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Gaia Hotel and Reserve in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, offers a luxurious and eco-friendly experience for those seeking relaxation and adventure. Nestled on a hilltop surrounded by lush rainforest, this boutique hotel features 22 rooms, including studios, suites, and villas, all designed with modern decor and natural materials. Some accommodations come with ocean views, plunge pools, or jacuzzis.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Gaia Hotel & Reserve garners high praise for its exceptional service, with staff members recognized for their extraordinary attentiveness and professionalism. The hotel's amenities, including luxurious accommodations and unique wildlife experiences, consistently impress guests, along with the hotel's overall cleanliness and meticulously maintained grounds.
While the spacious rooms offer comfort, some guests suggest they could benefit from updates. Despite mixed feelings on value, with some deeming the hotel overpriced, the serene atmosphere and perfect location for a relaxing retreat are widely appreciated.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Inviting
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Meticulous
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Outstanding
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At the end of our tour we spent 5 nights in this hotel. We had a beautiful loft suite on 2 floors, a small private pool area that we shared with 2 other rooms - but we always had it to ourselves. Beautiful spacious bathroom with a great shower. The bed was very comfortable. Great air conditioning. The chambermaids (who were always invisible) did a very good job. Everything was always very clean and the little touches were great, such as a towel on the floor in front of the bed when you came back from the pool or ice cubes in a container without asking for them. I think because the lady noticed that we liked to have a drink in the room in the evening. The breakfast was the best we have ever experienced on a vacation. No buffet, but a la carte, which was really great. So you always had absolutely fresh food on your plate. And always delicious juice and fresh fruit. The portions were always sufficient. The whole complex is beautifully built into the hillside and completely surrounded by rainforest. It was just fantastic! Beautiful pools with a great view of the sea and a great pool bar. The lounge at the top also has a wonderful view of the Pacific with breathtaking sunsets and delicious cocktails. The staff was very professional and totally unobtrusive. They always sensed whether you wanted to have a conversation or whether you would rather have some peace and quiet. It is these small, fine things that make this hotel special. The dinner was also always very good with delicious regional dishes. Our concierge Jose was always available via WhatsApp and was absolutely professional. The hourly shuttle service to the beach is also just a great thing. All in all, it was 5 wonderful days and we would go on holiday here again at any time. Here we really felt what PURA VIDA means. And the fact that the owner personally comes to the table at breakfast, introduces himself and has a nice chat with the guests just gives the feeling that it really is all about the well-being of the guests. Many thanks to the whole team. We felt incredibly comfortable.
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This is a good resort with some plusses and minuses. The most important thing is that it is located on a hilltop, about a 15 minute drive from the beach. There are a lot of steps on the property and a very long, steep driveway to get in or out. They have carts that help you get up and down the driveway. The positives here are an amazing view from the restaurant, and a high service level by the concierge and the restaurant staff, well deserving of a five star rating. The minuses are the room decor, which seemed a bit cheaper in furnishing than you would expect, as was the upstairs lounge which had plastic windows that made it hard to see the sunset, cheap outdoor furniture and some potted vegetables that were billed as a 'garden'. Worst was the checkout and checkin process, which took a long time in both cases and where we were we subjected an aggressive pitch about how wonderful the property was. Finally the property used chemicals to manage insects and humidity that smelled and made my wife sick. When we complained about the smell, we were told 'it was a nice smell'. Generally the staff is very defensive about any issues and concers as you can see from the responses to other reviews. Overall it is a nice property with some five star and 3 star elements and it averages 4 stars. If you don't mind steps it is a good place to visit.
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Date of stay: January 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Fleming, Owner at Gaia Hotel & Reserve
Responded 11 Jan 2024
Thanks for the positive comments and we will take your constructive criticisms under consideration. But you must understand that while we do spray to help manage the insects, it is a 100% natural spray, no chemicals.
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As you pull up to the hotel, you may be intimidated because the entrance beforehand shows some broken down old cars and trash, but once you arrive at the main desk, it is pure Costa Rican luxury. We have stayed at many brand new all inclusive resorts. This is not the same , however , it is extremely clean And well kept and like everyone says in the reviews, the service is not to be beat. Every night we enjoyed a wonderful sunset and walking around the property. I highly recommend the 4 o'clock hike with Clarence. One thing I did not understand from other reviews was where to eat.Yes, you can certainly eat at the hotel and it is fantastic, but if you want variety, you need to Take a cab into town for about $10 each way. There are some phenomenal restaurants there that don't look like much from the outside but are incredible inside. Keep reading the trip advisor reviews for restaurant recommendations, they are spot on.
