Bahia Esmeralda

Costa Rica , Pacific North Coast / Guanacaste
PLAYA POTRERO, 100 metros Este de la Plaza Deportiva
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75 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

22 Mar 2026

Kyle

Very nice, safe, clean environment. Beautiful flora.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Feb 2026

Rebecca

Lovely hotel with rooms situated around a centrll garden and pool. Extremely kind staff.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Feb 2026

Thomas

Excellent staff we help with anything you ask

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jan 2026

Megan

Excellent staff that were very friendly, nice room, good food at the restaurant and close to the beaches. It’s relaxed and calm there!

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

07 Jan 2026

George

When we arrived no one was at the front office, when the receptionist finally came back she was rude. The hotel was next to a busy road and was very loud at all times.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

25 Dec 2025

Gregory

The classic villa was exactly what we (five adults) needed for our stay in Potrero - clean and spacious. The staff were great and responded quickly to our requests for supply refills, fresh towels, etc. One recommendation I would encourage before placing a reservation is to inquire about weekend activities. We endured a few hours of exceedingly loud karaoke/open mic festivities on Friday evening - not at all what I wanted for vacation, especially with a six-hour drive ahead of us the next day.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Dec 2025

Katie

We loved the layout of the property with individual cabins surrounding the pool area. Beds were comfortable and it was so nice to have a kitchen and hot shower! Would stay here again!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 Dec 2025

Gerald

Rosemary very friendly helpful and good tips for us

10/10

Exceptional

17 Mar 2025

Sylvia

Within walking distance of 6 beaches. Easy uber access to local attractions. Clean, comfortable and friendly. Grocery store and fresh fruit/ veg market across the street.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

21 Jan 2025

Michael

The staff is very friendly! The location is a short distance from the beach, and in the middle of local restaurants. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. This is not a high-end location. The rooms, surroundings and pool are just enough. Practical and reasonable. Not intended for higher-end tastes. Great location and staff to have an understanding of the local community. Feels like a mom-and-pop business. Welcoming.

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

25 Dec 2024

Joselyne

Lugar tranquilo, pero se ve mejor en fotos. En las habitaciones hace falta un espejo grande. El personal de la cocina podría mejorar en servicio al cliente.

10/10

Exceptional

15 Oct 2024

Elvia

Tranquility

10/10

Exceptional

14 Sep 2024

robert

Very nice people

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Sep 2024

Andreina

We really enjoyed our stay here. Cute hotel. Confortable beds. All we needed to tour around Potrero area. The pizzas were fabulous!

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

31 Jul 2024

Ramona

I had high hopes for this property, but it was very average. The bar was completely closed, no refrigerator in the rooms and the breakfasts were marginal. We won't be returning.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jul 2024

Jorge

Gorgeous place and affordable, not far from Las Catalinas which prices a bit higher. Walking distance from supermarkets and Liquor stores.
Holler monkeys will give you a show at night and will wake you up in the morning but it’s safe specially if anyone is traveling with kids which I did.
You will need a Car to go out if you’re planning to have a decent night out but it’s only 13 minutes away.
Love this place I’m definitely coming back in December to enjoy the beginning of the summer and scape the winter here in NY.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jun 2024

Diego

Nice place nice garden.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Apr 2024

Nadine

Staff was friendly and helpful
Breakfast was ok

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

17 Feb 2024

Walter

We loved the landscaping and the very clean pool. Our room was made up each time we asked; very nice.
We wish there were hammocks, pepper at breakfast, a bar.
The cats are special

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 Feb 2024

William

Very nice

Very nice place to stay, really enjoyed it.

Partner

2/10

Poor

11 Jan 2024

Verified traveler

Terrible Experience at Bahia “Hormigas”

I normally don’t write negative reviews but … you couldn’t pay me to stay at Bahia Esmeralda ever again. Should be called Bahia Pura Hormigas.

Property looks nice in the pictures but unfortunately we couldn’t wait to leave this place. Terrible customer service. Terrible breakfast. Terrible insect problem. Terrible beds. Needs a lot of maintenance.

Our room was full of bugs; particularly a ridiculous amount of large ants to the point where we didn’t feel comfortable sleeping under the covers or leaving our clothes out of our suitcases. And the beds were very uncomfortable and mattress was super thin.

I could’ve dealt with the insects if the rest was good but it wasn’t. My family is from CR so I get that it’s a rainforest and can deal with some critters, but it was that bad.

