See my review.

Exceptional

Absolutely amazing, beautiful and wonderful in every way!

The property was stunning, and the staff was super friendly and helpful!

Our stay at Makanda by the Sea was amazing. The staff there goes above and beyond to give you a great experience and the views are amazing. Tons of wildlife around the hotel to view and the food was good as well. Would definitely go back. If Eli is working the bar he has all the information for what’s around.

We had an amazing week long stay at Makanda. The hotel and all of the staff are incredible. Just spectacular all the way around. Highly recommend!

We stayed in the sky penthouse and it was a very beautiful room. The staff was so friendly and helpful. Overall we rated it a 3 because the walkways and private pool were super slippery and hard to walk around. Luckily they had people in golf carts who helped get around the property. The food was average and the pools were a little too cold. Overall we loved our room but the property wasn’t as amazing as we had hoped for.

This place is so beautiful!

Amazing property! The views and grounds were fabulous. The staff even better.

My second time here, and it’s always amazing and magical.

We spent 6 nights at Makanda in the luxury villa which was a fantastic experience. The Villa was stunning and had real wow factor….we’ve stayed in many places around the world but this was definitely the best and oozes pure luxury in every detail. Staff are so friendly and helpful and are very quick to address your needs. Food was lovely and the resort as a whole is beautiful. The wild life and nature just makes it even more exotic as we saw the white face monkeys and beautiful ocean views from our private pool. This was our first time in Costa Rica and we will definitely be back as it’s such a lovely place with lovely people! Thanks to all the Makanda staff for their excellent service and hospitality which was most appreciated! Pura Vida!

Facility and room was beautiful. Good not good

Amazing, unique place! A lot of wild life around and beautiful beach! Definitely we will be back!

Mikanda, has been one of our favorite stays ever in Costa Rica! The staff is so incredibly friendly and helpful from start to finish. The grounds are breathtaking, extremely clean, wildlife everywhere and the rooms are so private. We're already planning our return trip!!!!

The property and staff were great. Service is excellent. Food is extremely over priced compared to other 5 star resorts in the area. Food is also not great for 200 per meal. Drinks are also expensive but very good. Wi-Fi was not consistent enough for me to work. Great amenities but not good food. If food is important to you I would look for somewhere else.

The compound is amazing and the staff helpful and friendly. My big disappointment is I booked this property based on a description on their website, advertising it as: "Escape to Serenity: Experience Unmatched Tranquility" (Why Us in their About section on their website). It turns out they have music around the 2 pool areas all day long (with pretty loud music). Our room was located above the pool and we could here the music windows closed. Far from "unmatched tranquility". When I pointed this out they did change our rooms (and upgraded us - thank you) but it ruined my experience. I was not able to lounge at the pool. It's a great place if you are in that constant loungy mood but not the idea I had of a high end eco-friendly boutique hotel is CR.

Very nice

Best trip of my life!!! Make sure you bring some money

stunning beautiful property. Great staff

This was a really amazing hidden germ. The views from the room as well as swimming pools overlooking the ocean was spectacular

This property is gorgeous and the staff was so attentive! Looking forward to staying here again

Awesome

Nice facility and good service

BEAUTIFUL PLACE

Beautiful resort, wonderful staff!

The property, the views, and our room were beautiful. The staff were incredible, professional, and friendly - Irina, Elias, and team were the best. The restaurant was good, but has a limited menu and is a little pricey. The breakfasts, fruits, juices, and coffee were amazing.

Beautiful property, pools, and beach. Staff were amazing!

Great Staff. Great Fun in the Sun. Great Accommodation's.

The staff are amazing here and very friendly. But the hotel itself is lackluster for a 5 star hotel. There are small issues sprinkled throughout the hotel that ruin the experience of a 5 star hotel. This is just a place for social media influencers to take nice photos of the views, that’s all it is. Given it’s in a jungle there definitely are venomous snakes around the property which we came across and staff had to kill it with a broom. The issue for us wasn’t the existence of the snake, but the lack of pathway lighting to our room where to snake was found. The lighting at night is terrible, the rooms door has about a half an inch gap underneath so all bugs are free to go into the room. Very nice looking place with nice views and amazing staff, but for a 5 star hotel with such a high price tag for their high end rooms, definitely not worth the money spent at all.

beautiful rooms, very helpful staff, some wildlife in the lovely grounds, but still not sure if it's worth the extra money. this is the second time we've stayed there and both times our enjoyment of the pool was impaired by the construction noise.

Amazing hotel and experience!

