Hotel Cantarana

I loved this hotel. The room was basic, but the atmosphere overall was fabulous. Great small pool, easy walk to one of the most beautiful private beaches. The restaurant had fantastic food and drinks- Mario was amazing. If I come back to Costa Rica I will not be staying anywhere else. It was magical!

This place is a gem! The restaurant: We went there twice. Louis and Angie were so kind. They work really hard and do their best. The food is fresh and really good. Thanks to the cook! The ambiance is relaxed, the music is not too loud and the place is beautiful. Hotel: I loved my time at the Cantarana. This place is beautiful and very calm. The staff is helpful if there is a problem. They are very friendly too. The pool is beautiful but it's better maintained in the brother hotel El Maglore and there are less mosquitoes over there too.

When we arrived the hotel was empty. There were no people to help or welcome us, which felt a bit odd. The room was worn down and dirty. Even the coffee cup was dirty (see pictures) We therefore wanted to shorten our stay, but the the staff was completely unhelpful and started arguing with us instead. We therefore decided to book another hotel eve though this hotel would not shorten our stay.

Perfectly located by the beach and within walking distance to sev restaurants. Nice pool and uncrowded. Restaurant upstairs serves great food (breakfast, lunch, dinner w vegetarian options) w happy hour from 4-6. Managed by Mario who is great. Hotel staff are kind, accommodating, and prompt in their response on Whatsapp.

The room assigned to us was an error but staff handled a bad situation as best they could. We reserved and paid for a villa months in advance. Upon arrival we were taken to a lower category standard room. Exploring our concerns about the unexplained downgrade, staff finally agreed that we had indeed reserved a villa. The manager, Andrea, explained that they had made a mistake. She said our villa had been freshly painted and could not be occupied that day due to the fumes. She also said the hotel had booked that villa for the following nights when we were supposed to occupy it. With no other villas available at either of their two sister hotels (Cantarana and Manglar), the manager offered us choices. We could receive a full refund but this was not practical due to our long tiring travel that day. Or, we could stay in the lower category room but receive free breakfasts - no refund. Later she also offered other small concessions including a tote bag and welcome drinks. We begrudgingly agreed to the latter. What we really wanted was the villa that we had paid for. Our night in the unappealing tired downgraded room, was shattered in the middle of the night by some animal clanging metal around abive us. We later learned it was most likely a racoon rummaging through the kitchen in the hotel restaurant located above us. Worse yet, we woke up the next morning to a cold shower - no hot water. We'd finally had enough. Staff refunded the remaining nights fees and we moved to another hotel. Andrea the manager handled the tough situation very politely and sincerely apologized to us. Nevertheless, our experience was a major disappointment and caused unwanted disruption during our vacation. We would NOT RETURN HERE.

The best part of our experience at this hotel was meeting the locals who work at the hotel and restaurants, and meeting other guests from around the world. We especially loved the reception we got from Yorya. She was extremely helpful, and knowledgeable about Costa Rica and the local area. She is well-suited for this kind of work with the guests. We plan to stay in contact with her. We would like to visit Costa Rica again. We will be telling our friends about the surfing camp just down the street. It would be a great experience for families and young adults.