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from , Owner at Gaia Hotel & Reserve
Responded 6 Apr 2024
Thanks Pauline, we appreciate your review and hope to see you again in the near future!
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We were in the area by car to visit Manuel Antonio National Park.
The facility is a bit old, not in mint condition. The rooms are more reminiscent of an old US motel with curtains that don't really close and a very thin door. The bathroom looks really old and run down. I can't really understand the 5* reviews, we were unfortunately a bit blinded by them.
The reception is a bit awkward to get to behind the restaurant, it is on the second floor of the main building and this can only be reached from the parking lot (below) by golf cart. The whole thing is somehow quite inconvenient.
We booked through Expedia and actually had some benefits (credit for drinks, spa.), but unfortunately we were not granted/disclosed. There was only breakfast, which is only served á la carte - but it's absolutely ridiculous, we just wanted some fruit and actually got 2 individual - small - pieces of mango/pineapple/papaya per person. The staff were obviously completely overwhelmed by our request... a plate of fruit.
The pool looked absolutely uninviting. We tried to change rooms, including with a paid upgrade, but unfortunately they charged a rather outrageous amount for this - even though the room remained empty during our 2-day stay.
We also went on an early morning tour to Manuel Antonio with the good guide. Definitely recommended as it saves you the hassle of parking on site. The tour was good, but you felt a bit "rushed through" as your next tour had already started at 12:30 p.m.
Overall, the area (for us) around La Fortuna and the volcano is much nicer, we saw a similar number of animals. Instead of Manuel Antonio, you might be better off looking at Parque Nacional Corcovado, we suspect it is a bit more unspoilt and less hectic there.
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lovely hotel carved into the side of a mountain as many are in this area. There is a fair amount of going up and down here so this is not necessarily for older folks. The rooms are well equipped, comfortable and maintained. There are some pools whose layout is unique- not a lot of shaded places to hang out but there is a swim up bar at the pool. The restaurant is top notch with Marcos overseeing everything- muy bien! The service in general is top notch and they provide a personal concierge via WhatsApp which is really helpful. If you schedule activities that pick you up before breakfast, which is served at 7am, they will provide you breakfast to go which is really nice. They have a spa and the "Thereputic Massage" for 90 minutes is divine! The location isn't the best because it's not walkable to anything but it is only a few miles and a very cheap cab or bus to the Manuel Antonio Park area which is the main attraction here.
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Fleming, Owner at Gaia Hotel & Reserve
Responded 11 Dec 2023
Thanks for the great review, and please visit us again soon!
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We just spent four glorious days here. Everyone on staff was very friendly, professional, and made us feel welcome. We were greeted with a cool towel and a delicious welcome drink of fresh squeezed juices. The setting is in the park so you’re surrounded by the flora and fauna of the jungle, and we took the scarlet macaw tour the day we arrived so we could get the lay of the land. They’re working to reintroduce scarlet macaws into the park and have a really interesting free guided tour of that process. Our rooms were very large and we were even treated a private rooftop deck space. The restaurant was excellent. We were happy to have all our meals there. From our concierge Jose to everyone we met - Yonantan, Andre, Jans, and others - we could not have asked for friendlier or more gracious service, not to mention their patience when I wanted to practice my limited Spanish with them!
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from , Owner at Gaia Hotel & Reserve
Responded 2 Feb 2025
Our entire staff sends a big THANK YOU for your kind review! The important thing is that you made some wonderful memories at our little slice of paradise!
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Hugely disappointed in the resorts building and room - this is not a luxury 5 star place. It’s more like 2... and maybe 3 stars. The room is EXTREMELY outdated the building is likely 20+ years over due for a major update.
It’s absolutely not worth the price. There is a humid smell that is covered up by some type of perfume or attempt to mask it. There is mold in the bathrooms and very little thought into upgrading the rooms. It’s just very very old and unmaintained.
