60 Best Hotels in Costa Rica

Their motto, "still more monkeys than people" is not an understatement, as you're likely to see howler and white-faced monkeys on the forest trails surrounding these varied accommodations (including four converted from airplanes). The property feels stuck in the 1980s but has plenty of lodging types to choose from. All units have kitchenettes, room-front parking, and ocean or garden views. The 20 adults-only studios in Costa Verde II are spacious, with large balconies; those in the other buildings are smaller, but all have standard amenities like flat-screen TVs and air-conditioning. Fully equipped apartments are great for families, and the cheaper "efficiencies" near the road are sightly dated but seem to get the most "monkey business," with troops swinging by your patio or jumping on the rooftops. The hotel has four themed restaurants in Manuel Antonio; El Wagon and El Avion are your best options. If you want to skip the hike to the beach, there are three swimming pools where you can cool off closer to "home." Book a room away from the road if you're a light sleeper.

From the villas to the farm to the on-site hot springs, kids and adults alike are enthralled by this peaceful property. The lush and lovely well-kept grounds have volcano views and include an agua fria (cold water) pool for splashing around as well as multiple tranquil hot springs to relax. There is a spa, bar, and restaurant. The farm-fresh eggs (you can collect them yourself) make for a hearty and delicious breakfast.

This laid-back hotel is right on the beach, and, though nothing fancy, it has comfortable rooms and is an excellent option if you're watching your expenses. The palm-shaded, open-air bar and restaurant is often hopping with local expats and visitors exchanging fishing, boating, and real estate stories. Rooms have tropical decor with terra-cotta tiles, bamboo furniture, and large windows. Those on the second floor are nicer, with high, sloping wooden ceilings. Only two rooms (Nos. 211 and 212) have ocean views, but you're likely to spend plenty of your time in one of the many chairs and hammocks overlooking the beach—some are a shell's toss from the surf at high tide. The hotel runs daily snorkeling and sunset cruises on its own handsome 38-foot sailboat. In the restaurant, jumbo shrimp and always-fresh mahimahi are fixtures. Come on Wednesday or Saturday for beach barbecues. Drinks are two-for-one every day during happy hour, 4 to 6 pm.

This small hotel tucked off the road to La Garita is a simple and relaxed place to unwind, with its owners adding welcoming energy and personalized touches to the place. There are six buildings, most divided into two units, arranged around the pool and gardens. The white-wall rooms are simple, but it's a quiet place to sleep. Calling ahead for directions is a good idea, but once you're here, you'll have easy access to nearby restaurants and the Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center. The hotel offers occasional online-only specials.

A few blocks from the beach, this family-focused property boasts three swimming pools, equipped kitchens, and comfortable rooms of varying size and style. Bright, pastel-hued standard rooms have two queen-size beds and most have kitchenettes; top-floor rooms have a small living room with checkered sofas and a double bed; the cozy split-level rooms with kitchenettes and stone walls are reminiscent of European bed-and-breakfasts. The Dutch owner is dedicated to cleanliness and provides lots of amenities, such as poolside grills, a kids' game room, a large open-air reading lounge, and inexpensive tours. If you don't mind the climb, request an upstairs room with a balcony overlooking the pool.

Built around a tropical garden, this pretty collection of bungalows is clean and comfortable, making this laid-back spot a great option for families. There are orthopedic mattresses, air-conditioning, and ceiling fans, with screened windows if you prefer fresh air at night. Some rooms are rather dark, but the patios with hammocks and the lovely pool offer bright alternatives by day. This is one of the few hotels built around a tropical garden; guests are welcome to pick bananas poolside. Their popular bar Monkey La-La has a happy hour from 4 to 6, and live music on Monday and Saturday. 

Simple but spacious rooms are a short walk from the beach and are surrounded by green lawns bordered on two sides by the tall trees of Manuel Antonio National Park. It's worth splurging for Unit 31, a large room with a Jacuzzi. A small blue-tile pool and patio have a pleasant adjacent bar area. Directly behind are private walking trails within the hotel's reserve, and a large, open-air restaurant specializing in seafood dishes, particularly local tuna.

