13 Best Hotels in Costa Rica

High style at high altitude, this avant-garde lodge clinging to the side of a mountain has unbeatable valley views, great bird-watching, luxury accommodations, a sophisticated restaurant, and the top ecological sustainability rating. All rooms are uniquely designed to reflect the environment, including #14 built around a tree. All casitas and suites have living rooms with huge picture windows, private terraces, a/c, Jacuzzi tubs, minibars, ethanol-fueled fireplaces, as well as fluffy duvets for cold nights. The staff go out of their way to make sure all of your needs are met, offering everything from baby cribs to packed lunches. 

Let your toes sink into the sandy sendero (trail) that takes you from one of the world’s most consistent waves to this chic boutique hotel nestled in a nature preserve. Unlike traditional lobby greetings, you’ll meander past a quiver of surfboards and rainfall showers to an open-air restaurant where Nosara’s elite gather for après-surf cuisine. Designed for those who mix business and pleasure, the hotel also runs Outpost, a nearby co-working space where hotel guests have access to a cafe, rooftop, and library. Both wellness and comfort are top priorities, evident in the state-of-the-art fitness studio, courtyard pool, surf school, and hospitality station (with everything from sunscreen to snacks). Despite the endless lure outside your door, it’s hard to leave the nature-inspired rooms fashioned in muted palettes and earthy tones, with outdoor showers, jungle lounges, blackout curtains, buttery linens, Bluetooth speakers, and mini-bars stocked with local treats. Founded by two besties who dreamed big during Covid, the hotel encompasses the heart of Nosara by not only giving back to the community, but by giving back to nature through sustainability practices that are helping this surf town grow in the right direction.

You may never want to leave this tranquil oasis of luxury villas hidden behind scrolled white-and-orange walls, where the architecture is Mexican but the style is all Italian. Ocher-washed villas with hammocks and dining tables on their front porches circle an exuberant garden and pool with a cool waterfall. A pool bar, spa, and sauna make it easy to drink, rest, detox, and repeat. Rooms have state-of-the-art kitchens, and you can dine alfresco at a long wooden table on your own tiled terrazza. All the comforts of a luxury home (king-size bed, cable TV, Wi-Fi) are here, just across the street from the beach. A Mediterranean restaurant (closed Tues.) serves meals beneath a Spanish-tile roof by the pool. There is also a five-bedroom, five-bath house for rent next door with its own garden and pool, plus two other large houses to rent in Sámara Rocks, a private complex 1½ km (1 mile) east of Sámara.

On 13 acres of private reserve, this boutique hotel is contemporary and very chic, with rooms rendered in slate, hardwood, and rattan with Italian fittings. Elegance abounds with soft hues of cream and white and pampering extras like 500-thread-count Egyptian-cotton bed linens and Turkish robes. Jacuzzi tubs and (shared) rooftop sundecks encourage relaxation, as does the Terra Spa complete with a Vichy shower, mud room, sauna, hair salon, and six treatment rooms. Higher room categories include a complimentary mini-spa treatment with direct booking. Three white buildings house the rooms, which are surprisingly spacious—the smallest is 350 square feet. Wildlife tours of the preserve take place daily at 4 pm, and beach transportation is offered hourly from 8 to 4. The hotel’s La Luna Restaurant has excellent food and sweeping sunset views, earning it a reputation as one of the best restaurants in Manuel Antonio.

Combining Costa Rica’s vibrant architecture with modern design, this tranquil property reminiscent of tropical-deco decor, offers spacious rooms and colorful beach bungalows with indoor-outdoor rainfall showers and private gardens. Tucked behind 8-foot walls, each room was designed with privacy and luxury in mind and includes a collection of books, huge flat-screen TVs, and a minibar. The two mosaic swimming pools are sparkling clean and surrounded by waterfalls and mini-palapas for shade. The open-air restaurant specializes in organic cuisine, serving such dishes as grilled fish, tuna tartare, fish tacos, pasta, and salads. Many ingredients (for the food and the natural spa products) are grown on-site.

