Hotel Banana Azul - Adults Only

We spent three nights at Banana Azul and we wished we could have spent three more. The atmosphere was so peaceful and inviting. The gardens planted on the grounds were beautiful, the dining area had soft music playing, and we could see and hear the ocean waves from our dining table. Ahhh. Service was friendly, fun, and prompt. We ate dinner there all three nights, and the meals were excellent with a very fair price (including dessert). Cocktails were generously poured and reasonably priced, as was the house wine. Blended drinks were made with fresh fruit and freshly squeezed juices. The included breakfast was a tasty, hearty start to the day. The entire staff was kind and helpful. We stayed in the Red Frog room which was awesome – tastefully decorated, private, quiet, air conditioned, with our own plunge pool heated to a comfortable temperature. The room also had nice room darkening shades – I’d never slept past 6:00am in Costa Rica before! The bed was very comfy. The location was perfect – steps from the beach, away from the busy town, but close enough to bike to Puerto Viejo. We rented bikes from Banana Azul and rode all the way to Manzanillo, stopping off at the various beaches along the way. This was our first trip to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, and we loved it. Banana Azul also provided little extras like coffee on the beach, a water cooler for refilling water bottles, and sunscreen and insect repellent sitting out for guests to use. Everything about Banana Azul made us feel as if the owner and staff wanted us to feel comfortable and welcome like invited guests. It’s a top notch hotel without any stuffiness. We hope to return someday!

We had a one-night stay in the Dolphin Room and then decided to stay a second night. Our second night was in Ocean Three. There were kitchen odors in Ocean 3 - especially on the patio. But other than that the stay was fantastic. The grounds are gorgeous. The staff is super friendly. I had the best massage of my life with Michelle. The beach is spectacular and is under a one minute walk from the hotel. If you're looking for five star accommodations, this hotel is not it. But, if you like a smaller hotel (24 rooms) surrounded by natural beauty and you're ok with slightly rustic, you'll love this place as we did.

This was my fourth time staying at Banana Azul. The last time was in August 2023, and now there is new management. Sadly, this place has lost much of the charm of what made it a favorite before. The pipa frio they used to give out upon arrival is now a cost across the street at the market. They still do the welcome drink with the seaheart drink token, but there is no choice as before. Remember how they had coffee ready on the beach at 5:30 am every morning? Yeah, they don’t do that anymore either. Literally, that is what we looked forward to most. The place really needs additional staff and lots and lots of TLC. Laura is the sweetest staff member, and the others often come across as angry or totally exhausted. The man who appears to be the new property manager appears angry all the time and looks to do nothing to actually assist his overwhelmed staff. We were there four nights with another couple, and the manager never once spoke. Aside from Laura, everyone there treated us like an inconvenience, and two of us worked many years in hospitality and are sensitive and gracious to the cause. Perhaps Banana Azul is just too short staffed to keep up, but waiting for beach towels to be laundered on a weekend morning at 9:30 is just not right. Also, our towels were all stained. This beautiful property just isn’t what it once was, and my husband and I felt so duped dragging our friends here after telling them how great the place is when sooooo much has changed for the worse there. I really hope they step up their game and give Laura the credit she deserves for being a bright spot on their team. Even other locals we talked to told us how the place, especially the restaurant is not as good as it once was, and yeah, I agree. The coconut shrimp I ordered for lunch on the beach gave no indication in taste or appearance of either ingredient. Really disappointed and not likely to return to a place that has been so dear to us for years.

Just awful hotel! We booked for 1 week, left after 1 nite. It was that bad. Very outdated, worn out, in need of repairs. We were eaten alive by mosquitoes, with the mosquito net which had holes in it. Bathroom window had no screen, so bugs got it, was tiny. My own fault for not researching further.