This beachfront hotel has everything: a spectacular beach with a major surf break; a trendy restaurant with ocean views; a round, palm-fringed pool; bungalows and rooms sprinkled throughout a mature garden; twice-daily yoga sessions on the beach; and a full-service spa. And it's smack in the heart of the liveliest section of Santa Teresa, with restaurants and bars within easy walking distance if you ever tire of the fusion food at the romantic, beachfront Shambala. At the entrance you leave the dusty noise of the main road behind and enter a quiet, dark tropical forest. The shaded garden path eventually leads you into brilliant sunlight and a panoramic beach view. When the surf’s up, you’ll see dozens of surfers riding the waves. Lodging runs the gamut of comfort and price—from superior beachfront bungalows to houses equipped with kitchens for families or groups to garden-view cabins and cheaper rooms in a triplex, close to the entrance parking area. All have Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, ceiling fans, terraces or porches, private baths, security boxes, and coffeemakers with complimentary coffee.

This country inn a few miles outside of Turrialba offers peace and quiet, a rural feel, and friendly owners and staff. The gardens and pool are terrific places to kick back and relax after a day of sightseeing. Each room comes with private terrace, mini-refrigerator, hardwood floors, and two queen-size beds. The two superior rooms are brighter than the standard ones and a better bet when available. One room is fully wheelchair accessible.

The name says it all at this property with artfully crafted studios and apartments tucked into the lush hillside of Manuel Antonio. Natural light floods the vibrant rooms boasting balconies and large windows overlooking the rainforest and tile pool. Each is cheerfully decorated and equipped with modern perks like smart TVs, high-speed Wi-Fi, and even full kitchens in the larger rooms. A complimentary Costa Rican breakfast is served creekside, or you can hold out for lunch at the Sloth Snack Bar for burgers, wraps, salads, and ceviches. Guests have access to amenities at their sister property, Los Altos, just up the hill.

Along with one of the best sunset views along the coast, this comfortable ecolodge on a high cliff bordering Ballena Marine National Park has spacious, airy cabins and a forest trail to a pristine beach. Wood-and-stone cabins, spaced out along a garden path that descends from the open-air main lodge, have huge bathrooms with spacious showers. Trails wend through dense primary forest down to the wide sweep of almost-deserted Playa Arco and to a private, natural swimming pond. Electric car owners can charge up for the night at the hotel's electric charging stations. Breakfasts are hearty, served in the hotel's contemporary restaurant Aracari, which is also open to nonguests. Along with contemplating nature, you can nurture your inner self at the huge, otherworldly yoga platform or pamper your outer self with a massage. For more space with a view, request a suite or deluxe room.

With rooms wrapping a lush garden setting—and within walking distance to one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful beaches—you get the best of both worlds at this four-star boutique hotel overlooking Playa Carrillo. Setting the scene are stone fountains and a small shop near reception, followed by garden pathways that lead to two pools, a jacuzzi, spa, and two restaurants. A 1-mile trail leads down to a crescent cove, or you can hop on the free shuttle to the beach. Sun beds, showers, restrooms, food service, and other beach amenities are available exclusively for hotel guests. This family-friendly property boasts a children’s pool, entertainment area, playground, foosball, ping pong, and other games. Among the six categories of rooms are some with kitchenettes and others with private Jacuzzis.

These three bedroom Balinese-inspired luxury condo suites boast 2,500 square feet of living space with industrial kitchens, slate floors, granite counters, rich hardwoods, and rattan furnishings. Interior design is tailored yet cozy, with microsuede couches, white duvets, bowl sinks, and floral paintings illuminated with recessed lighting. Three balconies and 2½ bathrooms mean there’s plenty of space for the whole family. Accessed by private elevator, each suite includes Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and ocean views from the living room and dining area. They all sleep six, but those on higher levels cost increasingly more for the view. The pool, restaurant, gym, game room, hiking trails, exclusive beach, and room service make it difficult to leave the comfort of the grounds. In 2022, the property added 10 homes and 2 villas for rent. If you fall in love with the place, you can purchase one of the elegant condos.

