Shana Hotel & Spa

Our stay at Shana by the Beach was absolutely exceptional from start to finish. Every detail—from the well equipped rooms to the lush, serene grounds—felt thoughtfully curated and elevated the entire experience. We were greeted with the sweetest surprise upon arrival: a Happy Anniversary display complete with swans in our room, which immediately set the tone for a memorable stay. When we requested a room change, the staff was incredibly accommodating and made the process seamless and stress-free. What truly stood out was the service. Every single staff member we encountered was warm, attentive, and genuinely eager to help. The restaurant service was impeccable, and the overall hospitality throughout the hotel was top-notch. Big shout out to the front desk staff, the hotel manager and to Don Xavier in the restaurant. The spa experience was equally impressive—the massage was professional, deeply relaxing, and of outstanding quality. Shana by the Beach exceeded our expectations in every way. We left feeling relaxed, celebrated, and already looking forward to returning. Highly, highly recommend.

We had an enjoyable experience. Johnny who worked there was helpful. I'd recommend when traveling in the south of Costa Rica. Thanks Shana!

Exceptional service, family friendly atmosphere. Beautiful accommodations with jungle view. Watched monkeys and toucans everyday! Staff are top notch! Would definitely stay at Shana on our next trip.

I would not recommend this hotel. My first room was musty. It was on the lowest level of the 100 building. The room was dated. The shower had no door and the water got all over the bathroom. I wound up moving to the 200 building after 2 nights because there was no water in the 100 building (more below). While that room seemed to have some cosmetic updates, there were other small issues like there was no washer on the sink so the water went all over the place. Both rooms had very limited outlets; there were no outlets near the bed to charge your phone, and also no alarm clock which made it difficult to set an alarm or check the time in the middle of the night. Both rooms had tiles that seemed as if they were better suited for the outside; the tiles were textured and dirty as those tiles are hard to clean. Second, I had some challenges with excursions and this hotel. First, after booking my room reservation online, I filled out the online form to request excursions. When I hadn’t heard anything after a few weeks, I followed up with a few emails that were never responded to. I then started a chat on the website and was connected to a staff member who provided assistance. Second, I had an excursion booked to go parasailing. I was waiting for the transportation to arrive in the hotel reception area, and the company was over 20 minutes late. I asked the front desk to follow up; they called and indicated that the company was on its way but running late. I was surprised when 10 minutes later a taxi , not a company tourist bus, pulled up to drive us. The taxi driver dropped us off at the wrong location and charged us for the ride when the cost of transportation was supposed to be included in the excursion price. We ultimately found the correct company and had a good experience, but the owner of the parasailing company informed me that the hotel had never made the reservation for us. When I asked the front desk at the hotel what had happened, they blamed it all on the parasailing company and were not empathetic or apologetic at all. They did not offer to credit me the cost of the taxi which I felt they should have done. Third, early one morning before heading out for the day, I stopped by the excursion desk to ask if they could change the time of my excursion for the next day. They took down my cell phone information and said they would text me as soon as they were able to get in touch with the company, and indicated that I should hear from them within 10 minutes. I left for the beach and did not hear back from them all day. I stopped back at the desk six hours later and they indicated that while they were able to change the time, they didn’t text me because they couldn’t find my phone number. I found that frustrating because I had made it clear that I was looking to change the time of the excursion so that I could make a corresponding flight change which was time sensitive, and even if they had misplaced where they had written my number down it was included in my online profile. I found many members of the staff, particularly the servers at the restaurant, the guys working a hotel bar, and the guys who rode golf course carts, offering you assistance with luggage to be extremely helpful. Unfortunately, I did not feel the same with the front desk. One day I came back to the hotel room and there was no water. I called the front desk and they indicated they would send someone to my room in a few minutes. I waited for about half an hour and when no one came, I called back. They then indicated that there was a problem with the entire building and it should be fixed shortly. I waited another 15 minutes and when the water still wasn’t working, I went to the front desk and then asked if I could switch rooms, which they did accommodate. I don’t understand why they wouldn’t have called me back to let me know there was a problem with the entire building, knowing that I was waiting for someone to come to my room. There were other minor nuisances at the hotel included that they only provide two towels per room and you need to use a ticket system to obtain two towels for either the pool or the beach. In general, I found Costa Rica to be an extremely hospitable place where everyone I met went out of their way to be helpful. Unfortunately, I did not feel the same way about Shana and if I return to Manuel Antonio, I will look for another hotel.

We recently stayed at Shana by the Beach to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Overall, the service and hospitality, particularly at the restaurant and pool, were outstanding. Elieth and her sons, along with Yasim, Javier, Sidney, Lester, Edgar, and many others, made our experience truly memorable. Their friendliness, attentiveness, and willingness to go above and beyond did not go unnoticed. The dining experience was excellent, with an extensive menu and high-quality food. The pizza chef deserves special mention for delivering exceptional dishes. The pool area was equally impressive—clean, spacious, relaxing, and offering beautiful views. We also enjoyed the frequent visits from local wildlife, including monkeys, toucans, and parrots, which added a unique and memorable touch to our stay. Unfortunately, our room accommodations did not meet the same standard. We stayed in three different rooms, all of which required maintenance and attention. Issues such as broken taps and clogged sinks were disappointing, and the rooms overall appeared in need of significant upkeep and refurbishment. In all honesty, if it were not for the exceptional staff and dining experience, our overall impression would have been much less favorable. Shana by the Beach has many strong qualities, but improvements to the rooms are necessary to match the high standard set by the rest of the property.