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Reviews of Condo Hotels Samara Heights

3 out of 5
Condo Hotels Samara Heights
Samara Centro, Sámara, Guanacaste

Reviews

5.8
Rating 10 - Excellent. 12 out of 79 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 16 out of 79 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 21 out of 79 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 15 out of 79 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 15 out of 79 reviews" "

6.0/10

Cleanliness

5.6/10

Staff & service

3.6/10

Amenities

5.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Andrea

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Amazing view!! Clear, new, well equipped
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2021

6/10 Okay

Andrea, New York

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness
One of the biggest gripes we had, was there was not any hot water for showers or doing dishes. All they provided was sheets and no blankets. The manager was not where to be found. Besides those small few things, we found the hotel to be sufficient.
Stayed 8 nights in Dec 2019

4/10 Poor

kevin c.

we found the rooms dirty and lacked basic wash cloths and towels
The location is good but the pictures on home away give you the impression of a nice condo - BEWARE- if you book a standard room you will get put in a 2-3 star motel room that is not clean( by our) standards - no manager to talk to and wasnt here on checkin-We called home away reservations to complain and they where no help- (probably wont use them again)NO AC in Costa Rica? Very disappointed wspecially for the price
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019

4/10 Poor

chinocc, san jose, cr

Traveled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Property is not well taken care of and it is disappointing at best. Not recommended. Asked for an invoice and didn't get it either.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Total deception. Never coking back to that horrible place.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018

4/10 Poor

janet

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stay away from the Mirador
I'm a planner so I booked this over a year ago...never again. Even though hotels.com notified me about my upcoming plans the hotel did not prepare for our arrival. One of the sinks was full of ants. There were no towels. The floors were dirty. They said they would clean up the apartment and for us to come back in a couple of hours, but when we came back we had to ask for bug spray and a broom to sweep the deck. There were dead bugs in the shower still and a live little gecko running around in the bathroom. I also had to wash all the kitchen utensils and pans we used because there were ants and spiders in the cabinets. They did not check on us once during our three day stay. The only reason why we stayed was because we already paid. They were under construction which started at 6am and ended at 6pm. Every time we walked up to the hotel the workers gawked and we never felt comfortable with our bathing suits on...so we made sure to always had our coverups on. Hotels.com needs to take this hotel off their list. The worst hotel I ever stayed at my entire life of traveling throughout Asia, Europe, Central America and South America in my 53 years!!!!!! One redeeming quality was the gorgeous view...but we couldn't eat outside because of the cats who went on the table to eat our food off our dishes and wouldn't go away. I love animals and have dogs and cats, but they're well fed and don't have to beg for food. I think the cats weren't fed well so they would catch mice.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2018

10/10 Excellent

nancy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel on hill overlooking Pacific. Very pretty and refreshing breezes in open air setting with spacious patios.

2/10 Terrible

hman, Philadelphia

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
This is more a hostel than hotel. There was no staff just a single guy. The extra linens we asked for the futon were stained. No AC and the ceiling fans created and made noise. Zero amenities.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2018

8/10 Good

ERIC

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice and acceptable.
Nice location. We will visit this place again.

2/10 Terrible

S.P., Canada

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Looks nice from far away. Totally run down .Should be gutted and cleaned and updated. Very dirty floors, discusting bathroom with no soap.Filthy fridge and coffee maker. The 2 cups needed washing up too Just the bare minimum to stay for one night and get out as fast as possible. . A shame that owners are just trying to make money and expedia offers places like that. Could be beautiful with a little effort and the view is already there
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018

2/10 Terrible

marilen

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Do not book
We booked this hotel at 11pm because there was a hurricane and we could not reach our original location. Drive to this hotel. It looks nothing like the picture! On top of that we knocked and called and when the man finally answered he yelled at us and said. Check in is over at 6! Do not call! We had to drive 20 miles away in the hurricane to find somewhere else to stay! Awful service
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2017

10/10 Excellent

Caroline, california

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
I loved it here. Great view and lots of space. Just hope you don't mind sharing with the occasional gecko :p
Room
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2017

10/10 Excellent

nancy

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beach vacation.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2017

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Response from General Manager on Jan 20, 2017
thanks