Incredible hotel with amazing designs, great rooms, incredible views. Great cocktails! Food is good but can get better. Amazing beach and great friendly staff. Would definitely stay there again! My girlfriend and I had a great experience

We stayed at the Makanda for 4 days during our honeymoon trip and feel absolutely in love. We had the grand honeymoon suite and it was even better than the pictures online. We woke up every morning to monkeys playing on our porch and toucans in the trees. We had a private pool and hot tub and the view was out of this world. We actually saw more wildlife from our hotel room than we did when we went to hike the Manuel Antonio national park! We ventured down to pools which were both stunning. There is a saltwater pool with a swim up bar and our bartender Elias was incredible. Not only were the drinks he made us delicious but he went out of his way to point out all the wildlife around and even showed us a sloth! Though I will say this hotel is on the side of a mountain and did get pretty steep at times. However there was staff in golf carts that were ready to take us anywhere we needed to go and were so helpful with our luggage and anything else we needed. We also ate at the Resturant a few times and would highly recommend eating here! The food was amazing and the service was also fantastic. This hotel is also a quick drive to either Quepos or Manuel Antonio! Overall, this hotel blew us away with the friendly staff, ample wildlife, amazing food and incredible views. I would recommend to anyone traveling to Costa Rica and staying near Quepos! You will love this place!

No night attendant! Dangerous property ! Very up and down hillside. Service for Costa Rica standards was ok. Design of property cool and food better than average. The property is NOT close to the beach. Access in and out of the property is not great- it’s not near anything. Overall the Hotel incorrectly advertises access to beach. Also, the overall hilly and sliding nature of the property is a disaster waiting to happen. I have traveled to Costa Rica many times and this hotel is not on par with Pura Vida.

Unique stay

Makanda is such a beautiful place to be. The team are so accommodating, the food is wonderful and there is so much wildlife to enjoy. We were sad to leave. We will definitely be going back.

Amazing !!

The best hotel in Manuel Antonio

We had an amazing time. Highly recommend

Makanda has the best looking rooms and beautiful property. The decor says luxury, modern. The staff is super accommodating and friendly. Alexander and Andreas took good care of us with drinks at the pool and dinner service. The area for improvement to live up to the 5 star status is room prep. Upon arrival I was concerned that several things were out of order: electronic toilet trash can (important- I’ll explain), magnifying vanity mirrors, bedside reading lamp, room card key, weighing scale, a/c unit bacteria detection). Most things were fixed by the next. I was ready to give a harsh rating when i went to bed because high star rating- high expectations. Although all fixes weren’t made immediately like I would expect, those we reported were completed by day 2 of our 3 night stay. A few things to know about the property: steep walkways- I would not recommend or else I would stress extreme caution for anyone with walking limitations. They ask you to not flush toilet paper- a big reason to have operable touch less and/or electronic opening toilet trash cans. Overall I would love to return again.

Beautiful property Beautiful location Amazing attention to detail Alex and Christopher were stand out service providers during my stay

Perfect place for rest and relaxation

Property was gorgeous!!! It lived up to exactly what it said! It’s more a jungle experience so if your not into the wild life or rain forest I would say this isn’t for you but it’s got a view to die for!! It was worth every penny and the whole experience!!!

Perfect stay at the perfect property! It has it all, beautiful amenities, professional and friendly staff, gourmet food, wild life better then at any park. Miss it already and would highly recommend anyone who is heading that way.

Amazing hotel, beautiful property…the architecture, design details and of course the insane jungle ocean views perfectly showcase this iconic destination in Costa Rica

Wild life inside the property, decoration and food

The facilities are outstanding. Everything is very well-designed and gorgeous. The views are unique; we also fell in love with the pools. It's the perfect place to relax and unwind. The food was terrific. They have a high-end Chef, and it shows. The signature dinner, in particular, was excellent. The meals by themselves made the whole trip worth it. Lunch with a beer by the pool was also great—one small suggestion: increasing the variety of imported beer beyond Corona and Modelo would be nice. We're also delighted with the service from the restaurant staff and the golf-car drivers. That said, we found the front desk staff a little dry. During checkout, they showed no interest in whether we had a good time (we did!) or if we're planing to come back (we are!). It was one of the friendly golf-car drivers who showed interest in our stay and wished us a safe trip home.

Out of this world. Truly nowhere like Makanda

The hotel is nice but not worth the price. The food was a major disappointment. They don’t change the oil and any fried food tastes like old, gross oil. We had way better meals out in town. Drinks are extremely overpriced as is everything at this hotel. The worst part was they only have a thin, white transparent curtain which allows the light to enter the room at 530-6 am every morning. The hotel is designed so the sunrise is on the other side but it is still very bright in the room at 6 am making it almost impossible to get a decent nights sleep at this “5 star resort”. I have never stayed at a hotel that didn’t provide something as simple as dark curtains to improve the quality of sleep for their guests. If you enjoy waking up at 6am while on vacation then this is the place for you. I would recommend spending your money at a different resort. This place wasn’t worth the price.

