JACO, COSTA RICA: South Beach Hotel MAY be a great choice for you!

South Beach Hotel is a BASIC hotel.  This may be a great location and exactly what you are looking for!

This is what we found and an honest review of the hotel when we traveled in March 2017.

We were disappointed with what we found when checking in.  Athough the hotel was “clean”… the maintenance was poor.  I felt the hotel was overpriced for what the accommodations provided.

First…google maps has NO idea where this hotel is.  We even tried Galileo which was no better.  The hotel manager should change the coordinates of the FRONT of the hotel.  Both maps tried to send us down a side road to the beach to enter the hotel.  Unfortunately we were frustrated before we even walked into this hotel.  After waiting 10 minutes listening to the single person at the “front desk” on the phone, we were checked in.  My first clue should have been the threatening tone of this individual when explaining the consequences of NOT returning the room key, TV remote and AC remote.  Note there are no elevators to the 2nd or 3rd floor of the building.  Although not an issue for us, it is an important detail for some travelers.  The room was large with a large balcony.  The furniture was SPARSE and of poor quality.

There is not a closet but rather a large wooden structure presumably to store surf boards, wet suites, etc.

We complained there was no hot water at the bathroom sink although this was not fixed during our stay.  I complained again when checking out (handing key and remotes to front desk).

The shower was large enough although the plumbing was questionable, however included hot water.  I would love to have hotel mangers/owners understand that relatively simple repairs or upgrades make a big difference to travelers.  In this case, a shower head that directed water down would make a huge difference.  This shower went in every direction with poor pressure down.

Another way to make guests feel comfortable would be to have something other than molded plastic lawn chairs (2) on the balcony.  I felt as if they made it as uncomfortable as possible to sit outdoors.   But the view from the balcony is beautiful!

The hotel is located on the beach which is quite nice.  However, Jaco is VERY different than other beach towns we have been to in CR and other locations.  In Jaco there is nothing on the beach.  No restaurants, bars, shops, etc.  As far as a leisurely walk down the beach to a restaurant, it doesn’t happen in Jaco.  You are forced to walk/drive to get into town.  All the rooms face the pool and if you have a 3rd floor room it is an “ocean view”.  Be prepared for lots of noise (happy noise) from the pool during the day.

There is also a large fountain which is run 24 hours a day….making it very loud all night.

There is security on the property which i find to be typical.  Although the room did not have a any extra security on the door (deadbolt), etc. we didn’t feel unsafe.

Although I wanted to like this hotel, it simply missed the mark for the amount of money charged.  If it was priced for the level of hotel it is, i would have been happier.  It is trying hard to be a mid-class hotel, and simply isn’t.