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hotel walking distance from the beach!
The owner is an amazing person. Very personable and kind. I stayed here on my first night in Samara with my children. We had a 3 month itinerary planned. We loved being here so much we cancelled our future hotel plans and returned to Hotel Mirador for the remainder of our trip. We loved relaxing by the pool and seeing the monkeys in the morning.
Response from Max on Sep 26, 2016
thank you...Max

6/10 Okay

Judy, Pennsylvania

Liked: Room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Room with a view...but not much else
The room was one of 4 that might be called hotel rooms. There was no cleaning or other services provided, so we had to get our luggage up a steep hillside on rather crumbling and mostly unlit steps. The room was clean for our arrival, very neat and airy, no air-conditioning/no need. It felt like a campsite with a really good roof and private setting right next to the town and beach....everything an easy walk. Perfect location. But if you needed anything there was no one to help but a girl & a dog.

6/10 Okay

joe, king, Ontario

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Walk to beach and restaurants
Check in went ok. Nice ocean view from the balcony of room. If you do not like steps, this is not for you. Hotel sits high up on side of a hill, and reception is at the bottom.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel close to beach but shabby with poor service
There is no front desk, once you show up, there is no-one there.. looks pretty abandoned. Once called, the host showed up (apparently live in one of the units). Good size room, but no service or regular cleaning. Had to go get towels and soaps for the next day by calling back again. Not clean, just there near the beach. Its probably 1 star hotel

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Horrific Nightmare
HORRIFIC!!! Never ever ever stay here! Don't even look at it! ALL the locals warned us as well before we arrived but we didn't try and believe what other people say.. They were right, everything about this hotel is a nightmare starting from the owner who is never around and will steal your money!!. The reception has bats and insects everywhere, the rooms don't even let me begin, I cannot even describe this nightmare of a place in words just please do not even look at it. When we left the first night (with no refund at all or any understanding of how it looks very different online) we called a taxi to pick us up, a local taxi came and said lmore guests running away?" That was enough for me to understand how well everyone in town knows about this place.. Stay Away!

8/10 Good

Chad, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
5 min from the Beach
I had a great stay at Hotel Mirador de Samara recently. I had accidentally put 1 person on my reservation although there was 2 of us and the hotel staff went out of their way to accommodate us for the first night (hotel was full, they provided an extra bed) and moved us to a much larger room on the second night without us asking. I arrived after hours and there was a personalized note left for me on where to go next and everything was smooth from that point. Samara is a surf town, and not a high-luxury location at all. Not having A/C is common in the smaller towns (unfortunately) but there were plenty of fans provided for us. I would stay at this hotel again, the staff were amazing and the location was close walking distance to anything in Samara you could want to do.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good location, dirty hotel
Location of hotel was good on a hill overlooking Samara with a view of the ocean from the balcony. The room however was a disappointment, no A/C, no screen over sliding door to balcony. Screens over other windows not fixed tightly enough to prevent bugs from getting in. Door stood above floor enough to allow lizards entrance, but at least they ate the bugs. Some renovating going on in another wing could be quite loud at times. Oh and I almost forgot, NOV hot water.

2/10 Terrible

Cynthia M, Los Angeles, CA

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Paid for 2 nights but couldn't pay me to stay
The is an apart-hotel not a real hotel. The owner called me while in route to the hotel for his own personal reasons and didn't have anyone with whom to leave my room key. The view was blocked by many trees. There was a mosquito infestation. Beds were uncomfortable. The pool was dirty. No air conditioning available at all. No restaurant/food available within the hotel. After the first of a two-night stay, room service made the beds and there was an insect carcass on the bed. No customer service. Family and I only stayed one night and left early.

6/10 Okay

steven, Escazu

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Decent night's sleep
Quiet nights sleep, but not a very well-maintained hotel. There was no one around to ask for extra towels, etc. Overpriced for the lack of quality.

