Shana Hotel & Spa

One of the best vacations we’ve ever had! Shana is incredible! The staff treated us like family —all very caring and do their best to make sure guests are comfortable. Breakfast in the morning was great— hot, fresh, lots of choices and the morning crew greeted us with smiles . Rooms are spacious and clean and beds comfy. We stayed in room 128 and had a large veranda that overlooked the jungle. A 10 minute walk to a beautiful beach. So many lovely flowers around the grounds. Monkeys would visit in the morning and I truly think everyone should experience morning monkey visits. I miss them so much! The pools were so much fun. One evening we were watching the Capuchin monkeys from the pool when a whole troop of spider monkeys ran by, as two scarlet macaws flew over our heads and a sloth climbed a tree nearby. Shana is like its own little wildlife preserve. The spa was also wonderful— don’t hesitate to book the spa coffee experience!! Shana is also close to so many great adventures and excursions. We did a night jungle tour at Rainmaker preserve, a day hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park, a salsa dancing class, horseback riding to a waterfall, a vanilla and spice farm tour, a night out at the local farmers market,…A big thank you to Javier, Alex, Edgar, Ericka, Elieth, Kevin, and Daniel and all the other staff for making our stay so memorable. Looking forward to our next visit!

View was gorgeous, guest services very helpful. Guest services was able to facilitate the various changes we had due to travel modifications/young children, and were so gracious about it. Spa and spa staff was lovely. Our biggest issue was some misrepresentation of facts. We read reviews about construction before we travelled and called the hotel, because it was the first time we’d heard about it and we were concerned. We were assured over the phone it would be done “by December 3rd” when we were going to arrive. But construction of the road AND hotel was ongoing throughout our visit. We would have booked a different place to stay if we’d known we would be stuck in traffic on the road every time we tried to leave, and had to deal with construction noise by the rooms during the day. However the noise once inside our room wasn't terribly loud, and could be ignored mostly. The entire half of the hotel that doesn't face the ocean is being gutted and renovated, so its not simple fixes. The pool has areas where there's a few square feet of missing tiles, and the white curb is super slippery. I almost fell several times, my son and daughter slipped a few times. I saw a few other adults slip and fall as well. The happy hour drinks are by one get one free, however, they either dont put alcohol in them or put half the amount for 2 drinks or less. We had to add our own to make it taste like usual. I would rather have a $2 or $5 discount on the drinks than have misleading or dishonest 2 drinks with little to no alcohol. The trail to get to the beach is accessible if you’re fit and able. If you are elderly, no. It is not accessible if you cannot walk for ten minutes over steep and uneven terrain. There is no shuttle into town, but the hotel will call you a taxi for $12 to go under a mile (that’s double NYC taxicab rates, btw). The road construction makes the road not all that safe for walking into town, at least with kids. This is more of a personal preference, but the beds were VERY FIRM i didn't sleep well at all because it felt like sleeping on a lightly padded box spring. Some of the staff was really wonderful and accommodating of our family — especially Johnny in guest services. Some others very clearly did not “love their job.” I think the responses to critical reviews here should have clued us in. Next time we’ll stay somewhere it is easier to access town and a beach.

The room was clean staff very courteous. Food was delicious breakfast buffet outstanding. Location of hotel was perfect to explore all areas.

I never leave negative reviews like this. I don’t like going out of my way to do these types of reviews. But the way this is being handled by the hotel is very disappointing. Please look at their response attached. Evelyn from reception was great. The spa was great. The restaurant and bar (specifically the bartender by the pool) were not great. Food was expensive, but flavorless. We had enjoyed our stay here in Costa Rica and this was the last place we would stay at for our week trip.. The bartender seemed bothered every time we ordered, and was always short with me even when I tried going out of my way to purchase something else to leave a tip on the card. The restaurant, we ordered sushi. I love sushi and I don’t think I’ve ever complained nor sent back sushi. When I called the restaurant to return a a plate I DID NOT EAT because of the way it made me feel (I ordered two of the same plates) I was met with a defensive manager saying refunds were not allowed and that since the chef said the food came out okay, I have no other choice but to eat it or not. What he did offer, was a bottle of wine or a “couple of beers” to compensate. But I stated since I was not feeling well, that these options did not sound appealing and I would rather speak with the general manager tomorrow morning before checkout. We spoke with her. I was not satisfied with the end result of the conversation nor her customer service. Every time she spoke, I let her finish. Whereas she would cut me off and say “sorry no refunds.” Basically saving I did not have a good enough reason. Will not be back. *** Important to note the managers response****

Great location and staff. Beautiful Playa Biesanz down the hill path. Delicious breakfast buffet, best breakfast during our Manuel Antonio visit thank you.