I felt this pace was designed to grab your money. The examples are 1) non refundable room 2) constant push to eat at their in house restaurant + book services at their spa (by the reception staff) 3) the “mistake” at check out with dining charges added to our room when we didn’t dine at the restaurant 4) the urge to donate to the bird project on the property 5) the push to book tours with them.
We booked the national park with them and possibly paid a few extra dollars and saved some time. I’m ok with that - this was flawless but only after we started googling the competitors in front of them at the reception room.
The hotels wildlife guide, was absolutely amazing he made me forget how bad the facilities were. The onsite, free, hike was very nice intact superb ! The property, minus the building, is extremely beautiful with monkeys running around along with other wildlife.
The guided tour of the national park with hotels guide was just amazing! This guide, I think his name is Lawrence is the definition of Pura Vida. Superb guy!!
A note to the owner: You may not care for these words in this review, but it’s an honest one… the work you are doing with the birds on the property is great keep it up ! (The hotel has a Macaw breeding program in effort to increase their population)
The fact that you are not building more buildings on the property is fantastic. The rooms need some love and major updating. The staff needs some retraining or redirection in hospitality as something just felt very off (reception staff) - perhaps they are just doing what they are instructed to do by the owner. All other staff are very very nice people.
Overall Disappointed with the claim of luxury and delivered a very subpar experience.
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Fleming, Owner at Gaia Hotel & Reserve
Responded 21 Jan 2024
To be frank, your review is very suspicious and stands out like a sore thumb! It's like you checked in with an agenda, stayed one night, and left with an agenda. We stand by the quality and appearance of our rooms and the grounds and facilities and the procedures of our entire staff.
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This hotel has a small number of rooms but a spacious and unique multilevel pool that lets you enjoy the tropical paradise that surrounds you in a nearly private setting. You can get food service pool side which we enjoyed for a late lunch and the dining room food was very good with a nice and reasonably priced selection of seafood along with some local dishes. The service was excellent and friendly. The hotel sits on several acres committed to a natural reserve for the endangered Scarlet McCaw. We saw pairs of these flying about every day of our stay along with many other tropical birds. They offer a tour of this area almost daily and we found it worth while. They offer a convenient shuttle service to the National park or the local beach next to it. If you go to the local beach, the drop you off near a great beach restaurant where you can rent umbrellas, order drinks on the beach and use the facility. Couldn't be more pleased with our stay!
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Date of stay: February 2023
Location
Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Fleming, Owner at Gaia Hotel & Reserve
Responded 8 Feb 2023
Thanks for taking the time to post your wonderful review! Pura Vida!
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Wonderful staff, helpful concierge, tours through the hotel were great - especially the Manuel Antonio tour and the hotel’s reserve tour. Incredible time here, would 10000% return. Local public bus (less than $1) stops right outside the hotel and is convenient to get into town. You will need to ask where to stop though.
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Date of stay: June 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:As it isn’t around a lot of restaurants, you will need to travel into town if you want more food...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from , Owner at Gaia Hotel & Reserve
Responded 10 Jul 2024
Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to post your review! Other readers will appreciate your comments and we certainly to as well! Pura Vida
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We felt that rating Gaia anything less than excellent wouldn’t be representative! Having said that, there’s a few areas that Gaia could improve to make the experience even better.
The indisputable positives of Gaia are the location, service and food. The staff are so friendly, helpful and strike the perfect balance between attentive / invasive. The location is picturesque and wildlife abundant. Whilst the food is delicious, fresh and offers some Costa Rican classics.
To further improve the hotel, the rooms could be freshened up slightly and a few detailed touches may be added! A hook for raincoats, and refitting the plug sockets would be a benefit.
However, overall, these small suggestion for improvements are outweighed by the significant positives of the hotel. Never have we ever felt so welcome; and with that a massive thank you to Nelson and Michael.
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Date of stay: April 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Fleming, Owner at Gaia Hotel & Reserve
Responded 8 Apr 2023
Thanks so much!
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Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica46 contributions2 helpful votes
Beautiful and sunny most of the day - maybe a little, refreshing afternoon or evening shower - but definitely a great time to explore Costa Rica and stay at GAIA.
There are more places to choose from in the Manuel Antonio area.
PRICE RANGE
$490 - $806 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
gaia hotel and reserve, gaia hotel reserve
LOCATION
Costa RicaProvince of PuntarenasQueposManuel Antonio
NUMBER OF ROOMS
22
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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