This 18-acre private reserve contains 16 cozy cabins with fully equipped kitchens in which you can prepare meals with produce from the hotel’s hydroponic vegetable garden. Accommodating from two to six people, cabins vary in size and amenities—best are the superior cabins with fireplaces, wraparound patios, satellite TVs, outdoor grills, and stained-glass windows. Family cabins have three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and living rooms. This eco-friendly property operates on solar power and has a water-treatment system, a recycling center, and a workshop where fallen trees are repurposed for furniture and building materials. The playground and hiking trails frequented by monkeys make this a popular spot for families.

Sprawling across 159 acres, this mammoth multimillion-dollar resort is surrounded by 1,100 acres of rainforest with colonial-style buildings and gorgeous views of Herradura Bay. You'll find modern amenities combined with traditional Central American decorative motifs, such as barrel-tile roofing and hand-painted tiles. Rooms here have marble baths, wooden furniture, and tiny balconies. Be sure to get one with an ocean view, or you'll be contemplating condos. An enormous pool with islands and swim-up bars, a Ted Robinson golf course, five restaurants, and various diversions (tennis, pool activities, driving range, etc.) are designed to keep you on-site and entertained. The Sibö Rainforest Spa is one of the best in Central America.

With a prime spot on the beach and a mammoth pool with a swim-up bar to lounge around, this Jimmy Buffet–themed hotel is eager to please. Plus, there are large family and honeymoon suites with kitchenettes. Beds, decor, and televisions were last updated in 2018.

On the hillside above Playa Carrillo, this modern hotel has three categories of rooms, some as large as 807 square feet; despite the name, there are no bungalows nor is the property beachfront. Yet, what it lacks in branding, it makes up for in size and comfort. Even the most basic rooms have two queen beds, hammocks, and balconies with ocean views. Take it up a notch with a spacious suite equipped with a Jacuzzi on the terrace. If you want to spend less time in your room, there’s always the infinity pool, yoga studio, spa, and the beach just a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Two bars and a restaurant shake up strong drinks and serve Costa Rican-fusion cuisine, but both service and prices could use a little ironing out. If you happen to be in Monte Verde, it's worth visiting Nammbú's sister property, El Establo Hotel.

Bordered by the Ostional-Nosara Wildlife Refuge, a private path through native jungle gets you to the beach at this welcoming hotel, which has a surf school and organic restaurant on-site. Mindful of every detail, from the beautiful mosaics done by local artists that adorn the exterior to the kitchenettes in rooms and free laundry service, the Olas Verdes and its staff make you feel right at home. At this small Costa Rican hotel, you can chose from poolside rooms, beach apartments, or luxury suites that can sleep up to four guests. Regardless of the category, rooms are spacious with day beds, coffee makers, mini-refrigerators, and refillable canteens. 

In one of the most beautiful mountain settings imaginable, this yoga-centric riverside lodge, reminiscent of a Himalayan temple, is pure pleasure, from the lush flower gardens to the sophisticated room design to the open-air yoga studio within sound of the rushing river. The two-story lodge has six double rooms with two single beds each and modern bathrooms; five suites and casitas offer more privacy and self-catering facilities. Breakfast is included and dinner is by reservation. You can order a packed lunch or be on your own for lunch. You can soak in the swimming pool and hot tub or cool off in a natural river pool.

