Coganoi Bay Hotel

Japan , Wakayama
WAKAYAMA, 3212-1 Shirahama-cho, Nishimuro-gun, Wakayama
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75 reviews shown

6/10

Pleasant

19 Mar 2026

Kyle

We had a really good stay at El Sano Banano overall. The highlight was definitely the staff — everyone was incredibly friendly and welcoming. A special shoutout to Miguel at the restaurant, who was our favorite server. He went above and beyond and made our experience even better.

The hotel itself was clean and well-kept, and the location is fantastic — just a short walk to the beach and right in the heart of town, which made everything super convenient.

That said, there are a few smaller things that could be improved to make the stay even better. The WiFi in the room was quite slow, and the in-room safe wasn’t working. The window coverings are bamboo-style and let in a lot of light at night and early morning, plus they don’t offer much privacy from the street.

At the restaurant, the food was good but a bit limited — the only protein option available was shredded chicken. For the complimentary breakfast, only one coffee is included with no refills, which felt a bit restrictive.

Housekeeping could also be improved, as our dirty towels weren’t replaced during room cleanings. The room itself is fairly basic — no TV or fridge — which may matter depending on your preferences.

Water pressure in both the shower and sink would occasionally cut out for about 20 seconds before coming back, which was a bit frustrating. We also weren’t able to get early check-in, and our room wasn’t ready until about 10 minutes after the official check-in time, even though there appeared to be other

Partner

8/10

Excellent

24 Feb 2026

Ron

Yes

10/10

Exceptional

17 Feb 2026

Jen

Lots of character, very clean, beach side, great food in the restaurant.

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2026

Liana

Clean rooms, great beds- perfect location

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2026

Jena

Great stay! Comfy beds, hot showers. The room was clean and the staff was great. Breakfast was excellent as well.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Feb 2026

Piere

Great location, great staff, great restaurant

10/10

Exceptional

05 Feb 2026

Andrew

Very great place to stay. Right in town and convenient. Great staff .

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

27 Jan 2026

Stephen

The staff were so friendly and helpful. Arranged for breakfast to go for us as we had an early pickup. The restaurant and food was very good and loved the use of the sister pool down the road. Our room was comfortable and quiet.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Sep 2025

Very comfortable hotel, basic but everything worked and it was very clean. Staff are very welcoming and helpful. Very good breakfast to start the day. Would definitely stay again.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

05 Sep 2025

Andrée-Anne

The area is a bit iffy...

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

21 Apr 2025

Ryan

We love this place. Will go back.

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2025

Patricia

Cute and cozy

This hotel was very cute. Well decorated and really homey. Great location as it’s right in the town center and seconds to the beach. The hotel restaurant was fabulous and staff so attentive. I would highly recommend it. Great price.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Mar 2025

John

El personal es amistoso y la comida muy rica

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2025

RAY

enjoy

The staff is perfecto. Our family room (2 queen beds) had Air Conditioning but none of the rooms have windows that open.
No TV. The sister property Ylang Ylang shares their wonderful pool on the beach with a 7 minute beach walk form Sano Banano

Partner

8/10

Excellent

13 Feb 2025

Jerrold

Staff was friendly. Room was just OK. Shower was a challenge. No putting toilet paper in the toilet. I’m. OK! Located very near nice beach and waterfalls. Food was good. Fun little hippie, surfer, beach town.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Feb 2025

Juliana

This was a great place to stay. Based on reviews we booked a room with a window overlooking the town which I really recommend. The hotel is really convenient and the restaurant was great. You also can use the facilities at a nearby resort (Ylang Ylang, which is lovely) a nice 10 minute walk along the beach from montezuma town. The hotel staff was also really friendly and helpful. It was a great choice.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

03 Feb 2025

Mark

Clean hotel, good breakfast and nice staff. But many of the rooms have no windows, and there’s no temperature control on the showers - a scalding shower is not what you want in 30-degree weather.

10/10

Exceptional

27 May 2024

Miles

Great access to beach and park

Right in the heart of town with the beach only steps away. Small town so could walk anywhere from this location. Staff was friendly. Nice indoor and outdoor eating facility. Food was excellent. Park right across the street and often monkeys were present. Highly recommend.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

20 Apr 2024

Verified traveler

Decent Stay

Our room was quite dark and had a bad smell.

Being able to use the amenities at Ylang Ylang was really great. Our kids enjoyed the pool at Ylang Ylang and hung out with capuchin monkeys for hours.

The food at the Sano Banano Restaurant was very good.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

29 Mar 2024

courtney

Perfect location
Can walk everywhere !!!!!
Staff very nice and helpful

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2024

Shawn

Very good location for walking to whatever you might need but at the same time quiet. Extremely friendly staff!

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

26 Feb 2024

William

Good location, steps to beach and where the tour operators meet. After 3 weeks touring the pacific coast from La Cruz to Montezuma, the beach was a bit disappointing. The town itself is small, but pretty cool. Lots of dining options within a few minutes walk. More if you want to drive. My room was clean, but very dark. Windows faced the hallway. Decent bed with comfortable bedding. Good water pressure and plenty of hot water. Can’t say much about the restaurant because I didn’t eat there. A frig in the room would have been nice.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

24 Feb 2024

Erik

Best sleep of trip to CR.
Interior room w interior windows, slept through the night.
Ready to continue the adventure.

