Great follow-up to questions
Costa Rica | Mar 5 - Mar 14, 2026

B
Bonnie Y.
San Jose, CA | Reviewed on Mar 16, 2026

I appreciated that the questions I posted were answered by Olman in a detailed and clear manner.

Hotel Reviews
Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa
Fortuna

The hot springs in the back of the hotel were amazing. Lots of fun and the resort makes it very convenient to hop in a resort shuttle to travel to the springs, which is a very short ride away. The room is nice, though hotel renovations are needed. The restaurants for dinner at Ave and Tucanes were great. The complimentary breakfast was fair, wishing there was more variety.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Belmar
Monteverde

This was rated as a 4 star hotel, though the simple accommodations (no TV, room needing more modern renovations) would rate is more like a 3.5 star hotel. The complimentary breakfast was great, the dinner was fair. The staff was accommodating and mostly friendly. The grounds were very pretty, though the green lake did not look swimmable.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel La Mariposa
Manuel Antonio

The views of this hotel are amazing! The hotel, I would rate as 3 stars. The showers are nice, the corner room again with an amazing view. The previous two hotels had friendly, accomodating staff, so we expected the same. Unfortunately, we found the staff to be indifferent, though we were friendly towards them. We thought they did the minimal, answered questions quickly without much feeling, and didn't seem to want to be there. I think this is more of a reflection on management. The dinner took two hours, as the server seemed preoccupied. The swimming pool was nice.

Authenticity & Character
Renovate the rooms.
Location
The view was amazing as previously stated.
Staff
See comments above. Wondering if there is a morale issue.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Renovate the rooms.
Gran Hotel Costa Rica, Curio Collection by Hilton
San José

Well, it's a Hilton. So nice to see carpeting!!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Safari
Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Safari
Arenal/La Fortuna

I think we wanted more activity other than sitting on a boat and squinting up at trees. There weren't enough animals to make it exciting enough for us, and perhaps we aren't great bird watchers. The monkeys were fun! But soooooo far away!

Quality of Experience
Food
Loved loved loved the chocolate.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The tour guide was very detailed oriented and provided good information about the animals.
Transport
El Silencio Volcano Hike & Visit to La Fortuna Waterfall
El Silencio Volcano Hike & Visit to La Fortuna Waterfall
Arenal/La Fortuna

A nice, professional and friendly tour guide gave us the volcano's history. I appreciated her enthusiasm.

Quality of Experience
Food
Casado was yummy. This was the best casado of the whole trip.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde
Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde
Monteverde

This was fun even if it was raining. The tour guide was very informative, the group only consisted of six people, and the animals were motionless mainly, which made them easier to spot and photograph.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining
Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining
Monteverde

My husband's high point was the ziplining. This is the second time I ziplined, and I felt much safer because we are harnassed to the cables after landing. The tour guide gave me the harness used by workers when I shared my health history, which made me feel more secure. I think the photos were on the expensive side though.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike
Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike
Costa Rica

Finally! I got to see the white-faced monkeys. I also saw bats, a snake, iguanas, and birds. This was more exciting as I finally can see a lot more animals without squinting all the time. This tour is why I came to Costa Rica, and it did not disappoint.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Olman Romero
Olman
Olman Romero
Local specialist in San Jose, Costa Rica | Replied on Mar 17, 2026

Hello Bonnie,

Thank you so much for your detailed feedback; it truly means a lot!

I am really glad you felt well supported throughout the planning process and enjoyed highlights like Tabacón, the Monteverde experiences, and Manuel Antonio. I also appreciate your honest comments on the hotels and tours; this helps us continue improving and refining each itinerary.

It was a pleasure assisting you, and I hope to help you plan another Costa Rica adventure in the future!

Pura Vida,
Olman