A little more help for over 50 group
 

OK our over fifty group of 6 has decided on Arenal the Lost Iguana then MA. Can someone tell me the differences between the Mariposa, Makanda,Parador and Si Co Mo No?
Thanks much
CM

Mariposa, Makanda and Si Como No are all beautiful hotels. Mariposa and Makanda are geared more for adults, especially Makanda. Si Como No tends to attract more families as it is more kid-friendly. I love how it was built into the existing landscape with the highest environmental sensitivity. Unfortunately, the opposite is true of Parador, which was built by blasting away a huge patch of rainforest on top of a hill. As a result, it sticks out like a sore thumb. IMHO, Parador is a garish monstrosity. Guess you could say I'm slightly biased against the Parador. :)

Thanks for the info and we will stay away from the El Parador. Heard anything about the Tulemar?
CM

My family stayed at Tulemar in July 2000. We realy enjoyed it. It's away from the road so it's very quiet. It has its own beach. The only negative was that the restaurant was very expensive. However, there are plenty of other places to eat in the area.
We are planning to stay there for our trip this summer.

I might agree that Mariposa, Makanda and Parador are more "adult" type luxury hotels. They are all located down a little road called Quepos Point. Transporation is readily available if you do not have a car but it is too far to walk without one. Especially at night.

Si Como No always gets my first vote.
There are two restaurants and a special pool on the deck of the seafood restaurant. The view is beautiful. But then, the views from the others are very nice, too.

I like to have lunch at the Mariposa just because of the spectacular view from the dining room.

I agree that especially in an ecological country, the fact that Si Como No has made that an important factor in their building is very nice and should be congratulated.

However, the other hotels mentioned really are all very nice. Parador to me is stately! Did I spell that right?

My vote is for Si Como No because of its location. El Parador would come close on my list as sencond.

Someone also mentioned the Costa Verde.
It is less money but is it still nice? We could get a two bedroom and then a single. If you have Visited Costa Verde please let me know your thoughts. I guess we better make a decision, May is around the corner.
Thanks much
CM

My daughter and I stayed at Costa Verde in Sept. and thought it a great place to stay. The view from there is spectacular. We stayed in Building B upper floor which was near the open air restaurant which we enjoyed. There is an adult building,but I understand has no airconditioning,but the views from there are also beautiful. From this building there is a hill to climb to get to the restaurant. There is a bus that runs right in front to Manuel Antonio Park which we found convenient as we did not rent a car.
The room we were in had a stove and eating-cooking utensils where we only heated water for coffee or used it to heat water for instant foods. For the price we found it a very good place to stay.

We stayed at La Mariposa over Christmas and although it does have a beautiful view from the restaurant, we were not impressed with our room and the service at the hotel was terrible. Suggest staying somewhere else, and stop in for a drink at sunset for the view. We trasferred to Si Como No and would very highly recommend it! There is an adults only pool with swim up bar if you're not into the family thing. We had lunch at Costa Verde and the meal was excellent. I didn't see the rooms. The buildings are older than Si Como No but it seemed like a nice place.

I looked at each of these hotels and to say that one is more eco friendly than another is somewhat ridiculous. Whenever you put a building up, you are removing tree's, relocating animals, etc. Parador is harly a garish monstrosity. They have a great trail leading down to the ocean that is full of animals, plants, etc.

Mariposa has a great sunset but looks as if it is need a of a major renovation.

One comment on the Costa Verde is that you will get delivery truck traffic at 6 am from the hill in front that wakes you up, unless you leave the AC on. It is good value and location.

"to say that one [hotel] is more eco friendly than another is somewhat ridiculous."

I beg to differ - strongly! There is absolutely degrees of eco-friendliness. Si Como No removed NO trees in order to build their establishment. Do the research, and you'll see. It has been awarded internationally for its eco-friendliness.

Parador, on the other hand, has been damned for destroying ecosystems and terrain in a slap-happy, drastic manner. It is a monster pure and simple. Eco-friendly? Not at all! And ugly and austere and out-of-place and pretentious to boot!