On top of it all the management was incredibly rude to my family, including my senior mom and gave us a hard time for the silliest things. We even got scolded for having my brother drop us off and assist my mom to the room while we carried stuff. And, after commenting on the treatment received, we were approached and confronted by staff. Super unprofessional and uncomfortable.

The only positive was outside the rooms where the pool is is nice but we didn’t even use the pool during our 3 night stay because we avoided the hotel as much as possible.

Do yourself a favor and pay a little extra to stay elsewhere.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

09 Jan 2024

Donald

Staff and service were excellent with everything. Very clean and well maintained. Quiet. Nice typical breakfast, if not much variety. Dining area has a nice new bar but it was never open. Would have been nice to have a place to sit and have a drink.

Car is needed. Las Brisas was only walkable dining option, great local place. Good thing we liked it.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Sep 2023

Eduardo Rodriguez

Muy buen anfitrión y explicación!! Y las habitaciones muy limpias y confortables.

Business Self

8/10

Excellent

15 Aug 2023

Richard

Beautiful property, great location for a chill vacation. Easy walk to sodas, beach, a small super. Room was in great shape, service was friendly. We wanted a relaxed vacation and it was perfect for that.

There are a few things that were odd, all very minor but would be easy improvements
1. They had us wear wristbands the whole visit. This was odd - it wasnt a HS spring break trip. I don't like having to wear something making me obviously a tourist for security. We didnt see any other hotels doing this
2 - There were any washcloths. We bought one, but it was odd since towels were provided
3 - Our unit had a small kitchen (well appointed) but it would be nice if they provided some basics - salt, pepper, maybe sugar for coffee. The local supers don't sell super small quantities for travelers.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jun 2023

Hugo

Very clean. Appropriate. Great price. Very short distance to Penca beach. Very close to good restaurants.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

11 May 2023

elizabeth

The courtyard gardens were maintained and fit the need for privacy and enhanced the living spaces. The apartments were clean and simple. Basic living with amenities if wanted. The area local not tourist but close to basic needs. Staff was amazing

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

15 Apr 2023

Christina

Wonderful stay, staff was very helpful and accommodating!!

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

27 Mar 2023

Ward

We liked the area, close to stores, restaurants and beaches. A bit noisy due to the road. Beds need to be updated, very firm and small.
It’s a great little resort.

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

26 Mar 2023

Laura

Cute, well mantained spot 🌴

Very comfortable stay. Rooms were clean and the pool was fantastic. Walking distance to some nice beaches and some pretty decent restaurants so it was okay for us not having a vehicle. We were only there for one night in transit but the town seems really cute.
The person who checked us in was very informative.

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

24 Mar 2023

Alain-Robert

Disappointed for the cost per night:
very small room with no fridge.
No ice available, no restaurant, no safe, no towels for the pool.
The breakfast very light, not generous (exemple: only one slice of bread, no jam, etc.)
Extremely noisy caused by trucks during the night and morning.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Mar 2023

Joselyn

It's close to Potrero and Penca beach. It is very clean and room distribution it's excellent to spend for long periods of time. I totally recommend staying at this place.

8/10

Excellent

20 Mar 2023

Anthony

Simple and quiet setting. A little bit too basic, but acceptable. The breakfast isn't great, better buy groceries in a local tienda and cook something simple yourself. The best beach in the area is in Flamingo by Margaritaville

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Mar 2023

Matthew

What a great experience! Very relaxing, super friendly staff. Lots of filtered water and Wifi available. The pool was kinda small but still nice. And you can definitely have an adventure if you walk out into the streets. I would stay at Bahia Esmeralda again.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

21 Feb 2023

MARY

Rey nice accomodations and property. Pool area was nice too. Just a little to isolated for my liking. A golf cart or vehicle is recommended.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

24 Dec 2022

John

The room was very small and difficult to manuver arounbd in.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Nov 2022

Esteban

Everything good. A place to stay twice.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Nov 2022

Andres

Google maps took us to where there was a road blockade due to an overflowed river . We didn’t know another way to get to the hotel . The manager Luis was kind enough to guide us in a different route, over the phone , until we arrived safely. Thank you !!!