8/10 Good

Esther, Virginia

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Biggest rooms in Samara, huge balcony.
We had an enormous apartment that very comfortably slept our large family of 6. We could hear the howler monkeys at night, and see the ocean and lovely view during the days. A group of horses live down the hill and we watched them from the balcony. It was nice to be able to cook for ourselves and have a refridgerator. We had a kitchen and plates and utensils and pots and pans. There was not a microwave in our room, but a full cooktop. You will need to bring your own salt/pepper, soap and shampoo, coffee, etc. This is a great value hotel! Manage your expectations accordingly. This is not a luxury hotel - but it has larger apartments than any 4 star hotel. The rooms could use updating - but they are perfect for a large family to come back sandy. The fans compliment the ocean breeze and we left doors open all night. There is no AC because the rooms have a fine cross-breeze to them. The lemons that grew on the tree on our porch were nice in tea. The pool is VERY deep in one end; watch your children and especially on the steep paths which have no railing. This is not a hotel for little children to run around unattended; there are many places where they could get hurt. There WILL be bugs in your room because you WILL leave the doors open for the breeze, by this I mean a few ants and flies but you are in Costa Rica and this is to be expected. Some rooms are being updated.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Room comfort
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best View in Samara
With its unique architecture and location, the Mirador is a very special place in Costa Rica. The appartments and rooms are very spacious. Each has a large private veranda overlooking Samara and the ocean. No american style luxury here: think of this as an authentic tica "boutique hotel" from which to take in the breeze and the incredible view. There is a nice pool and the beach is a short walk away through a shaded footpath. You can always count on the staff to provide you with friendly service. The best overall place in Samara.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best oceanview ever enjoyed
Unfortunately we could only stay 1 night in the Hotel Mirador, because we had another reservation the following day in a different beach. The location of this place is the best experience I ever had. From our oversized terrace having a panoramic view all over the bay and the village and we were lucky to watch some dolphins. Sound of the waves was the only thing I could hear at night, made me sleep like a baby. To get down to the beach, no car needed, I think it was not even 5 min . to get there. The owner and the staff really helpfull , gave me usefull information, my cloth washing were done from 1 day to the other. The apartment are very spacy, huge ceilings , the ocean breeze keeps it cool. We certainly will come back and at least stay 2 weeks in this hotel We would recommend this place to anyone who likes to feel at home while being on vacations. Great stay garantee

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel close to beach
The view from the hotel is amazing . it is really a dream come true to me to be a that location. Great service , very polite people. I will go again a s soon as I have the opprtunity to travel.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
tidiness and amenities are poor
the place is located in a good location. The staff were friendly, however the amenities are not in very good condition. The place was relatively clean, but one thing that stand out was that the bed and pillows were mouldy. The spare bed had a larger mattress than it could handle and was hard to sleep there.

2/10 Terrible

april, oak creek, wi

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
DON'T DO IT!!!
I COME FROM A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY AND THAT'S WHAT THIS WAS. ALL THE PICTURES POSTED ON THEIR WEBSITE ARE ABSOLUTELY FALSE. DIRTY SHEETS DIRTY OLD BEACH TOWELS FOR THE BATHROOM AND MOLDED PILLOWS. NO A/C DOGS LAYING AROUND THE POOL DOG FECES AROUND THE POOL THAT WAS NEVER CLEANED UP. NEVER ONCE SEEN A CLEANING LADY OR A CREW. DRIVING UP TO THE ACTUAL HOTEL IS A NON PAVED POT HOLE ROAD WHICH YOU WILL NEED A 4X4 TO GET UP AND DOWN IT. JUST A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE OVERALL.

8/10 Good

Andros, San Jose, Costa Rica

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Great views and relaxing jungle sounds!
I would've stayed there for a month! I loved the surroundings and waking up to the sound of the ocean is just great! it feels safe and you can always see police men and women around. It was a very nice experience I would love going back soon with friends and family.

