Gaia Hotel & Reserve

If I could give Gaia 10 stars, I would. The customer service is truly outstanding. We were a family of four, and after a 4 hour plane ride, a 2 hour customs line, and a 3½ hour drive from San José Airport, we arrived at the hotel completely exhausted. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with warmth and care. Friendly staff immediately took our luggage and transported us by golf cart to the lobby, where four fresh fruit drinks were waiting for us. I was introduced to my concierge, completed check-in quickly, given a tour, and escorted to our room—all seamlessly. Our suite was clean, comfortable, and spacious, with a stunning view of the jungle and ocean. There was more than enough room for my husband, myself, and our two adult daughters to spread out comfortably without feeling crowded. The shower pressure was excellent—it was hard not to want to take an hour-long shower! When we weren’t in the room, we loved relaxing on the balcony or in the outdoor seating just outside our door, right next to the pool. The pool area offered breathtaking views of both the ocean and jungle. My husband and I especially enjoyed floating in the pool chairs while soaking in the scenery. The hotel grounds are beautifully maintained and surrounded by a lush tropical setting. The staff throughout the property was exceptional. Our concierge, Edson, was incredibly helpful—always available to answer questions, arrange meals, and set up tours. He consistently checked in to see how everything went and if we needed anything else. The onsite restaurant, Luna, served very good food with top-notch service. Abraham truly stood out. He remembered our names after our first visit and greeted each of us by name every time thereafter. He promptly seated us, ensured we were always taken care of, and went above and beyond in thoughtful ways. One evening, when we ordered food to go, he offered to deliver it to our room so we wouldn’t have to carry the plates. Another day, while my husband and I relaxed by the pool, Abraham was working the bar—he brought us fresh fruit on wooden sticks and even adjusted the music to our preference. These small touches made an already perfect day unforgettable. The golf cart service made getting around the property easy and convenient. The hotel also offers an excellent shuttle service to the beach every hour, with pick-ups every 15 minutes past the hour. We typically took the 1:00 PM shuttle and returned at 4:15 PM. I also loved the convenience of picking up beach towels from security at the entrance and returning them after our outings. One of the highlights of our stay was the wildlife experience. Gaia is a Macaw Reserve and offers a complimentary hike led by Clarence, who is funny, engaging, and extremely knowledgeable. He also guided us through Manuel Antonio National Park. His sharp eye for spotting even the most discreet wildlife and his deep knowledge made the tours incredibly memorable for our family. I’d also like to thank Ada for promptly resolving a maintenance issue we encountered a few days into our stay. She immediately arranged an upgraded room and had all of our luggage transferred, ensuring we were well taken care of and compensated for the inconvenience. I highly recommend Gaia to anyone visiting the Manuel Antonio area. The hardest part of our stay was having to leave. I absolutely plan on returning—next time with even more family members.

The hotel, at the time it was built in 2005, may have comfortably referred to itself as a 5-star resort. Two decades later, advancements in design and aesthetics have rendered some of the hotel grounds antiquated. The rooms are spacious and the showers are luxurious, but feel slightly old - you can see how in 2005 it'd be a top of the line resort. That said, the service they provide is still top-notch, and the staff are kind. They also offer a wonderful selection of soaps, and you can choose for yourself which set you'd like. A nice touch.

Best service and experience- the staff are amazing. Our Personal concierge, Deiver was THE BEST!!! Food was delicious. Spa was great - went twice! Room was spacious, clean, and comfortable. The large private terrace on The roof was stunning - we saw Macaw's daily. I even saw this toucan sitting on our terrace 5 ft in front of me. I highly recommend this beautiful hotel. It is on a reserve and above the trees- the views are incredible and sunsets at dinner are stunning. Walter drove us daily all over- great security team as well.

We had a wonderful time here!. We received exceptional service from Deiver and all of the staff at this resort. We ate out once outside the resort and decided not to do it again as the food at The Luna was exceptional and we had something different every night of our 7 night stay. Everybody there is friendly and helpful. We would definitely stay here if we ever go back to Manuel Antonio. The location is nice but you can't walk anywhere. The shuttle service was flexible and dropped us off and picked us up at different locations. The rooms were very clean and comfortable. The water pressure of the shower was fantastic! Because it's an adult only facility, it was very quiet and relaxing.

Our trip to Costa Rica and the Gaia Hotel was everything we hoped for. The hotel staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, especially our personal concierge, Ada Martinez. The food was consistently excellent as was the room comfort and cleanliness. Unfortunately, the walking tour of the grounds was not possible due to slippery conditions but the free shuttle to the National Park made up for it. The Gaia deserves our highest recommendation.