Tulemar bungalows vs Arenas del Mar
 

Almost finished planning our trip-this is the last leg and want it to be relaxing and memorable-
Cant decide between these two properties so any input would be appreciated-I want to get a sense of each so I know which is a better fit for myself, husband and 20 yo son

We love Tulemar Bungalows - it's a beautiful property. Love that they have their own beach, great service, a free shuttle that runs around the property. We saw a lot of wildlife on site including sloths, monkeys, and an aracari. We were able to walk to several nearby restaurants from here. We also really liked having our own kitchen for storing leftovers, keeping breakfast foods on hand, keeping drinks cold, etc. They have a wide variety of accommodations. I'd recommend getting a balcony.

I've only stayed at Tulemar (and Gaia). The Tulemar complex is bigger with a wider variety of accommodations from the more rustic original bungalows to some pretty incredible private homes so there are some decisions to make even within Tulemar as to what type of accommodations you prefer. Arenas del Mar seems much more uniform and hotel like and I believe they have a restaurant that serves dinner. At Tulemar you'd have to go off property for dinner (there are restaurants within walking distance) or cook/have food cooked for you in your kitchen. Staying at Tulemar is more like staying at a condo or vacation rental with some hotel amenities thrown in. They both seem to have nice views, beach access and wildlife on property.

Another thing we liked about Tulemar is that we had our own concierge - they'll buy groceries for you, make reservations and recommendations; ours even drove us to an out of the way restaurant one day. They can be as involved as much or as little as you want. The bungalows do not have balconies, but we stayed in Mot Mot and Casa Panorama, and they were very up to date and nice. Arenas del Mar seems to always get good reviews too.

I have only stayed at Arenas del Mar.

They also have a golf cart shuttle, wildlife on site, a "private" beach, refrigerators.

Another thing that Arenas del Mar offers is access (by shuttle) to the public beach, which means you can walk along that to reach Manuel Antonio park and the restaurants in town.

There are two restaurants at Arenas del Mar, one up at the top (for breakfast and dinner) and one at their beach, for lunch. As well as room service and rotating free snacks.

If space is important, the bedrooms are rather small in some rooms, but there is a large balcony and the showers are huge!

Also they had a great wildlife guide when I was there (Ersel). Of course no guarantees that he is there and available to meet your needs but they do offer a full range of activities.

Basically it is a full service resort hotel, vs the other option.