Hotel Dengan Sarapan pagi di Puntarenas, Costa Rica

I spent a month in Costa Rica and Panama in January 2024, using Selina all the time. Santa Teresa South was my first stop. Now being able to compare all, I would say this one was okay, but others were better (Puerto Viejo was way better). The biggest difference as a solo traveler is the effort they make to socialise. The Welcome Drink here was me and the receptionist! At other places you were put onto a newbies table and then natural chats started... and you could go for welcome drinks every day. Not here. Santa Teresa is great. If you want to do Selina, stay at ST North. More fun, more social. South is almost all private rooms, so families and couples. But my biggest complaint was a tour I paid over £100 for the 'Cabo Blanco Beach & Forest (Full Hike)', described in their slick literature as 'our guide will show you the wonders of the forest until you reach Caboe Blanco beach, a pardisical white sandy beach where you can enjoy quiet waters for swimming, sunbathing or simply to enjoy the striking view of Cabo Blanco island'... There was no beach. The guide said we had no time and could either rush there and back or enjoy the forest. He also insisted we pay entry to the national park when I confirmed afterwards that this was supposed to be included in the hefty up-front fee. It's clear Selina is not running these tours, even though they word them as if they are. I was encouraged by Juan the manager of Santa Teresa South that he would arrange a refund for me. I would have been happy with a partial refund. But since leaving, I have been ghosted by him in our WhatsApp conversation. I have emailed Selina contacts and had no reply. And posting a complaing on their website give an 'Ooops' error and doesn't allow the complaint to be posted. Go to Selina's, they are good, they are especially good for wifi and working. Don't book their tours. Go direct to the tour companies, save some money, and perhaps have a better chance of being sold what you are going to get. Disappointed.

This is a fairly standard all inclusive. Staff was friendly and helpful and property was nice. Food was good as well. Perfect for a 1-2 night stay. Rooms need renovation at this point. I would still recommend for anyone looking for a reasonable priced all inclusive.

Beautiful resort with warm pool, clean beaches, and good service. The food has been very good with extra points to the coffee cafe. Considering it’s the off season, we had plenty of open space to ourselves with beautiful weather. The promotional plan they offered was not well executed, and we had to make several trips to the front desk to get it cleared up. But everyone was very accommodating to help.

Stayed 3 nights. Staff nice but only front desk spoke much English. Parking attendant was appreciated. Breakfast was ok. Had a couple dinners there with basic dishes- pizza, appetizers. Pool warm. Small play area for kids. Mixed crowd- families, retirees, bike tourists. Room was fine, got cleaned each day. No complaints at all. Although a bit off the beach it was also away from the downtown noise and bustle.

Beautiful resort with warm pool, clean beaches, and good service. The food has been very good with extra points to the coffee cafe. Considering it’s the off season, we had plenty of open space to ourselves with beautiful weather. The promotional plan they offered was not well executed, and we had to make several trips to the front desk to get it cleared up. But everyone was very accommodating to help.

Stayed 3 nights. Staff nice but only front desk spoke much English. Parking attendant was appreciated. Breakfast was ok. Had a couple dinners there with basic dishes- pizza, appetizers. Pool warm. Small play area for kids. Mixed crowd- families, retirees, bike tourists. Room was fine, got cleaned each day. No complaints at all. Although a bit off the beach it was also away from the downtown noise and bustle.

Selina Jaco is the best location in Costa Rica! They are a top surf hotel with a vibe that matches. It is so different than the other Selina locations in the best way. The highlight is Tortuga Surf Camp! Selina has set itself apart and raised the bar with Tortuga Surf Camp creating their base camp there. Mike and the instructors are the best in Jaco. Tortuga works with beginners to seasoned surfers. My surfing has improved so much and I love working with them. I am so lucky to learn from people who absolutely love sharing their passion. The location is perfect and being able to go do a surf lesson on an amazing beach break with top instructors or rent a board and come back in to get work done is a plus! Tortuga Surf Camp has a weekly survival apnea workshop in the pool that takes has taken my water confidence to the next level. Mike has a passion for the water that shows in every lesson and interaction. Their photographer, Ivan, offers outstanding drone videos and photos for purchase with each lesson. I loved documenting my progress! I’m already planning my next trip back! The campus is beautiful and peaceful. The location is amazing ! Right on the beach with welcome drinks and breathtaking sunsets every night. The pool is amazing where you can eat drink and relax. The staff is just as amazing! Always something to do and so close to restaurants and fun nightlife.

This is the absolute best hotel on the pacific coast of Costa Rica! Of course I haven’t been to any others…but after staying at Makanda there absolutely is no need to. I know nothing else will be better than my accommodations and amenities at Makanda! So close to everything, and you can get every experience booked through the hotel, not to mention the transportation with them! Food is insanely good! Don’t think there’s a single bad thing on any of the menus offered. Also the caipirinhas are to die for! The private beach topped it all off! No need to go to a crowded beach with families and children, as this resort is adults only! Can’t wait to come back! If you want to see any animals, you can see them here! Monkeys of all kinds, sloths, birds, lizards, bugs, frogs, everything!

