I stayed at Bahia del Sol with two friends last April.

SERVICE: No problems with the staff. We arrived at the hotel around 1:30pm and our room was ready. Some days the room was clean by noon; other days by 4-5pm. Staff were always smiling and language was never a problem. We tipped the maid $2 US/day.

ROOM: We had a room facing the pool very clean and beds were very comfy, bathroom was perfect. No problems with plumbing or bugs whatsoever. You could hear the sound of waves crashing as you fell asleep and awoke each morning. The bar plays loud music until about 10pm, but no problems with noisy neighbors.

BEACH/POOL: Gorgeous sunsets! Never had a problem getting a chair, even on the weekends. Waves are very powerful and the Pacific seems extra salty. You can also rent boogie boards and snorkel gear for free 1 hour/day.

FOOD: Typical of what’s expected for an Costa Rican hotels, just perfect and delicious. We had a vegetarian in our group and she never had a problem finding something to eat off the menu. One nice perk is you can ask for bottled water to take with you for the rest of your day. This was a big help for our excursions so we didn’t have to buy water outside the resort.

DRINKS: The bartender at the pool bar was our favorite. Drinks were pretty strong in our opinion.

Again, to summarize, Hotel Bahia del Sol was a lovely place to stay, and we plan to come back again next year. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful, the food and drinks were generally excellent. If you’re an American used to the busy hustle-and-bustle of the daily grind, the biggest adjustment you’re going to have to make is that you’re FORCED to slow down here. Everything goes at a slower pace, including service at the restuarants and bars. GO WITH IT!!!! That’s what vacation is all about, right?