Jennifer D.
We loved the location and smaller feel to the hotel. The staff were amazing as well.
Find your place to stay
La Vela Boutique Hotel in Manuel Antonio offers a distinct advantage with its prime location at the base of the hill, providing a short, level walk to Espadilla Beach and Manuel Antonio National Park. Guests can immerse themselves in tropical gardens, enjoy a refreshing pool, and utilize convenient on-site dining options including a tiki bar and pizza restaurant. Complimentary Costa Rican breakfast and free WiFi enhance a stay focused on easy access to local attractions and a relaxed pace, often eliminating the need for taxis. The hotel provides a variety of modern, smoke-free rooms and suites to suit different party sizes and preferences.
In a destination where many hotels climb the hillside, La Vela Boutique Hotel makes a different invitation: walk easily to the beach and Manuel Antonio National Park. Its position at the base of the hill gives you a short, level route to Espadilla Beach, with restaurants, shops and boutiques nearby. That freedom to step out on foot can shape the whole rhythm of a Manuel Antonio stay.
Inside the property, modern rooms sit within tropical gardens. The pool and lounge area have sunbeds and umbrellas, creating a pleasant place to return after a park walk or beach morning. A tiki bar and pizza restaurant let you keep some meals close by; complimentary Costa Rican breakfast gives the day an easy beginning. Free WiFi, parking, a souvenir shop and an information desk handle practical needs.
More than ten nearby restaurants bring seafood, local favorites and international dishes within easy reach. Colorful souvenir shops add another reason to browse the streets between a beach morning and dinner. You can leave those hours pleasantly open, with a walkable neighborhood providing the next small discovery.
Rooms and suites differ in space, outlook and bedding. Standard Rooms provide a compact choice for couples, while Superior Rooms look toward the gardens and Deluxe Rooms toward the pool. Suites add furnished patios, and the larger Master Suite has mountain views. Extra beds are conditional and must be requested where applicable; compare the capacities and extra-bed conditions below. All rooms are smoke-free. Choose La Vela for its walkable setting and garden atmosphere, then compare the room categories for the space your party needs.
Air-conditioned, smoke-free rooms include premium bedding, a mini refrigerator, flat-screen TV, safe, terrace or balcony, espresso maker, desk and complimentary WiFi. Bathrooms have a shower, hairdryer and complimentary toiletries.
The national park gives those beach days a wildlife-rich counterpart, with guided walks offering chances to look for monkeys, sloths and scarlet macaws. Farther afield, canopy ziplining, rafting, canyoning and waterfall rappelling, horseback rides to waterfalls and ATV adventures bring more active possibilities. Surf lessons and sunset catamaran cruises keep the ocean central. A walkable hotel base does not mean the vacation needs to stay in one small neighborhood; it simply gives the quieter hours an easier pace.
Pro tip: Unlike most Manuel Antonio hotels perched on the hillside, La Vela is nestled in the valley, offering a level, short stroll to the beach, national park, over 10 restaurants, as well as shops and boutiques. This prime location often eliminates the need for taxi cabs or the hassle of arranging and waiting for transportation, saving you approximately $24 per day when compared to most hillside hotels with twice-daily trips.
Exclusive promo for PTW clients: 10% discount on the La Vela souvenir shop. At Baldis Fresh Beachfront Restaurant, clients have a 10% meal discount. At Morpho Beach Bar Restaurant; Guests of La Vela who purchase a dinner meal receive (one of) either a bottle of wine, cocktail, or dessert.
Manuel Antonio
Latitude: 9.392225; longitude: -84.148125
Pacific Trade Winds customer ratings and reviews.
Showing reviews 51–75 of 218.
Jennifer D.
We loved the location and smaller feel to the hotel. The staff were amazing as well.
Kathi H.
This hotel had very few amenities. We were a little put off by not being able to flush toilet paper. It was walking distant to many restaurants, the beach, as well as Manuel Antonio Park.
Ben Q.
This hotel was amazing! The room was pretty standard but was clean and very comfortable.breakfast was great and the staff was very friendly and helpful!
Anna D.
Nice hotel! We enjoyed having a suite with our daughter and her husband. The pool and pool bar was great!
Maya L.
very nice, perfect location!
Richard D.
A nice little place to stay away from the immediate congestion of the beach but close enough to enjoy it everyday.
Ruth M.