Heaven on Earth

Paradise, literal paradise. We've been all over the world and this is by far one of the most beautiful, calm, and positive places we've ever been. Once you are inside Makanda, you really don't want to leave. While we did a lot around Quepos and loved Costa Rica as a whole, the simple moments inside Makanda are some of the best we've ever experienced. The food is fantastic. The staff is beyond helpful, kind, and friendly. The property is spotless. The wildlife, the environment, the beauty... I could go on forever. Yes, there is a lot of construction going on around the property because the area is growing. It can be noisy at times, but it didn't start until late morning and wasn't awful. It's so peaceful there you just block it out. It's not easy to get here, the roads are tough, and you absolutely should not drive yourself. If you want to go to other areas nearby, you'll need a taxi, it's not walkable beyond a few shops and other resorts/restaurants (which are great though). But, the staff at Makanda makes transportation and tours seamless. I cannot say enough about how much I loved this place.

This hotel was wonderful, it had an artsy exotic feel to it. Absolutely Beautiful!

The most accommodating staff. The property is so beautiful with so much wildlife. Enjoyed our stay to the fullest!

The actual surroundings once in the property are spectacular. Getting there is a different story. Roads leading to property are third world in Antonio Manuel as expected. It’s a nature buff who wants luxury on steroids. Staff magnificent food and bev the same. Highly recommend.

Excellent hotel, best service, great staff

Staff were great! Property and wildlife was unique and beautiful! Highly recommend waterfall tours and exploring local restaurants and beaches!

I have been privileged to stay in many of the world's finest 5-star hotels, and I have never seen a more amazing, unique and majestic resort as Mankada by the Sea. I cannot begin to describe the exquisite detail in every corner of the the resort. From the suites to the multiple pools and lucious property - including hundreds of monkeys and beautiful birds, this is truly one-of-a-kind. I would be remiss to not include a huge shout out to the very kind, helpful and efficient staff - and the restaurant team and very unique menus. By all metrics, I would consider this a 5-star resort in every area. My three nights there will be cherished - and will certainly draw me back in the future.

Makanda was a beautiful resort! We got upgraded to the penthouse and the design was impeccable. The staff was so accommodating and so nice! Drinks were wonderful, views were wonderful, it was all just wonderful!!

The pictures do not do this property justice it was even more beautiful in person! The staff was amazing. Wildlife easily in view and spectacular views from the room. Would highly recommend!!

Pura Vida!

Beautiful hotel. luxurious and modern. Online pictures are amazing but don’t do the property justice. So much better in person. You will see more wildlife at the property then on a tour of the national parks. Our waiter Alex was great, funny and so helpful with anything we needed.

Perfect!

Unforgettable Stay- Makanda by the Sea! Pura Vida

Makanda by the Sea is now our favorite hotel experience in all of our travels around the globe. The service is impeccable- 5 star for sure! They told us if we needed anything to ring the reception desk- and they truly meant it. They were one step ahead and anticipated our needs for everything! it's beautifully situated and has the most rich and unique decor and design! The rainforest animals all came out during our stay as they are living in a beautiful location. And the bed was so comfortable that it was hard to get out until I opened my eyes to the majestic view through the large windows overlooking the ocean. The welcome drink was fabulous- the Pipa! The private beach was so cool and the opportunity to rest on comfortable hammock beds under beautiful trees with a view like that was unbelievable. And the pools - awesome designs/ decor- are so fabulous for days or nights. The photos online are not exaggerating- this place is amazing!

Beautiful views, delicious sushi, excellent customer service, clean grounds, modern rooms, and tons of wildlife.

Food was overpriced and not as good for the price. Drinks overpriced as well.

The penthouse suite was spectacular. Private pool, unbelievable view, excellent service.

The location of the hotel is truly stunning with it’s views of ocean. But as other reviewers have said the choice of material on steep walkways to rooms & restaurants, pools & beach is puzzling! Any moisture on them leaves them super slippery regardless of footwear! Yes the golf carts take you around but they don’t take you right to door of your room or for that matter all the way to beach! We managed fine though! Pools lovely. Thought breakfast menu choices were limited ! Loved the monkeys swinging by !

Great Staff and Customer Service. Our room was beautiful!!