Earth tones and natural details prevail in this Hyatt property created by architect Ronald Zürcher, who utilized indigenous woods, sugarcane, and bamboo in the design of the rooms, each contemporary and bright with ocean views. Golf carts and ride-share bikes transport guests through the 1,400-acre preserve, with a network of paths leading to infinity pools and pod-shape restaurants modeled after local seeds and cocoons. Standard rooms are housed in three-story buildings, and have rain showers, enclosed balconies, and complimentary bonuses such as minibars, Wi-Fi, sun hats, and sandals. The three restaurants infuse Latin flavors, but the tapas bar is your best option for exceptional cocktails. Just past the adult pool is a jungle trail that spills onto Playa Sombrero Oscuro, where you can hop aboard Nimbu Boat for a sail to Casa de Playa for an elevated beach club experience. The new Residence Villas—opened in 2024— have plunge pools, kitchens, and over 1,500 square feet of living space. This hillside property is spread out, so expect to do a fair amount of walking unless you request a golf cart ride.

Surfers are the main clientele in these beachfront rooms with high ceilings, clay-tile floors, and sliding-glass doors that open onto semiprivate balconies and terraces, most of which have good views of Playa Hermosa. Second-floor rooms have better views, as do the two spacious corner suites that sleep six with large balconies and two bedrooms. Request Room 207 or 208, with high ceilings, plenty of space, and unobstructed views. Room 104 opens onto the pool and sand. Creature comforts include minibars, Wi-Fi, coffeemakers, and air-conditioning. You can watch the surfers from a nice little pool surrounded by tropical foliage in back. The consistent waves are great for intermediate-to-advanced surfers, but if you're looking for a beach where you can swim or splash on the shore, this is not the place for you. 

When Canadian owner Colin Brownlee bought a grazing pasture on the beach, little did he know that many years later, it would become one of the most popular boutique hotels on the Caribbean, complete with its own supermarket, tour company, beauty salon, and villas. Hardwood furnishings are abundant at this gay-friendly (but by no means exclusive) hotel at the secluded far end of Playa Negra. Even though all beaches in Costa Rica are public, here you'll feel like it's your own private strand of sand. Rooms on the second floor of the main building are breezy and comfortable with minimal furnishings. The larger garden bath suites, with open-air bathtubs set in a private garden, are a bit more of a splurge. Across the street are four two-story luxury accommodations with full kitchens and private plunge pools. The owners offer frequent online-only packages. 

Adjoining 1926 and 1933 houses fuse to create the cozy Barrio Amón experience at bargain prices. That said, the Dunn Inn is immensely popular, so reserve well in advance. Pinewood dominates in one section; brick in the other. Sun-filled rooms bear indigenous Bribri names. One room has a balcony, and a few do not have street-facing windows but look onto an interior courtyard. All have terra-cotta floors and little touches such as fresh flowers. The delightful, skylight-covered central patio serves as a bar and breakfast room.

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.

You'd never expect to find such a quiet, homey oasis smack-dab in the middle of a suburban business neighborhood, but here it is. The hotel's buildings date from 2008, but they are constructed in the style of typical 19th-century Costa Rican coffee-plantation houses. The structures surround a garden courtyard where breakfast is served. Standard rooms and suites are bright and cheery, with tiled floors and king- or queen-size beds, and the suites have kitchenettes with refrigerators and microwaves for not much more money. Breakfast is not included in the suite price however. Santa Ana is warm enough that you'll appreciate the pool and air-conditioning here, too. Special rates are available for long-term stays.

With some of the best service in Manuel Antonio and updated rooms, Shana by the Beach is a lovely option with jungle- or ocean-view balconies in every room. The pool area, with happy hour from 3 to 6, makes up for the fact that it's a 10-minute hike to Playa Biesanz. Everything—walls, furniture, paintwork—is blindingly white, in striking contrast to the lush greens of the hillside grounds, and the service is some of the best in Manuel Antonio. Bathrooms are spacious and modern with massage shower jets, and rooms have sleek touches like oversize tufted headboards, glass desks, and white flat-screen TVs. All have balconies with jungle or partial ocean views. The restaurant highlights Mediterranean dishes. Families or large groups can request the three attaching rooms. In low season, rates are often half price.

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.