Jaco Beach Reviews

Review #1
Beautiful Beach's, Great place to meet people.
07/10/05Overall:

Last Visit:
June 2000
Great for:
Families, Singles, Students, Beds, Pool, Internet Connection, Nightlife

Very friendly staff. Pricey dinners for the value. Everything you need to have fun at the beachfront right there. Loved my stay and will go back.

 
it was so nice
By shelliepatterson from california - See shelliepatterson's reviews (1)
07/27/06Overall:

Review #2
Last Visit:
November 2004
Great for:
Families, Singles, Students, Business, Beds, Pool, Romance

we loved it here, it was so nice, great beach, clean rooms,good food.
the people that work the are so wonderful,
we will be going back forth time this november!

By Rob from Great Neck, NY
09/10/04Overall:

Review #3
Last Visit:
February 2005
Great for:
Singles, Students, Pool, Romance, Nightlife

Jaco beach is a Pacific Coast resort town several hours west of San Jose, the Capital of Costa Rica.

It has beaches, horseback riding, and lots of touristy shops. I could spend many days there, just hanging out. It is not as opulent as Oahu or Miami, but a small place that has a various hotels and is just right for a short vacation.

The Sunrises were awesome, and there are lots of surfers and beach side dining. In addition, there are numerous tour companies that can get you to the Hot springs at Tabacon (a must see) and the butterfly gardens. there is poverty and hookers, but that is not being pushed on you - so you can have a good time.
Many of the locals speak English and the Costa Rican people are very well educated.
Pura Vida! (Good Life)

Jaco Beach Resort
By ronhetrick - See ronhetrick's reviews (1)
05/23/05Overall:

Review #4
Last Visit:
June 2005
Great for:
Pool, Nightlife

I stayed at some Jaco Beach Resort on June 16-18, 2005. When we arrived, I figured the place was going to be very upscale and nice. The grounds were beautiful and the beach view was excellent. The pool was beautiful. I then got to my room, and that was a different story. The room smelled musty and just wet and sticky, even when the AC was on for over 24hrs. The bathrooms were also very outdated. They were tiny and soap and other toiletries weren't provided. All we had was toilet paper and towels. The beds were very uncomfortable and it was hard to sleep because the night life of the hotel was still going on at 2:30am! If I were to go to Jaco Beach again, I'd definitely find a Marriot or some other place, because the beach wasn't even that pretty once we got there. I wouldn't stay here again. Sorry!

 
Average at best
03/26/06Overall:

 

Review #5
Last Visit:
March 2006
Great for:
Pool

I stayed there because the hotel was close to the center of town. The people at the front desk were not the friendliest. The bartenders were friendly and the pool was nice. The operator at the front desk couldn't tell me exactly how to dial out to the USA until a second operator got on. The bathrooms and bed were a little out dated. The breakfast buffet was pretty good and there was a very good selection of food. I wouldn't stay again. I would stay somewhere else with a little more charm.

 

By Gabriel Wilson from Sacramento, CA
09/15/04Overall:

 

Review #5
Traveler rating:
Jaco: "Very mixed feelings!"
Mar 7, 2006  Stanleymaxwell, williamsville, new york

We just returned from a four day stay at this hotel. I have given a lot of thought to this review, as my feelings about the resort are very mixed.
We stayed at the Best Western because of the convenience in making reservations, and the ability to cancel if necessary. We rented a car in San Jose and were uncertain about driving in the country, as we had received so many cautions about doing so. Anyway, the road from San Jose to Jaco was very pleasant and beautiful. The trip took about two hours, and although you have to travel some very narrow and winding roads, it was a very nice experience to see the countryside.
On the downside, the rooms at this hotel are pretty bad - very small, basic and dark. My reservation was made for a non-smoking room, and it took three attempts to get one. I don't know why this request was so difficult, and it delayed our getting into our room following check-in time for 1 1/2 hours.
On the positive side, we enjoyed the convenient beach access. It was a much nicer beach than we had anticipated from previous reviews. There were plenty of chairs available, together with some shade from palm trees, and the beach was relatively uncrowded. The staff was friendly, and the open-air dining room was pleasant.
I would recommend this hotel if you don't plan on being in the room much. I think that it is a great place for families with small children.
If you want something nicer, the Marriott is about 10 minutes north - you will also pay three times more for a room there! The other places to stay in Jaco didn't seem too great. The other choice would be to stay at a hotel further south in Manuel Antonio, since you will probably be going there to sightsee anyway. We saw several local hotels in that area, but can't give you any specifics, as we didn't research them.
As a previous review said - "enjoy the experience!"

Review #6
Traveler rating:
Jaco: Best Western Jaco Beach Resort: "Be open minded and enjoy the beauty of Jaco"
Mar 2, 2006  A Trip Advisor Member, Ridge field, CT

Having read the reviews about the Best Western Jaco, I was prepared for the worst. One thing I would recommend is, if you don't smoke ,definitely ask for a "no smoking room." Once we got into the non-smoking room, things were great! The sand, while dark, makes for a lovely, uncrowded beach. The sunsets were wonderful, the service was great and everything was spotless. I have been in some big name hotels in NYC that were not as clean as the rooms in this resort. We did rent the key for the safe and when we changed rooms....the key didn't work so each room safe has its' own separate key. The pool was great and the meals offered some traditional Costa Rican foods on a daily basis but also a theme at night. The Italian dinner was quite excellent and the fruit, which was plentiful, was out of this world. The rooms were basic but we were only in them to sleep and the maid made us some sort of towel art each day. When one travels to a foreign country, we have to be adaptable. My focus is on cleanliness and this hotel was unquestionably clean and well kept.