen. GS

I've traveled the world and this has to be the most overrated hotel Ive ever stayed in. Most importantly, the staff were downright rude, uninviting and bitter. The leader, Emilio, is a poor excuse for a hotel manager and should not be in the hospitality business. According to Frommers, and I agree, theyve let their once charming villas fall into disrepair..We had old sheets, old hair glued to the shower floor, dirty toilets, poor lighting, and hundreds of ants. This might suffice as a low end hostel. And finally, they would not give us the rooms we had ordered (and had evidence of this) unless we gave them 300 bucks extra for the three nights.

That anyone had a negative experience with the staff! They went out of their way to accomodate us on a Birthday Trip. We did go in off season so the area was quite, but we found La Mariposa's staff to be outstanding. They were constructing an additonal swimming pool and hot tub but didn't start work till mid morning. They anticipated our travel needs and monitored severe travel conditions without our request! We found the meals to be excellent and more than reasonable. The rooms were spotless and the facility/grounds were in excellent condition! Finally, the photos on the web site do not give justice to the real views from virtually all the rooms.... this is a must do! They say life is not about how many breaths you take.. but the moments that take your breath away. You will be left breathless!!