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Shana and found the room, facilities and staff excellent. The breakfast, the bar and the dinners were equally excellent and the beach was also an added bonus. We plan on returning to Shana on our next visit it Costa Rica.

They spoil you here! They have a WhatsApp set up for their guest services and it made it all the more spoiled. I was at the spa and I needed ice for my drink that I brought there and all I did was message and they brought it right to me. The food was great breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There was free shuttle service to Agua Azules and the town, which was perfect because we booked parasailing with Agua Azules and they dropped us off right at there steps. The room was clean. The property was beautiful. We got to see sloths, iguanas, and monkeys! The monkeys were right outside our hotel building (we booked a vista suite) when checking out.

This is a great hotel that is small enough to feel intimate but has most of the amenities of a large resort. Of course, the initial highlight is that the hotel is built into the forest and treats the land as a preserve. On top of that, many of the rooms have gorgeous views, and ours had a view of the ocean over the hills. The staff is amazing. Everyone is super friendly and helpful. Even though they have some routines that make things easy to follow and access, the staff is more than willing to help or adjust if you need it. We drove in, and once there they reserved a parking spot for us near the cart / shuttle service for the entire stay! From the entrance / parking, a shuttle takes you to the main building (rain or shine…we never had to wait in the rain and it was pouring when we arrived). The facilities were outstanding and well-appointed. Don’t get me wrong, there are some features that are aged, but most things are very nice and everything is always super-clean. The pools are really nice. Small, but several levels allow for multiple infinity pool experiences, along with floating chairs if you prefer to hold your drink while floating. There is a “swim up” bar that I think is usually open from 12-5 but don’t quote me on that. The food was pretty good. IMO, stick with traditional dishes. Ceviche and traditional Costa Rican breakfast were our favorites, but everything we tried was pretty good. The drink menu is a little light. They offer enough choices, but there are not any high end liquors, and the wine is good but I do not believe I also any vintages that you might expect from a hotel of this caliber. Finally, the rooms were very very nice. Our son had his own “standard” room and it looked as nice as ours did, even though he did not have as much space. Our room was a suite with a bedroom, full bath with walk in shower, a private patio, and a living space complete with leather sofa (and pull out bed), dining table with chairs, and club style chairs to complete the seating area. All very comfortable. Our room also came with access to a private terrace on the top floor. This space also included seating and tables, umbrella, and curtained Chaises. Great views from there and the private patio! In short, we did not have enough time to enjoy all of the amenities even within our own room, but we were beyond comfortable and the views and vibe were amazing. One more thing: the owner has started a macaw restoration project, so you can see Scarlett macaws on the premise. We also saw many other bird species (this is an eBird hotspot for those who use it), heard monkeys, and enjoyed seeing sloths and iguanas on the premise (but not in or near the room 😊).

Perfect stay from start to finish. The property is beautiful and unique. The staff was very attentive and extremely friendly. Everything felt very private and special. We stayed in Master Suite 19, which had an absolutely insane view. We ended up ordering room service most of the time because we the view here rivaled the restaurant and amphitheater, and there is a beautifully set table ready to be used on the terrace. Beyond eating and swimming in our pool, we really enjoyed exploring the property through the beautifully kept pathways. Walking through the jungle, seeing monkeys overhead, dart frogs, toucans, etc all on the property. Much to our surprise, the only thing we didn't see were bugs or mosquitos! Truly amazing. Before booking I saw mixed reviews on the food -- we absolutely didn't find this to be the case. The included breakfast was great. I really enjoyed the ”Costa Rican” breakfast. We mostly ordered dinner to the room, but all the food was delicious. Chicken quesadilla and shrimp pasta was exceptional. We had lunch in the restaurant one day and it was just ”OK” -- but all in the all the food is great. We took one day to walk down to the beach, which was quite a fun experience. It took us about an hour climbing slowly downhill but it was good exercise. The beach itself is was fantastic with great views. We got lunch and drinks from the super amazing host at the beach bar/restaurant. She also showed us their resident turtle and helped arrange for a ride back up the mountain when we were ready to leave. It's not a sand beach, which I honestly I found to be more pleasant. There were tables, cabanas, and lounge chairs. We were the only ones at the beach -- it was awesome. The only con I have is that the pool in Master Suite 19 is too deep. I'm 5'10 and had to be on my tippy toes/tread water to move around anywhere in the pool besides the stairs where you get in. This was very easy to overlook, but just be aware, or bring a float. The main hotel pool does not have this issue, so if you're feeling short like I did, head there. I would recommend this resort to you if you are looking for something authentic, historical, romantic, and unique. The setting is unparalleled and the service matches. It's not the newest, or the most technologically advanced, or any of that -- but that's not why you're here. If you want that experience, there are plenty of chain hotels that will give you the same experience in every country without anything special or unique.