HI All,

Well I am trying to book my lodging in MA and I am having some issues and need some suggestions. I am looking for a high end resort in the MA for my family (wife, kids 4 and 6, and Grandpa.) Here are the issues I have run into and I could use some suggestions:

1. Tulemar's restaurant is now closed as is the pool. This sounded the best to me but missing those two things are deal breakers.

2. Buena Vista has pools, but no restaurant (shares the Tulemar restaurant) which means no food or snacks at the pools or beach. This makes it not a perfect situation for us as we would like to eat by the pool/beach and not have to leave during the day with all our baggage.

3. Arenas del Mar is booked for 2 of the 5 nights we are looking for.

Any other ideas? Si Como No is a possibility, but I was looking for something a little more fancy as this is a special trip for my wife.

Any thoughts or advice are appreciated.

You might check out Makanda by the Sea or Mango Moon to see if they have what you're looking for. Personally I would still stay at Buena Vista - so many good restaurants in MA, and you could keep snacks and drinks in your villa.

Makanda is adult only....MM might not be upscale enough?? I love it though. Why not La Gaia...? It's Fancy, lol!!!

I've been reading about Issimo Suites - is that a possibility?

bella, I didn't know if Makanda was kid friendly or not - seems like most "fancy" places are adult only. Friends of ours went to Makanda for their honeymoon and really liked it. Makes sense that it's an adults only property.

www.gaiahr.com most upscale 5 star

but on bluff views shuttle to park/beach.

www.buenavistavillas.net for me

maybe www.issimosuites.com but not of the quality of BVV.

oops just saw that Gaia is now adults only also

So back to BVV unless you can get around that.

One other upscale thought rent a staffed villa

www.vrbo.com Manuel Antonio

lots of great options there...

www.casatolteca.com

lots of others

would be a great upscale option.

Si Como No is a good possibility. There is an adult pool and a large pool for both children and adults. Like much of Manuel Antonio, it is located on the side of the hill. The 2 restaurants at Si Como No are excellent. Go out for special occasions, but stay home for just good food. Study the menus at their website. Convenient, also. If Grandpa is not mobility impaired, the stairs and ramps will probably be no problem. The views and the grounds are beautiful. A shuttle, public bus, or taxi will get you to the Park or the huge public beach. The water close to the shore is fine for closely supervised 4 and 6 year olds to splash in, but there are dangers beyond. We are regulars at Si Como No and simply enjoy being there. Some feel that it is a bit over priced. Most upscale places in MA seem that way to me.

Si Como No does not have the "glitz" of Arenas del Mar, but it has other, pleasant features. When we want white sands and azure waters, we go to the Caribbean. Sand color, water clairty, and wave action in most of Costa Rica just don't appeal to us for beach vacation. Jungle that runs right down to the sand with our occasional forays into the swells is what we seek in Costa Rica.

If you really want a pleasant beach experience, the lovely beach at Tulemar/BV is a delight. It was excellent when there was a beach bar where you could get lunch. If they still offer water toys and beach chairs and umbrellas, it is a wonderful experience. It is not really a private beach--but public access is blocked by private property. (You could use the beach if you came in by water, but that is problematic also.) The water is calmer than the large public beach, but still not without its dangers. We used to do our beach time at Tulemar and our bird and monkey worship at Si Como No. The closing of the restaurant at Tulemar is not a great loss. Very uneven food service and occasionally very untypical rudeness for Costa Rica.

If you want convenient beach time, get a few days at Arenas del Mar and spend the rest of the time at Si Como No or one of the others.

Just to clarify about Tuelmar: We have reservations at Tulemar/Villa Mot Mot in January, so I emailed them about the pool situation since we do not want to be in MA with no access to a pool.

They told me that their pool will be closed for the season but that we would be able to use the pool at BVV. The restaurant will be closed throughout the high season. For us, though, that's not a big deal since we'll have a kitchenette and will welcome the days of not having to eat out for all meals with a toddler.

In any event, I like the idea above of staying at Arenas del Mar for a few days and Si Como No or BVV/Tulemar for the others. Si Como No is great for kids. While the rooms are not really over-the-top upscale, they are quite comfortable and some have fantastic views. There is also a family pool and adults only pool, which is quite nice. And, as stated above, the restaurants are very good.

We chose Villa Mot Mot this time, though, as we will only have 3 nights in M.A. and wanted to have the convenience of having both a beach and a pool on the property.

There are a couple good restaurants within easy walking distance of BVV (Cafe Milagro being one). Is the restaurant at Tulemar closed for good or just the season?

SiteCer: The initial email confirmation I received from Tulemar in September stated that the onsite restaurant had changed management so my breakfast would not be included as was stated on the website, but that it would be available to us. No one ever told me, though, about the restaurant closing

When I just recently questioned them about the pool, they also let me know that Tule Cafe would be closed and that there would be no restaurant on site.

The email said it was through the season. But given the discrepancies in the two emails, who knows how long it will be?

Since breakfast was included during our stay, we ate there most every morning. However, due to the number of nearby restaurants and a grocery store, I would not be let the cafe be a concern. There are a number of pools on the property and beach is wonderful. Enjoy!

I would still go to Tulemar, or BVV - they're the same property - the same beach. If you go to BVV, you will have snacks at the beach - they have a beach snack bar - unless they've closed that too. If Tulemar tells you you can use BVV's pool then you should be good. We only ate at the restaurant at Tulemar for the included breakfast. For lunch and dinner, we ate at the beach or out.

Gaia, Issimo and Makanda are all adults only I think. My second choice would be Si Como No.

The selling point for me is the private beach. It's just so nice to have it right there. It's a beautiful property.