Let’s just say that it was paradise !!! from the beginning to the end a beautiful hotel with fantastic staff…

Makanda by the Sea is special!

We loved our stay at Makanda by the sea. This is a boutique hotel for adults only. Great service, beautiful property, rooms are large with beautiful views. Loved seeing moneys, birds, etc on the property.Breakfast is included and it is good, but not amazing.

VERY steep hills around the property that are difficult to walk. However, transportation is readily available via golf carts and attendants are very responsive. Room and property was exceptionally clean and presentable. Staff was courteous and responsive before and during the stay.

Hotel makanda by the sea is where you want to visit when traveling to Costa Rica. Nestled in the middle of Manual Antonio rain Forrest is this beautiful luxury resort with only 31 rooms. With a small amount of people at the resort at any given time you will receive top-notch service for sure. This is an adult only resort so no children under 16 years old is allowed. We saw mostly couples during our time here. This hotel is nestled in the rainforest so you will see wildlife. We was so excited to learn the monkeys come out and play by the main pool every day around 4-5pm. It was the cutie at thing seeing them carry their babies around. We was lucky to see a sloth one day scratching hisself in the tree. We saw so many butterflies, birds and this little creature I forgot its name walking slow across the path to our suite. There are little iguanas as well. They are so cute and move so slow lol We stayed in two different types of rooms during our stay. The first room was villa 7. This is the jacuzzi suite with sauna. The sunsets from your patio is amazing. This villa comes with a full kitchen as well if you would like to cook while on vacation. In the middle of our stay we moved to Penthouse SP18. Ok this is what you call luxury with different outside levels, private pool and cabana, outside sun bathing area and a area to eat. The living room has a huge tv, huge walk in closet and bi-level bathroom with wall to ceiling windows. It’s amazing

Amazing views and lots of wildlife on the property. Great spacious rooms (but please get rid of the ubiquitous animal skin EVERYWHERE!!) half my room was covered in a cow skin mat, so gross. You need to shuttle for some purposes (e.g. bags to rooms, many, many fights of stairs/steep hills and to get to the beach). Could improve the shuttle service - every time we needed to either move bags or go to beach etc, it was a solid 20 minute wait, which we didnt factor into our departure time.

Staff was very willing to help make our stay comfortable. Restaurant was some of the best food we've had. We were able to see monkeys and sloths on property.

Best trip I’ve ever experienced. The hotel was beyond amazing, staff was so engaging and helpful. A perfect atmosphere.

Makanda and I messaged a few times through the Expedia app before my honeymoon, they were to arrange a pick up from the local airport. No one showed, no big deal we got a taxi. We arrive, they didn’t see our name on the list, but assure us it’s fine: they keep our luggage “to send to our room” and send us to check in. The staff at the check in ask for our passports and credit card, again all normal until they say the manager had to talk to us. They sit us down and let us know they don’t have a room for us “due to a glitch with expedia” and that they are trying to make arrangements for us at another hotel. Clearly upset, first day of our honeymoon, the manager offers us a free lunch (yay?). We booked 3 months in advance and had conversations through the expedia app about our arrival time, I even asked for an upgrade. After a while, an older gentleman comes into the lobby to complain because his daughter was getting married that week and they still haven’t found enough rooms for them. It was clear our room was given up for the wedding party. He was upset because 2 of their guests still didn’t have rooms. It seems Makanda booked a wedding and also overbooked the rooms. To top it all off, they swore up and down I would have a refund, and that they would “directly” get me another room at another hotel (had a taxi with our luggage waiting) and sent us off. The other hotel could only accommodate us 2 nights because of the last minute. No refund. Expedia refunded based on my request

Beautiful place with great food and amazing staff. Monkeys everywhere so the experience was unique.

Amazing service and staff. I will be back!

The property is amazing as is the wildlife. This was a destination I’ll never forget. Took someone with me for our forth date and we were both were amazed at how beautiful the property is. Close by were other places to dine that were just as delicious as the restaurants on the property. Both pools were gorgeous. Would recommend staying here to anyone.

Best hotel I’ve been to and I’ve traveled a lot. My fiancé and I were amazed by the service and view this hotel offers. I would definitely return

Makanda is the perfect hotel for honeymooners! Pictures do not do a justice of how beautiful this place is. Everything was incredible, and the food and cocktail drinks are delicious! We will be returning for our anniversary! The Staff was extremly friendly, we truely loved staying here!