You may feel as though you're on a luxury safari when you step inside one of these spacious South African tents perched on sturdy wooden platforms cantilevered over a rushing mountain river. There's lots of headroom, electricity for reading lights and fans, comfortable beds, and—even more civilized—a private, spring-fresh bathroom with hot shower just a zippered compartment away. You can enjoy bird-watching and river views from your own veranda, hike forest trails to a nearby waterfall or follow the stepping stones to explore the other side of the river, bask on a sun-baked rock in the middle of the river, or go horseback riding. This campers' paradise is the creation of an energetic, eco-minded Dutch couple. Breakfast is excellent—tropical fruits, homemade bread, granola, and Dutch pancakes are highlights—served in a stylish, open-air lodge with Wi-Fi. For guests who prefer to stay in the lodge, there are three comfortable rooms. Tea and coffee are available, but there's no restaurant.

Tranquil, comfortable, and nicely priced, this small hotel and spa a short walk from the beach is consistently the best deal in Malpaís. Red-tile-roof bungalows here are simple yet tasteful, with high wooden ceilings, large bathrooms, lots of windows, front terraces, Wi-Fi, and air-conditioning. Some bungalows, arranged in a semicircle around the large amoeba-shape pool and gardens, have views of the sea and the jungle. Two smaller rooms are a bargain, or there's a kitchen-equipped studio that sleeps four. The reasonably priced Italian restaurant in front of the property is open for breakfast and dinner and serves more than two-dozen types of pizza (you can also design your own) plus tapas. There are also fresh fish dishes with a selection of sauces, and tasty pasta offerings such as farfalle with fish and shrimp curry sauce. There's a pleasant yoga deck and best of all, the hotel fronts a paved road, so there are no clouds of dust to contend with, and you can actually hear birds singing.

Within the Centro Neotrópico Sarapiquís, an environmental educational center and garden, you can stay the night inside indigenous-inspired circular palenque (huts) with thatched roofs. The eco-friendly buildings reflect the center's commitment to sustainability, and for a fee guests have access to a botanical garden, forest preserve, and other facilities and nature-themed activities. Rooms are well sized and decorated with pre-Columbian-style art and wrought-iron furniture. Air-conditioning is an option here for an extra cost.

This sustainable resort sits atop one of the most idyllic hillsides in Manuel Antonio. Scattered through the rainforest in nine buildings, rooms are decorated in earth tones to complement the surrounding nature; spacious deluxe rooms have sea views and private balconies, smaller "superior" rooms have less impressive ocean views, and standard rooms face the jungle. Great lengths have been taken to be eco-friendly, and it's also quite family-friendly, with a separate kids' pool, complete with waterslide, and an in-house movie theater. There is often live music on weekends (except September and October) at Claro Que Sí restaurant (open 2–10 pm), which specializes in Caribbean-style seafood, and the Rico Tico grill, which serves lighter fare. A free shuttle makes scheduled trips to the beach, about 3 km (2 miles) away.

With its own adventure park, hot-springs complex, and activities for all ages, this resort caters to both hotel guests and the outside public with day passes to its massive grounds. Near-perfect volcano views from individual balconies, a 14,000-square-foot spa, and rustically elegant rooms all contribute to a sense of well-being at this luxurious and remote retreat. The sky is the limit in furnishings (and price) as you work your way up to the suites and villas—additional rooms, arched sky-lighted ceilings, and hot tubs are among the amenities. Even the standard rooms have surround-sound speaker systems and huge balconies facing the volcano. Below the property is Club Río, an outdoor adventure park with kayaking, horseback riding, rock climbing, rappelling, hiking, and a wildlife preserve for rescued animals. Visitors are transported up and down the hill by shuttle bus, and many of the hot-spring pools are surrounded by the kind of artificial rocks and boulders you see in amusement parks.

