Anita_

After we left Arenal, we headed toward Manuel Antonio. We got lost in San Ramon, (there are very few street signs anywhere in Costa Rica). The drive is scenic and adventure filled. We stopped at the Crocodile bridge (where everyone stops). We saw 8 crocs! They were huge too! That night we stayed at the Los Suenos Marriott. This was pure American luxury. It's a beautiful place. The food was great too! Breakfast buffet was wonderful! And so reasonable! We thought the Marriott was the best value in Costa Rica. (Ask for the VISA special if you have a VISA card). Next day we drove about 1 hour to Quepos and Manuel Antonio. More later.

Anita_

We made it to Quepos from Los Suenos in under an hour. Manuel Antonio Park is beautiful. Quepos was not as nice as we thought it'd be. We felt that walking anywhere was not an option. There's no room for pedestrians on the roads. We were glad we had our rental car. Everything was way overpriced, (and the exchange rate was the worst in the country). We really wanted to enjoy the beaches and relax, but were dismayed to find out that the best beach was in the MA Park, and not at all convenient. The public beaches were not kept up very well, and the run off from all the rain deposited a lot of silt, (the water was murky). Si Como No is way overrated. It's over-priced, and the food was not good. It was not as clean as the cabins of Arenal Paraiso at the Volcano Arenal. We had a deluxe suite with a nice view, and it included art work on the walls with price tags (tacky). The staff was not particularly gracious, and we felt that over-all, we would not recommend this hotel. Originally we were scheduled to stay for 5 nights, but we left after 3, (forfeiting our 5th night free). We later found out that it is American owned. We did have a great dinner at Marluna down the street, and the coffee and lunch at Cafe Milagro was great! Other people we met said Tambor and Flamingo beach were much nicer than this area. We also recommend Tamarindo over MA for beaches and atmosphere We had 2 nights left b4 our flight home, (we thought). We went back to Marriott at Los Suenos and kicked back.

Suzie2

Hey Anita!,
Sorry so many things didn't work out for you. You sure did everything right in asking lots of questions before you went. Si Como No is one of the most recommended hotels in Manuel Antonio. Don't know it personally because I haven't been back in a few years (too touristy for me). Way back when I started going to CR the public beach was considered a little iffy because of unsanitary drainage but I assumed it had been cleaned up??
Sounds like you ran into typical American standards/non standards. High ones at one and low ones at another. Should you ever get up to the Flamingo area the beach there is beautiful. I spent several hours a day there doing my homework for my spanish classes. The Conchal beach is also very pretty. Was very busy on the weekend when I was there.
Your trip home sounded like a nightmare. There have been several complaints on the boards regarding Taca airlines service or should I say non service. Most airlines would have given you some assistance. Was thinking about trying them but yours was one too many complaints for me to overlook.
I can see why you got turned around in San Ramon. We drove through there to get to Carara this year and there were signs pointing to Puntarenas in several different directions. Thank goodness we had a driver that knew which one to take.
I have a friend coming home today. Hope he and his wife had better luck than you did. They stayed up in Flamingo.

Iza! your turn next, hope we get better news from you. If I should forget....have a great trip.

Percy

Anita:
Glad to read your report but sorry that things turned out bad for you.
It is nice to read a report from someone telling it like it is.
I too have heard lots of good things about Si Como No and have seen it in magazines,but of course no one ever advertises ,saying that their place is not nice.
Your trip home sounded like a nigthmare from hell.
Thank you for the report.
percy

ewesthoff

Just returned from CR and also stayed at SiComoNo. No, I would not recommend this hotel based on the following reasons: it is so over-priced, especially compared to the other hotels in the area, the front desk was uncooperative and rather rude, and it is so far from the park, being on top of the hill, that you must drive or walk a great distance. I will however say that the food was quite good and the people in the small restaurant by the pool were the nicest and most helpful out of any we met in CR. They told us about private beaches in the area that were free, where to see the best wildlife and were genuinely nice and helpful. This however was the only good thing about this hotel. I would recommend trying something less expensive . We also traveled to Tamarindo, Flamingo and Coco Beach, and would highly recommend these areas for great beaches and activities.