We had the most relaxing stay at Makanda. The place is beautiful, surrounded by nature and overlooking the ocean. Our room was clean and spacious and the free breakfast was delicious (you get to order from a menu like at a restaurant). All the staff was so friendly and accommodating. We went during rainy season so it wasn’t as busy which we loved. Highly highly recommend this place and we will definitely be back!

wonderful property

Makenda is absolutely amazing! The architecture is A1 and the staff is extremely great at how attentive they are to everyone!!!!

So much more beautiful than the pictures, the staff, the property, the everything is top notch. You have to see for yourself.

Cons

Best property ever

This was hands down one of the best places I’ve ever stayed. From the beginning to end , everything was perfect!

This property is simply paradise. The staff was always super friendly and helpful. The food was incredible. Highly recommend!

This was the most amazing experience. From the amazing food and drinks at the Arbol restaurants to the stunning views you have from your balcony 😍 I can’t wait to return for my next adventure!

This is a beautiful resort with beautiful architectural and design touches which blend into the jungle. The staff is wonderful and the food in the restaurant delicious. The eco-resort concept is diminished by the constant loud Lounge FM soundtrack at the pool and restaurant, drowning out the beautiful bird and jungle sounds in favor of pretending it is Miami Beach. These touches from the Russian owners are in poor taste because if you have to play poolside music, why not authentic and great Latin music like Novolima.

Absolutely gorgeous! Friendliest staff and memorable stay! We will be back!

Amazing hotel with amazing staff!

The staff was amazing and went above and beyond to make sure we had a great stay

We stayed at Makanda for 9 luxurious days to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary and it did not disappoint. My husband and I travel a lot and this was one of the best hotels we've ever stayed at. I know the hotel was booked, yet it never felt crowded, and that's really important to us. We could always find an awesome seat at either pool (there are 2) or at the beach. We never had to wait to be seated to eat, either. I hope they keep it "boutique" like and don’t expand. The pool is quite deep (8 ft) with not much of a shallow end. We brought our own pool floaties and they certainly came in handy. The pool music was really good and not too loud. We both really liked it. It didn’t sound like a night club, so cheers to that! The resort service was impeccable and the staff works hard to ensure you have everything you need, making an effort to know you by name. The pictures do not lie; what you see is what you get. It's just as stunning as the photos. Our room was very modern and had a picturesque ocean view. We could see wildlife in the trees all around us (sloths, monkeys, exotic birds, iguanas, etc.) No need to go on a formal tour, it's all right in front of you at Makanda). They also arranged our COVID test and someone actually came to our room so it was very convenient. They arranged our transportation to and from the resort as well. We can’t wait to go back! If you want to go to the beach and swim, take water shoes!!! It's rocky, but if you're prepared, it's delightful.

We loved the property because it was very naturalistic and peaceful. We enjoyed watching the monkeys play in the trees above our deck. The staff was friendly and so very attentive. We highly recommend Makanda to anyone who wants the real feel of tropical Costa Rica.

heaven on earth

Very Beautiful establishment! It’s amazing how much wild life you encounter within the hotel. You’ll be able to see monkeys& sloths, scarlet macaws & much more! The views are also breathtaking! They provide complimentary breakfast very delicious and beautifully presented! The food at their restaurant is also good! Great location as well. There’s many restaurants, pharmacy, and supermarkets about 10 min away. The only thing I feel they could’ve done better with was to put signs showing where things are since the hotel pretty big.

Property was amazing, alot of privacy and wildlife. Has views everywhere.

Eco tour from the pool

Beautiful hotel in perfect location. From the pool we were able to see sloths, monkeys, iguanas, parrots, toucans. Staff was very friendly and helpful.

The room was amazing and I love that we had our own private pool! I have zero complaints about the staff, they are all extremely friendly and remember you anytime they see you. Be prepared to see monkeys and possibly a parrot or toucan while at the restaurant! There is private beach access but we didn’t have time to go unfortunately. Overall I would absolutely stay here again in the same villa (#6) unless they have something better!

Amazing food! The staff was wonderful. Very nice and friendly. Very nice place for couples. My fiance and I loved the room we stayed at - ocean view 10. Very steep walkways but they have carts to drive you around the property. The private beach is rocky - not so great but they do have free kayaking.

Everything was perfect

Overall wonderful location!!! People were incredible and overly helpful and nice. Would definitely recommend again.

Makanda - a sight to see. Honestly, one of the most beautiful places I have ever witnessed. Paradise in the middle of a rainforest. Great food, great staff, and beautiful views. Wildlife is around but not invasive during meals or pool time. The penthouse is amazing! At first it may not seem as large but it is very luxurious becomes very cozy. Plenty of things to do around rather you want to go down in Quepos or want to participate in some tours in closer areas of CR.