Makanda or Si Como No or Mariposa
 

<BR><BR>I like the sound of Makanda! But what do you think of Mariposa and Si Como No ?

Well, I've not stayed at any of these, but have seen them all for dinner, drinks, etc.<BR>My take is that Makanda is probably the most romantic, but a little tiny bit isolated. It's about a 20-30 minute walk from the main road as I recall. We had dinner there one night and it was SO romantic. Very little lighting..mostly those small twinkling Christmas tree kind of lights. Lovely. Also this is a smaller property, which could also account for the romantic atmosphere. <BR>We had happy hour almost every night at La Mariposa. Spectacular sunset views from their pool bar. We did ask to see a room. The one they showed us was NOT in the tower (I heard those aren't so nice) but we saw a newer room away from the main building and were blown away. Great view from the private patio, BIG room, BIG bath. We were impressed but were already settled somewhere else (Villa Nicolas) so did not want to move. Also, La Mariposa is right across the street from one of our favorite restaurants, Karolas.<BR>Villa Nicolas is next door to Si Como No on the main road. We only saw it while walking by. It looked very nice though and does get great reviews. I think this hotel may be more 'family' friendly. They have a nice little pool with a slide that seems to attract the kids!<BR>I don't think you'd go wrong with any of these hotels.

I totally agree with Ally's assessment.<BR>We stayed at Si Como No last year and really enjoyed it but it is family friendly so there are usually a few kids there(although we saw some young couples there obviously enjoying themselves).<BR>We only walked by Makanda and La Mariposa, and noticed that the views from La Mariposa were spectacular and Makanda had a wonderful secluded location. <BR>So it all depends on what you're looking for. <BR>For a honeymoon I would probably pick Makanda.

I've actually stayed at all 3. We were planning our honeymoon and had a tough time choosing. We chose Makanda and ended up arriving in Manuel Antonio 2 days early, so we stayed 1 night in both of the others. We were VERY happy with our choice. Mariposa was beautiful, the sunsets were the highlight. It has a full panoramic view, the rooms were pretty, the restaurant was also a really nice atmosphere. Si Como No seemed like a the perfect place to go with kids. It was also beautiful, really nice rooms with great views, great food, etc. Makanda, however, blew us away. It is adults only. It is completely serene, tranquil, peaceful, luxurious...I could go on. The staff was VERY friendly and the food was delicious. We had our own studio with another one on top of ours (which happened to be vacent). It was beautiful and somewhat isolated. It had a small kitchen area with a table and a small sitting area. The bathroom was even VERY nice. Everything was revolved around the view. the terrace had chairs and a hammock. We ordered room service for breakfast most days (which is included). They also have villas.

I too am choosing between these three..and thought Makanda looked nice. my question is there enough to do around there to spend 5 days and then head to Arenal before heading back to San Jose?<BR><BR>Thanks!<BR>

Funny how these three hotels always seem to be in the hunt for the same business. They're all great, but very different. Si Como No feels the most like a traditional hotel, but does a very nice job of pulling off an elegant, modern feel amidst a jungle setting. The food is probably the best of the 3. Makanda is the smallest and most intimate. These aren't hotel rooms at all, they're private villas. The food is also very good. I probably wouldn't take a family there. Mariposa has the best views of the three by far, but the food is lacking and some of the rooms are not great (you need to stay in the high end ones). The view is worth the price.<BR><BR>5 nights is quite a bit at any beach (for my taste) but if you're going to be in one place in CR, it might as well be Manuel Antonio. You can find plenty of tours to take up each day. The nightlife there is also quite fun...<BR><BR>Casey

I stayed at La Mariposa last month. Casey's description of the place is right on point. A junior suite in the main bldg (room 35) had a breathtaking view; it sits on the corner so have large windows & balcony area facing in two directions. In order to get to your room in this building, you have to walk up an outside circular wrought iron staircase. I'm usually not bothered by heights, however it's a little unnerving to climb "see thru" stairs.<BR><BR>La Mariposa is in the process of redoing one of the bldgs --- I believe scheduled completion date is sometime in January 2003. The manager told us they originally had planned to redo them as villas, however now they may end up being junior suites. Either way, it looks like they'll offer more great views.<BR>