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

06 Nov 2022

Kevin

The property is fine. They sent an email saying they had a way to get there using only paved roads. I wish I had followed up with them. I'd suggest instead of telling us there is a way, just go ahead and tell us in the email. If you follow GPS you'll probably end up on treacherous rocky roads and having to cross water ways. YIKES

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

06 Sep 2022

Diego

No common sense and normal hospitality practices

Place was ok. Policies and the training to apply them are unique, no other hotel gives this much emphasis on policy enforcement, and is affecting the experience. Awful service due to the lack of criteria of when something is common sense and when is not.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Sep 2022

Michael

I thought the hotel was nice and away from everything. It was minutes away from a grocery stop and a restaurant that I enjoyed a lot. If I was going back I would probably go back to the same place.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 May 2022

Verified traveler

I enjoyed my stay. Property was in a good location for my needs. Very clean room with AC. I would have preferred a room on the other side of the property as it could get noisey as one side borders a main street. I will ask for that next time.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

04 Apr 2022

Deborah

Lovely garden and pool area, friendly staff, and a good location for walking to restaurants and to Penca Beach. The studio suites are perfect for 2 people, with kitchen appliances and dishes, good closet storage. We definitely recommend

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Mar 2022

MOHAMAD

Excellent stay at Bahia Esmeralda, very clean and well kept hotel, the interior landscaping is beautiful, the staff are nice and helpful. Easy and safe parking inside. 5 min walk from Penca Beach which is excellent. We rented a car for the whole stay which allowed us to drive to beaches and restaurants around with ease (Tamarindo, Flamingo, Conchal, Danta etc..) - might be hard to get around if you don't have a car, something to keep in mind. Totally recommend and will stay there again

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2022

Federica

Beautiful garden

Our room was very simple but clean.
Loved the garden and the location. I would like to go back but will probably look for a bigger room.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Feb 2022

Deborah

Lovely grounds and pool, great location. An easy walk to playa Penca, and to several sodas and restaurants. The staff were very hospitable. I would recommend.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

29 Dec 2021

Bryce

Great place to stay.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

23 Sep 2021

Niger

Confort and relax place

Great place close to the beach and some restaurants, very safe and secure for relax time.

Business Family

2/10

Poor

11 Jun 2021

Verified traveler

This is terrible hotel nothing friendly

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 May 2021

Verified traveler

Excellent and very helpful staff, wonderful hot breakfast, beautiful and clean setting. This is a tremendous value for the money spent. Remember that this is not an all-inclusive beach resort, however, within its category it is top notch.

Business_and_leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

27 Feb 2021

Verified traveler

Not very clean, first welcoming was unpolite......

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

18 Feb 2021

Verified traveler

Great location easy access friendly and knowledgeable staff lots of diferente options close by for food and beaches

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

28 Dec 2020

Verified traveler

Well maintained small family hotel close to many beautiful beaches in the area. On road with truck traffic but the garden/pool side is quiet. Mostly local clientelle when we were there, no loud Americans. We liked that. Downsides: breakfast was OK quality but little and very basic.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 Sep 2020

Milena

El hotel tiene buen mantenimiento, buena ubicación y la villa muy cómoda y limpia. Se puede ir a la playa a pie y la ubicación excelente

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

23 Aug 2020

Carlos

Me hospedé en una habitación equipada con cocina, cuenta con lo básico necesario para cocinar sin problemas. La habitación en general bien, limpia y ordenada; el área de cocina un poco pequeña pero no es mayor problema. Ambiente tranquilo rodeado de vegetación.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Mar 2020

Verified traveler

Great location, staff and amenities. Highly recommended

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Feb 2020

Stephanie

Bright

The property is well maintained and bright and cheery. It is within 5 min walk to a beach. The staff was friendly and helpful. The bed was very short, as if it was a child’s mattress. The bedding was a fitted sheet and a top sheet that barely covered this very small bed, the sheet was exactly 5’ wide. It was not in any way comfortable. The breakfast was fresh and tasty.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

02 Feb 2020

Edward

Good valued hotel near the beaches

This hotel was a good choice. It's not in the busiest part of the area, so it was easy to relax by the pool. The two best beaches were about five miles away, which was okay by me. The rooms were not large, but clean and comfortable. Breakfast was good. A small grocery store and a good restaurant on a beach are within walking distance. The hotel is next to a busy road, and the trucks are distracting in the early morning. Notwithstanding the trucks, I would stay here again.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

17 Jan 2019

Shari

Nicr people

The brochure was not as accurate as the actual motel. It was in an area that was not quite up to par with my standards. Our first room was very small with no amenities. We moved to a villa which I would recommend if planning a stay there. The inside grounds and pool were lovely but to reach a lovely beach was quite a distance. Of course one cannot control barking dogs and roosters along with the howling monkeys but bring ear plugs.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Dec 2018

Gonzalo

Perfect for Family Trip

Excellent! Most beautiful beaches nearby. Hotel service is very good. 100% Recommended for family trip. You will feel in paradise.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

03 Nov 2018

Cammie

Expected the bare minimum and that's what we got! It was okay because we only stayed one night! The pool was lovely and the free coffee in the morning was delicious!