As with most beach town hotels, this one showed wear and tear. The staff was lovely and overall, it was a good experience.
Charles W.
This was a much less interesting and unique place than Mountain Paradise, and obviously much smaller, but it met our needs very well, with two rooms next to each other. The location, very near the beach and the National Park, is exceptional, since we didn't have a car.The pool was enjoyed, and the wood-fired pizza was good. The man who did breakfast was delightful.
Susan P.
Very nice accommodations . Conveniently located to the beach, restaurants, and the wildlife preserve.
Robert G.
Avoid room #1, at least until they repair a few items that we mentioned. It abuts the service closet, as well, and so there was early morning noise coming through the wall. Miguel, the manager, kindly changed our room to #3, which was fantastic and very convenient to the front desk and the water dispenser. He even gave us a complementary bottle of wine! The desk attendant (sorry I did not get her name) kindly offered us fruit and sandwiches for our early morning departure for SJO since we missed breakfast. So convenient to Manuel Antonio entrance and the restaurants on either side were very good, as was Baldi's Fresh across from Play Espadilla. Should caution people to allow extra time if driving down Ruta Costanera Sur on a Friday evening. We got stuck in a two hour jam because they were paving the road in Jaco. Final hour drive was in the dark and rain.
Willow J.
The hotel was great, everything we were looking for in a boutique hotel and the location was perfect and convenient, walking distance to everything.
Chuong T.
Best hotel location for four days relaxation
Evelyn F.
Great location - easy walk to Manuel Antonio park and to beach
Shelley M.
The accommodation was personal and intimate and quiet. I loved the fact that it was not a huge resort. The breakfast was always very tasty and wait staff was amazing.
Jeremy E.
It’s a lovely hotel - great location- but we did have ´room envy’ I knew that room 3 was going to offer a bit of stuffiness because it’s the lower level. The bed was perfect though and the bathroom was spacious. It’s just odd to store clothing in a bathroom We enjoyed the pool and the breakfasts. The staff was very nice. I do think they could have worked faster to get our travel companions into a better room.
Robert A.
Bit of a let down here. Rooms 1, 2 and 3 were not very nice. Our room(#1) was terrible…..damp, stank, had a humidifier running all the time, fridge didnt’ work and bathroom overall was not very nice.Seemed old and outdated. Having said that the staff very super nice and offered to move us into room 8 after our second night and that was a huge improviemnet. The grounds are beautiful and location perfect but too bad about those first floor rooms. You need to make it very clear with clients that this is the case until the hotel upgrades these.if they did that, I’d rate this location as a 10.
Tammy A.
The reason not “10” was based on our experience in first room
Lisa S.
It was quaint and we enjoyed it.
Karen S.
Loved this hotel. The breakfast was very good.
Kevin B.
Fantastic location near Manuel Antonio and the beach
Jennifer D.
great happy hour and breakfast
Bonnie H.
Breakfasts were excellent
Carol M.
What a lovely boutique hotel. A hidden gem and so close to Manuel Antonio. I had hoped for some shopping but the shops nearby were just inexpensive items and not local to CR. We liked the handcrafted things we found in Tamarindo.
Barbara W.
The best breakfast of all our hotel. The front desk staff were very friendly and personable. The location was excellent.so close to the Park, beach, restaurants, and bus into Quepos
Nancy N.
Loved the location and staff were excellent
La Vela Boutique Hotel is uniquely situated at the base of the hill in Manuel Antonio, offering a short, level walk to Espadilla Beach and Manuel Antonio National Park, unlike many hillside hotels. This prime location also places over ten restaurants, shops, and boutiques within easy reach.
Guests can enjoy a complimentary Costa Rican breakfast, an on-site tiki bar, and a pizza restaurant. Additionally, more than ten nearby restaurants offer seafood, local favorites, and international dishes within walking distance.
All smoke-free rooms at La Vela Boutique Hotel are air-conditioned and include premium bedding, a mini refrigerator, flat-screen TV, safe, terrace or balcony, espresso maker, desk, and complimentary WiFi. Bathrooms feature a shower, hairdryer, and complimentary toiletries.
Pacific Trade Winds clients receive a 10% discount at the La Vela souvenir shop and a 10% meal discount at Baldis Fresh Beachfront Restaurant. Guests purchasing a dinner meal at Morpho Beach Bar Restaurant receive one complimentary bottle of wine, cocktail, or dessert.
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