4/10 Poor

Jessica

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Not as advertised- Needs renovation
At one time this might have been a nice place to stay, but now it is run down. The swimming pool was not swimmable, there was a sewage smell in the bathroom that seemed to be drafting up from below. The was no kitchenette, just a little electric burner, no pot to cook in or utensils. The tiny fridge was very loud, which mixed with all the noise from the barking dog. The ceiling fan was not very powerful and since the sliding glass doors had no screens, we had to keep the doors closed at night and it got very hot in the room. The hotel safe was not attached to the wall... ended up using our own locks on suitcases to keep our stuff safe. The bed only consisted of a sheet, which ended up being fine because it was so hot and stuffy in the room. The bed had a thin foam mattress, not very confortable. The room was cleaned daily and it was a walk up the hill (but that was expected) and centrally located. On the last day the cleaning lady wanted to clean our room while we were there, so we felt very rushed even though we were not past the check out time, and I ended up leaving clothing behind. It seems like more families were living there than overnight guests. Parts of the hotel were under construction that looked like it had stopped years ago. It was not worth the price we paid.
Response from MAX on Mar 1, 2014
I WANT TO INFORM ALL CLIENTS THAT WERE NOT SATISFIED WITH THEIR STAY IN MY HOTEL, LIKE JESSICA THAT DURING THIS TIME WE WERE REMODELING THE BUILDING WERE THE SKYROOMS ARE SITUATED. AFTER WE HAD FINISHED THIS WORK WE STARTED THE SAME WORK IN THE ADJOING BIULDING WERE YOU CAN FIND THE APARTMENTS. AFTER WE HAD FINISHED THIS WORK WE STARTED THE SAME FACE LIFT IN THE ADJOING BIULDING WERE YOU CAN FIND THE APARTMENTS. UNFORTUNATELY I WAS NOT ABLE TO CLOSE THE HOTEL DURING THIS TIME OF REMODELING, BECAUSE I HAD TO RESPECT SOME BOOKINGS THAT WERE MADE A LONG TIME IN ADVANCE WANT TO SAY SORRY TO ALL CLIENTS WHO HAD TO UNDERGO SOME INCONVIENIENCES THAT WERE CAUSED BY GIVING THE HOTEL A BETTER SHAPE. ALSO WOULD I LIKE TO INVITE THESE CLIENTS - IN CASE THEY HAPPEN TO RETURN TO SAMARA- TO STAY 2 OR 3 NIGHTS FREE IN THE HOTEL., SO THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE THAT WE HAVE TURNED THE HOTEL INTO ONE OF THE FINENEST LODGING

4/10 Poor

Paul and Bel, London, UK

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
In need of a facelift
On arrival we had to ask for the room to be cleaned from top to bottom as floors, surfaces and insect window grilles were all very dusty .- which was carried out. All furnishings are old, tatty and basic. Patio furniture was laughable with white sheets tied over very worn cushions. Attitude of manager initially was quite unconcerned. The photos shown on the hotel's website are inaccurate e.g. the bar / terrace is closed off, and room furnishings are not as shown. The hotel is in a good position with potential, but needs attention and investment to address some of the basic problems described above.
Living room

6/10 Okay

Susan

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Room comfort
Could Benefit from a Facelift
This is mainly for longer tern stays. These are self-serve apartments with amazing views. The equipment and furnishings are more functional than fashionable. The small pool is lovely. The steep steps to the rooms make for an arduous hike in the mid-day sun. The location is convenient to the beach and shops (5-10 min walk). The foam pads/mattresses on the beds were thin. The fan was not powerful enough to cool the bedroom making it hard to sleep given the heat and many mosquitos. The owner is friendly and can extend your stay.

8/10 Good

Bo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
best ocean view in town
Hotel Mirador's location is hard to beat, 2 short blocks from the beach, restaurants, etc. with a fantastic ocean view from your balcony. It is a short climb to get there, so you must be mobile, but it's definitely worth the effort and is good exercise. The owner was very friendly and accomodating.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

6/10 Okay

Xander

Liked: Cleanliness
Fine stay, but not at all as listed
Although I enjoyed sitting on the lovely balcony, our Sky room amenities were not as described. We did have a safe, fridge, and TV. If there was a private kitchen with coffee maker and microwave, we were not shown it. Staff was pleasant, but not particularly forthcoming with information. The room wifi required a password, which the office was strangely unable to provide. We were encouraged to use the Wifi way down the steps near the office did not require a password. The view was lovely and the place seemed clean, if a bit worn.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Views above a funky town
On a hill above town with breezy, large, rooms, with lovely views. Convenient to services and the beach. Very friendly, helpful owners. Safe. Weak wifi on the second and 3rd floor rooms.