Partner

8/10

Excellent

26 Mar 2018

Emily

Great for Relaxing

I really liked this hotel, though admittedly it is not for everyone. It is located in a small town about a 5 minute drive from a nice beach and is very peaceful and charming with a nice pool. However, there is not a ton in the town itself. We had an apartment with kitchen so that was fine with us because we could cook for ourselves. One thing to keep in mind is if you are driving from Liberia, DO NOT take the route that takes 911, as this is mostly gravel and takes a long time. Rather, go South of Potrero on 155 and then come North through Brasilito and Flamingo. This is a nice flattop road. I wish we had known this before coming.

8/10

Excellent

16 Feb 2018

Verified traveler

Pleasant economical hotel

This is a pleasant little hotel near the beach. Shady grounds, nice rancho, pool, and coffee available at 7:30 in the morning. (Earlier would be nicer). Nice staff, fun manager. Pool closes at 8. A bit early to my mind. I would stay here again for the money

8/10

Excellent

12 Feb 2018

Verified traveler

Comfortable room. Close to beach. Great staff.

Each room faces the courtyard and swimming pool. Each room had a round table with 4 chairs. Free coffee and tea in the morning.

10/10

Exceptional

21 Dec 2017

Verified traveler

Great stay

Hotel is really close to beautiful beaches. and the hotel itself has great amenities.

8/10

Excellent

09 Jul 2017

Alicia

Good property for price clean

Nice quiet family style for affordable price quiet and clean coffe could have come a little earlier in the morning but overall good

Family

8/10

Excellent

16 Dec 2016

Alisa

Bahia Esmeralda

I think for the price you paid it is clean, close to the beach hotel ,with beautiful garden , very friendly personal and you have to enjoy it. We was there for 11 days , store is 5 min. walk, I wish there was anything to do in the evening in the hotel except using the pool , like recreation room with movies , but all together I like this place, and thanks to Helena, Luis and Rosemary for their hospitality. Alisa

Family

2/10

Poor

15 Dec 2016

Verified traveler

HORRIBLE

do not go to this hotel, they upgraded us due to \"renovations\" and then requested a deposit and then asked us to pay for a \"missing\" towel that we never lost. there was no blankets, the room was dirty. stay away and save yourself

10/10

Exceptional

10 Mar 2016

Alex

Bahia Esmeralda

Great place great service great area ended up staying extra because we liked it so much

Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Mar 2016

Verified traveler

Peaceful times

The staff was awesome
Thanks for making me feel at home !!!

8/10

Excellent

31 Dec 2015

Ashley

Vibrant Hotel Close to Beach

We had a great stay at Bahia Esmeralda. We were out adventuring most of our time in Costa Rica, so this place was perfect for us as it was reasonably priced and in close proximity to Potrero beach as well as Playa Conchal and Playa Flamingo. The room was spacious, clean and the staff were very accommodating. The grounds were beautiful and really well kept, and we felt very safe here. Thank you!

6/10

Pleasant

25 Aug 2012

M PAZ

Not as bad as people think

My stay at Bahia Esmeralda was pleasant. The location was a bit out of the way, but the area and people were very nice. The staff at the hotel answered every question and addressed every concern we had. They were professional and polite. Our room had a kitchenette, so we were able to buy our own food and. Cook it in our room. There are three to four stores within walking distance of the hotel and about two to three restaurants nearby. As for the beaches, playa Potrero is a short walk away, but not a good beach. Playa Penca is much better and about a 5 minute walk from the hote. Playa Danta is 4 km away. You can hike to Danta, but be prepared to walk up and down steep hills to get there. If not, I suggest renting an ATV or car during your stay. If you like the quiet an rural country life close to the beach at a cheap price, this place is for you. If you prefer an area with a little more action that is on the beach, go to the bigger towns like Tamarindo. There are plenty of tours to take and all the tour guides are wonderful. They accept US dollars and Costa Rican colones.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2024

Martine

Nous avons fait un séjour merveilleux à la villa. La piscine, les arbres, les fleurs, tout était féerique! Nous recommandons à 💯.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

26 Feb 2024

Mauricio

Encontré todo de acuerdo con las expectativas