El Mangroove, Autograph Collection

We stayed at a four-bedroom villa for four nights in March 2026. My husband and I came here with our two kids, his parents, and my parents—a party of eight. We had an incredible experience. I've stayed at some wonderful places over the years (see my prior reviews), and this was one of the very best. As mentioned, we stayed in a four-bedroom villa (villa #12), one of the nicest accommodations at the resort. We used points and booked through Chase Travel (because paying in cash for this would have been obscenely expensive). So this review is based on that experience; part of the reason we might have received such excellent service was because of the accommodations we booked. The villa was magnificent. Furnished in a clean, modern style, it was very spacious: 4,500 square feet over two levels, with a large living/dining area, a full kitchen, and four bedrooms (each with a large closet/dressing area and private bath). The best part was a private plunge pool (to which my photo doesn’t do justice); it was good-sized, with water always at a perfect temperature. This pool was part of a larger outdoor entertaining area with a half-bath (so you don’t have to dry off if you need to use the facilities), plus an upstairs deck with additional seating (although it got very hot during the day, so we didn’t really use it—except for drying off wet stuff). Quibbles (because even excellent places can be better): the kitchen was missing baking sheets, measuring cups, and measuring spoons; the stairs to the second floor are a bit steep and outdoors (i.e., there’s no internal staircase—probably not something they can change at this point, but I note it for any travelers with mobility issues). The service overall was solid—e.g., in the restaurants—but what really took it to the next level was our concierge, Emanuel (Ema). Prior to our arrival, he reached out to coordinate with us about booking different activities, stocking our kitchen with groceries, airport transportation, and the like. Throughout our trip, we could simply text him if we needed anything, and he would magically get it done. He was unfailingly responsive, welcoming, and warm. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had such thorough and responsive service and personalized attention. In terms of activities, we did three. First, we did the ocean boat tour for eight: we got a private boat with a crew of two (Gracie and Esteban), and it was amazing. They took us to beautiful, secluded beaches, and we saw tons of jumping dolphins, which was quite a sight to behold. Second, I had my first surfing lesson—which was great, so much fun! Finally, as mentioned above, we had a chef come and prepare dinner at our villa, which was wonderful. These experiences weren't cheap, but they were all absolutely worth it. Responses to some of the negative reviews (because I always jump straight to these when considering a hotel or resort): - Yes, you might occasionally smell smoke if you come around this time of year (March). This is a regional issue; it’s the dry season (December to April), so there are occasional wildfires, and there's also some agricultural burning. The wind can carry this smell very far. It happens throughout the region, and there’s nothing El Mangroove can do about it; these fires are miles and miles away, not on property within the hotel’s control. (It was only occasional and didn’t bother us—it reminded me like the “wood smoke” we get in the northeast United States during winter, which I weirdly somewhat like—but apparently it has bothered some other guests.) - I never detected any sewage smell at any point during our entire stay (as one review claimed). - There was a wedding while we were there—set up beautifully for the ceremony on the beach, followed by the reception in a garden. We never noticed any overcrowding from the wedding group in the shared areas, such as the pools or restaurants, and we didn’t have any noise issues from the wedding party either. (In fact, I think El Mangroove would be a great venue for a wedding!) - When we were there, the common areas and pools were immaculate. Sure, I once saw a stray leaf in one of the pools, but it looked like it had just fallen (and it’s not realistic to expect perfection). The poolside drink service was very good—faster than these things often take. And they provide free sunscreen and aloe (for sunburn) poolside—a very nice touch. (Quibble: there were self-serve towel stations by the pools, and occasionally they seemed to run low on towels; also, I suppose it might be nice if attendants came and offered towels.) - One reviewer said they had an issue getting an Uber. We never did (and we used Uber more than once). - The restaurants are totally fine. True, the food isn’t a selling point for the resort—but in light of all the other great things about El Mangroove, we had no issue. Malu is better than Matiss, so if food is important to you, do more of your meals at Malu. If you get a villa, try the private chef service; we did it, and the meal was fabulous (the best of our stay). Overall, at least if you stay in a villa—I can’t speak to the rest of the hotel, although we had friends who stayed in a normal room, and they also had a great experience—El Mangroove is a magical place. Our eight-year-old cried on the day we had to leave, and we would love to return again. Thanks again to Emanuel and all of his fantastic colleagues!

Upon arrival was greeted by the unmistakable smell of wildfire smoke, causing me to tear up and aggravating my asthma. Complaints to management greeted by dismissal (“no big deal, happens all the time”); they refused to move me to another safer property. I ended up checking out, bailing on what was to be a 4 day vacation, feeling sick and exhausted.

Wonderful experience. Grounds are great for small families who have toddlers. Beach is probably the best compared to playa hermosa or playa coco. People were kind and not feeling too pressured to tip (we still did but it was nice not to feel constantly obligated.) Driving around the area is also easy so do not be intimidated. Room service felt the most affordable and easy!

Our family of four had a wonderful stay at El Mangroove in Guanacaste, on the Papagayo Peninsula. This is our third trip to Guanacaste, and we previously stayed at another resort and a rental property. The El Mangroove did not disappoint. We found the rooms spacious, clean, and very reasonably priced, especially during the high season. While the rooms lack the stunning views of other resorts on the peninsula, the amenities make up for the limited views, in our opinion. The restaurants on the property had excellent food, and our favorite was the lunch menu at the pool and the breakfast buffet. The entire staff, from check-in, to restaurant waiters, to housekeeping, to the sports desk, were very accommodating and super friendly. We really enjoyed our excursions with Azul Ocean Adventures, booked through the El Mangroove. We did the beach hopping tour with Esteban and Gracie and had a blast. We snorkeled and saw sea turtles and several types of fish, and then got to see a whale shark, a very unique experience. Our son got to swim next to the whale shark, truly exhilarating. Our boys also did some wakeboarding, cave exploring, and caught a nice yellowfin tuna. Esteban prepared sashimi from the tuna, which we ate on board, and then the restaurant prepared the tuna for appetizers and a main course for the four of us later that evening – what an experience! We also took a sunset cruise with Esteban, several jet ski rides, one longer tour with Gracie, and had massages at the spa. The El Mangroove concierge staff helped with off-property excursions as well, transfers to / from the airport, and local restaurant recommendations and reservations. Our favorite off-property restaurants were Hacienda Blu and Peninsula CR Steak and Seafood. In summary, we had an amazing experience at the El Mangroove, from the people, to the adventures, to the food, and would highly recommend it for families traveling to Costa Rica. Pura Vida!

We stayed in the beautiful and extremely spacious, well appointed Grand Canopy Suite, with a master bedroom, two bathrooms, large living and dining area, and two balconies - one facing the beach, the other the resort. Our unit was immaculately clean with well working air-conditioning throughout and fans on the balconies. The resort blends seamlessly into its surroundings and the use of natural materials like stone, bamboo, and wood made for a great, warm ambiance throughout. The beach is beautiful and public and we enjoyed mingling with the local families who enjoyed their Valentines Day outings. The property is also excellent for bird watching, and we spotted mantled howler monkeys in the trees. All the staff were very welcoming and attentive. The breakfast buffet at Makoko was generous, with many delicious hot and cold options and an omelet station. We dined at all three restaurants and food was outstanding at each. Our favorite dinner was at Malú; special shout out to Anthony Salazar for going above and beyond with spot-on recommendations, wine pairings, and top tier service. The resort was quite busy during our stay, with plenty of guests engaging in sun-bed hogging, especially at the main pool. The one major downside for us personally was the loud music emanating from the barefoot bar/restaurant Matiss, at times continuing past 11 pm.