Located 25 km (15½ miles) northeast of La Cruz, this remote eco-estate is made up of four hillside bungalows with stunning volcano views and a backdrop of Lake Nicaragua. Built on stilts, each wooden bungalow on this working organic farm has a private balcony where early risers are greeted by hummingbirds, toucans, and monkeys. Owners Adrien and Fahimeh make you feel like part of the family. Rattan furnishings decorate spacious rooms, complete with wooden showers, quality linens, and organic soaps. All bungalows have either two or three bedrooms and can accommodate between five and seven people. Guests are welcome to experience life on the farm during one of their workshops, ranging from milking cows to tilling fields. Despite the bumpy road, half the fun is getting here since the owners will gladly transport guests in a 4WD vehicle, on horseback, or in an oxcart from La Cruz free of charge. A variety of unique tours and activities are offered including archery, night hikes, a hike to waterfalls, and more. Considering the remote location and delicious food, it's a good idea to request the full-board option, with breakfast, lunch, a three-course dinner, and half-day activity with a nature guide for $99 per person per day.

For serenity and mountain greenery, you can't beat this lodge in a secluded valley with panoramic views and the opportunity to see hummingbirds and some of the 200-plus highland bird species on the lodge's list, including the resplendent quetzal. Accommodations are in three wooden cabins, where each room has its own private veranda and tile bathroom with skylight. Try to get room 1 for the best views. In addition, there are two spacious junior suites with fireplaces, kitchenettes, sunken whirlpool baths with views, and king-size beds. Now open to the public, the hotel's Los Colibríes Restaurant, serves tico and international cuisine.

Set in a riotous garden filled with fuchsias, hydrangeas, and hummingbirds, Trogón Lodge is more picturesque hideaway than hiking-heavy destination. It has comfortable wooden cabins with white-tile bathrooms with rain shower heads and beds topped with snow-white duvets, flannel sheets, and rafts of plumped-up pillows; electric heaters and extra blankets also guard against the chilly mountain nights. One superior suite perched in solitary splendor has a king-size bed and a whirlpool tub with a panoramic view. Excellent meals featuring fresh trout are served at tree-trunk tables in a cozy restaurant with a wood stove, and a bar and dining terrace gaze out over the trout ponds and the river. Quetzal-watching along 3 km (1.8 miles) of trails, and waterfall hikes are some of the diversions.

The friendly Villa San Ignacio, with its classy Spanish-style architecture, proves that affordable does not have to equal generic. Deluxe rooms have terra-cotta tile floors and Guatemalan fabrics; those on the garden side are quieter, and worth the extra $20. A sumptuous breakfast buffet is served on the patio. The restaurant's eclectic selection ranges from straightforward Costa Rican cuisine to fun presentations like ceviche served in a half coconut, which have to be seen (and tasted) to be fully appreciated.  San Ignacio offers frequent web-only discounts.

This three-star affordable resort hotel, with two pools and tennis courts is upriver from Dominical Beach on exquisitely landscaped grounds filled with orchids, bougainvillea, and hibiscus. It's especially popular with families, with mini golf and four family rooms with kitchens and two double bedrooms. The bigger junior suites have king-size beds and cable TV. Every room has a/c, a private porch, a mini-refrigerator, and a sink. Plants and elegant table settings fill the thatched-roof Crocodile Grill restaurant, notable for its excellent seafood at reasonable prices. A huge, luxurious pool has a swim-up bar and handsome teak pool furniture. Day passes, including lunch, are available to non-hotel guests for $27 per day.

This vast all-inclusive property is set on 2,400 acres with nearly every vacation wish granted, from lagoon-style pools and a picture-perfect beach to eight restaurants and a championship golf course. In the labyrinthine guest village, the ocean tends to disappear and the only views are of lush gardens and other buildings exactly like yours. The split-level Spanish colonial–style villas have huge marble bathrooms and sophisticated sitting rooms equipped with plasma TVs. The Royal Beach rooms are even posher, closer to the beach, and have their own shared pool and a private concierge. There's a kids' club, babysitting service, and a section of suites dedicated to families. The resort also has the largest—and perhaps warmest—pool in Central America. Grown-ups can amuse themselves sailing, snorkeling, kayaking, playing tennis, or rejuvenating at the spa. Restaurants range from Asian fusion to Italian (dinner reservations required). If you're into the beach, try to get booked into Bungalow 1, 2, or 3.