6/10 Okay

Anthony, Toronto, Ontario

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good View - HOTEL PICS NOT REAL - Need of Upgrade!
If you like nature and an ocean view, which is partially obstructed by trees and bulidings then this is the place for you. We booked a "Sky Room", but ended up with an apartment. Not sure how that happened but no explanation was given for this. There is no a/c in any of the rooms so be parepared to sweat. There are fans in each room, but they only spin at very slow pace and if you are not directly under it then you don't feel any relief. From our wrap around terrace we could see the ocean. The view was partially obstructed by trees. The walk up and down from the rooms is very steep which always left you out of breath when you reached the top. There are also a lot of dogs laying around which are cute during the day, but at night they start barking when you try to walk by them to get to your room. There were many bugs and we played kill the bug each night...was not fun. I guess the reason for this was because the doors for the units don't go all the way to the floor. The towels provided were very old and shaby. Everytime you used them your body would be covered in white pieces of fluff. The shower scene was not the greatest as well. It was a stand up shower which had a lot soap/dirty scum everywhere. Even after the maid cleaned the room. The pictures provided on expedia are misleading. These are plans for rooms which don't exist. Please only pay close attention when looking at hotel pictures.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Place
Lots of bang for the buck. Great View. Lots of room. The stairs on the way back up from town is not for the faint of heart.

6/10 Okay

J, San Antonio, TX

Liked: Room comfort
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
GREAT VIEW OF SAMARA BEACH
Spectacular view of Samara Beach. The "apartment" Was a one bedroom with a small kitchen in which stove did not work! Only one bathroom in bedroom and was in need of a good cleaning and renovation. The balcony was quite large and had a spectacular view which was the best feature of the place.

8/10 Good

Ana

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Buen lugar para descansar
Muy lindo lugar, cerca de la playa, buena vista al mar
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2020

2/10 Terrible

Lasse

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Billederne snyder!
Bygningen man ser udefra på billedet er ikke den bygning som man bor i. Men en meget mindre og ældre bygning ved siden af.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

4/10 Poor

Eliana

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Muy decepcionados del Hotel. Nos sentimos engañado
Nunca vimos al propietario. Nos habló siempre por telefono y dejó la llave puesta en la habitación, cuya cerradura estaba en mal estado por lo que costaba mucho abrirla y cerrarla. La cerradura del baño estaba mala por lo que la puerta no cerraba. En el sitio se mostraba habitaciones con vistas diferentes y habitaciones también diferentes a las que pagamos. Muy caro para la calidad del servicio. Por ese precio se consiguen hoteles de mejor calidad y comodidad y mas cerca de la playa. No nos gustó y lo encontramos muy caro para lo que recibimos.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2019

6/10 Okay

Jorge

Liked: Cleanliness
Jolie endroit, tristement sans climatisation
Il n’y avait pas de bureau d’accueil à l’hôtel, nous avons appelé et les personnes nous ont dit qu’il n’y avait pas de réservation pour nous mais ce monsieur nous a proposé une chambre sans climatisation ! Ce n’était pas ce que votre site proposait !
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Bien situé. Pas d’air climatise. Beaucoup de marches à monter pour s’y rendre.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

JEFREY

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Linda zona
Cómodo y lindo. El área muy bella. Los servicios son muy básicos.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2019

2/10 Terrible

Ruth

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Es una estafa.
Mal. Sólo nos quedamos una noche. Ya que hicimos viaje desde San José. El lugar está en remodelación, con trabajadores haciendo ruido desde temprano, la piscina está sucia, para entrar o salir del hotel de noche hay que salir con foco o en el carro, porque la entrada principal está con gradas incompletas y materiales de construcción y por la parte de atrás hay un tramo bastante sólo y sin luz. Considero que lo que ofrecen es pura publicidad engañosa porque ni las camas son confortables. Que desperdició de tiempo y de dinero. Y el personal multilingüe y el servicio a la habitación quien sabe donde lo soñaron porque tuvimos que esperar un buen rato para encontrar al encargado y no tenía lista la habitación.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2018

6/10 Okay

Francesco

Bel panorama
Ottima la posizione, qualche animaletto di troppo in camera.

6/10 Okay

RANDALL

De regreso a Samara
Excelente ubicación, las habitaciones están acorde calidad y precio. Personal muy amable. Muy cerca de la playa y la diversión