Hotel Gardenia Tamarindo

Do not book this place. It felt unsafe, poorly maintained, and absolutely not worth the price. First, this is not a hotel, it’s a few poorly managed Airbnb-style rooms where you collect your key from a lockbox. Check-in is strictly at 4pm (the latest we’ve experienced anywhere), and there is no place to leave luggage if you arrive earlier. The road leading up to the property is unpaved and uphill. If you’re dragging a suitcase, be prepared. It is also further from the beach than advertised. They get you send them passport copy despite making reservation via Booking.com without any security measures around data handling and possible misuse of it! The biggest issue was safety and noise. On our 1st morning at 7am, intoxicated individuals were blasting music directly below us and shouting. The following night at 2am, one of them was aggressively banging on the entry gate and yelling to be let in until his mate opened it. They appeared to be long-term residents rather than short-term guests. It did not feel secure or well-managed. We also had to assist another guest who couldn’t access her room because she never received the code to retrieve her keys. We booked this place hoping for a peaceful stay on a quiet back street in Tamarindo. Instead, it was the worst stay of our Costa Rica trip. The room itself was run-down and not cleaned properly. At $270 for two nights, it should be at least half that price for the service provided. To make matters worse, $50 was charged to our credit card without notice or authorization for an alleged “deposit”. We have filed a complaint with Booking.com and as other reviews state this property has to be removed from the platform. You will find many better options to stay in the area.

We arrived at the property and the check-in instructions said to see reception for the keys, but there was no reception or staff on site. We were unable to call the provided number due to our SIM cards, and no email contact was given. Thankfully, our neighbours were kind enough to reach the hosts on our behalf. It took about two hours before we finally received the code to access the keys. Another guest arrived about an hour after us and experienced the same issue. Lastly, when they did finally reply to us we got re sent a weblink that we completed hours before and no apology was offered for our wait. Unfortunately, this resulted in a significant waste of a beautiful day. The photos in the listing are also extremely outdated. The building is no longer white, and the interior does not look as advertised. The bathrooms were gross and dated. The bedrooms are nothing as pictured and the pillows were flat. Additionally, there was an ant issue in the room. One positive is the rental suites were a good size and offered a fridge and stove top. One last note is there is a weblink you need to complete to get the check in info so make sure you have wifi and this weblink requires you to attach a photo of your passport. I would recommend renting elsewhere if you’re looking for a smooth, hassle-free check-in.

Booked this place as it's rate was attractive. But so many weird conditions and recommendations came inbox after booked. Charged 50 USD also as deposit but was refunded few days after check out. Check in time was 0400 pm. It's late considering the heat and tiredness after long flights and one hour trip from Liberia airport to reach there. But its worth the price. Good wifi and TV. Attached kitchen is well equipped and communication with manager fluid.