El Mangroove, Autograph Collection

El Mangroove remains one of my favorite hotels in the world. Flawless property with multiple pools - so beautiful - and gorgeous chocolate sand beach with v calm water, v natural with the trees coming right down onto the beach. You can’t go wrong with any room - this is my fifth visit to El Mangroove and every room is beautiful with great bed and sitting area. I loved my Habitat Superior this trip with an outdoor egg-shaped hammock-style chair. The real prize at El Mangroove, though, is the excellent staff. The room housekeepers do a beautiful and thoughtful job - they check if you need more coffee pods or bottled water and refill without being asked. And the front desk, valet and restaurant staff could not be better - kind, thoughtful, real people. Standouts this trip were William (manager), Victor on loan from another Enjoy Hotel property, Isaac and Antonio at Valet, Kervin Orlando Armando in Matiss/Makoko. I feel v cared for at El Mangroove. It remains an outstanding value, in great location, less than 30 minutes from the Liberia airport. Thank you to all at El Mangroove and see you again soon, Grace

El Mangroove is a gorgeous boutique resort hotel with great proximity to the Liberia airport. If you are flying in/out consider staying here at the beginning or end of your trip to Costa Rica. It is a small property - intimate. It’s tucked into mature forest, with green and lush landscaping. The highlights of the resort are the restaurants, pools and the exceptional staff. The property overlooks a beautiful bay that reminded us of the British Virgin Islands or other Caribbean beaches, because you look out on green islands/peninsula. The beach area is undeveloped, black sand beach, with a protected swim area. The resort has lounge chairs on grassy areas overlooking the beach, but the real star are the pools - a large, adult only lap pool and a series of other pools. The water temperature was absolutely perfect. We visited in the rainy/off season so only two restaurants were open - Makoko for breakfast and dinner, and Matiss for lunch/drinks/early dinner. All the meals we had were delicious. The staff at the restaurants/bar/pool were wonderful people, very friendly and great service. Several remembered our names; how do they do that? The property is close to other beach towns if you want to venture out (but why?) for activities or meals elsewhere. During the week we had the property to ourselves, but on the weekend it picked up and had a nice vibe/live music on Saturday night. The quiet weeknights and the contemporary but rather plain rooms were our only criticisms. The rooms are in separate buildings whose architecture and forest location results in them being a bit dark. I would recommend upgrading to a room with a balcony to get more light and have a more appealing home base. But most of the time you will want to enjoy the pools or beach, sip on a drink at the bar at Matiss. We really recommend this Bonvoy/Autograph Collection property for your Costa Rica vacation, especially if you seek a relaxing, calm, natural environment with exquisite pools and view, and not a party scene.

We spent two amazing weeks at El Mangroove, and everything about our stay was perfect. The hotel has a beautiful design that blends perfectly with nature, surrounded by trees, ocean views, and plenty of wildlife. The staff were always warm, attentive, and genuinely friendly. Breakfast was delicious every morning, with lots of local fruits and fresh options, and the restaurant food was excellent throughout our stay. The pool area was relaxing and never crowded, and the beach was calm and great for swimming or watching the sunset. Our room was spacious, modern, and always spotless thanks to the housekeeping team. It truly felt like a little paradise. We also reached out to Gabriel from nomadtourscr, who helped us organize a few adventures outside the hotel. We went on a Jet Ski tour around the Papagayo area and a rainforest trip where we saw monkeys, sloths, and some playful white-nosed coatis. Everything was perfectly planned, and our guide made the experience fun and informative. If you’re looking to combine relaxation with a bit of adventure, we highly recommend both El Mangroove and Nomad, we’re already planning to come back!

El Mangroove and the staff were fantastic. The property was immaculate and exactly what we needed for our 20th anniversary. All levels of service; the spa, restaurant, housekeeping and facilities maintenance, valets, and the hospitality team were first class. Special thanks to Pablo (Concierge Agent) for his exceptional attention and service to us. He and the team made our trip one we will always remember fondly. We look forward to being back in mangroves soon!

This was our third visit to El Mangroove and will definitely come back again. Caesar was especially welcoming as we arrived and during our stay.