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

04 Feb 2024

Linda

only 2 plugs in the room. . 1 tiny soap, air conditioning is not great beds were rock hard, but the price per night is good

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jan 2024

Myron

We loved our stay at the Sano Banano. Our room was clean and very adequate. The food at the restaurant was beyond excellent. We loved the location and accessibility to the beach, town and roads. This would be our first choice if we every are in the area again.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

27 Dec 2023

JUDITH

Room have no windows. Front desk are helpful.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jul 2023

Edwin

Really nice budget option. rooms were comfortable (though our room did not have a window to the outside, just to a hall way). the hotel is in the center of the small town, so you can walk anywhere. Plus they are owned by resort nearby which gives you access privilege to their pool and beach views. I would recommend this place.

10/10

Exceptional

22 Mar 2023

Malcolm

Centrally located, interesting decor

Centrally located, interesting decor excellent breakfast except for the picayuneishness of charging for a second cup of coffee. Most hotels of this nature have free refills, and often have 24-hour free coffee.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Mar 2023

Debbie

Right in the center of Montezuma ... close to the beach., all the restaurants and attractions.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

21 Feb 2023

Mary

Loved all the murals & wall paintings. Very clean. Muy rico patacones. Helpful staff. A little noisy but we like the younger crowds.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

14 Feb 2023

richard

Super Bowl

Great that Super Bowl was made such a big thing. Got me and buddies there for a stay. Well done!

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

04 Feb 2023

James

This hotel is overpriced. It is not awful, but $75 per night for what is offered is absurd. The good points are the comfortable beds and the efficient air conditioning. The restaurant also does pretty good food and some of the servers are excellent. In fact the place is rather better as a restaurant than it is a hotel. Our double-double room was much too small for the two beds that occupied it. The room felt like a cave: cornflake-coloured, textured walls with a window that only looked out on to the corridor. The curtains have to be permanently closed for privacy, meaning that the only option is harsh lighting. There is no wardrobe, only some very high hooks; and the shelves double as bedside tables. This furniture is also between the beds, making everything feel even more enclosed. The safe keypad was broken, so we were given the master key with our room key, which meant we had to anxiously take care of both. There is nowhere for luggage except the floor. There is no shelf in the shower. The toilet was tiny and the cheap, flimsy seat did not stay up properly. We were only given one hand soap for a four day stay. Towels were blue, which is always less appealing than fresh, clean white ones. On some days the facecloths were not replaced. There is no television or fridge. There is no free tea or coffee. To top it off the rooms meant phone reception is non-existent and the WiFi was unreliable. All in all it felt more like a good quality hostel at a ridiculous price.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

15 Jan 2022

Christine

Funky and Fun

Sano Banano serves the best food in town in their beautiful garden restaurant-- breakfast, lunch and dinner were all amazing. The staff is over-the-top friendly, aims to please, welcoming and efficient. The hotel rooms upstairs, however, leave much to be desired, unless all you want is a bed and a shower and ac. Our room had no closet or cabinet (except a bookshelf) nor any place to put our bags except the second bed. Since we are traveling in CR for two months, we have significant baggage and it was difficult to keep things organized. There are 5 pegs on the wall for hanging wet swimsuits and towels. No nightstands and very poor lighting and sparse outlets, oddly-placed. A delightful scene and the 'headboard', are painted on the wall, and the only window opened into the hall. We had to keep the curtain closed for security and privacy, so had no daylight at all in the room. We were happy to get fresh towels somedays and the floors swept of the inevitable sand tracked in from the beach. We appreciated the safe in the room. My suggestion would be to remove the second double bed and use the space to add a chair and a dresser or closet.The best ammenity, in addition to the food, was access to Ylang Ylang, a gorgeous sister resort 15 minutes' walk up the beach. We took full advantage of the beautiful pool with food and bar service. The landscaping, breathtaking scenery and entertaining wildlife there were a delight-- all combined, we had a really fun five days in Montezuma.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 Dec 2021

Jennifer

Pura Vida Vibes

We wish we could have stayed here longer!! We booked one night here as a stopover point to take the ferry and head to Jaco the next day. We had no idea Playa Montezuma was such a fun special place! We ate wonderful food at the restaurant, had delicious drinks, shopped at the street vendors, explored the gorgeous beaches, and made some beautiful friends all in one night!! The room was small and had no view, but the town and service were so warm and welcoming, we would definitely stay here again.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

19 Oct 2021

Amy M.

Good location and great staff.

Very friendly and helpful front staff. Great location walking within town and to the beach. Beautiful back garden to sit and have meals. Good place to stay if you want to be centrally located. Great surprise you could even go to their sister hotel and use the pool!! :). (Iguana walked through garden)

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 Sep 2021

Michael

Nice place and people.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

18 Mar 2020

Alan

Staff was especially attentive and servicial. One had the sense they understood their job was to make our stay great. Management also of course.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

04 Feb 2020

Crystal

Perfect location.

Had such a wonderful time! They screened the Super Bowl!!!!! Would definitely stay there again!

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jan 2020

Verified traveler

Great location, super friendly staff, nice room and shower, great restaurant (although service can be a bit deficient and slow, but...pura vida haha). We had a great time during our stay at el sano banano. Recommended

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

This was, I think, my fourth stay here. Discovered it by accident when I ran out of time to get to my next destination and have stayed here every time I'm in Costa Rica. Love the town and love this facility

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

06 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

Nice quiet room but no windows. Locks only work with a key from the inside could be dangerous.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Jan 2019

Caroline

Great location in cute beach town.

Hotel location good, but rooms were dark and windows did not open. Service in the restaurant was very friendly but slow. Food was good. Overall Montezuma is nice beach town.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2017

Stephanie L Shasteen

Comfortable room, delicious food, friendly service

I loved El Sano Banano. I was in Montezuma for a night before heading to a yoga retreat just outside of town. The room was comfortable and the service was amazing. I checked out and they watched my bag until it was time for me to go to the retreat. The food was very health conscious and delicious. The smoothies are to die for. Definitely get the green passion. And there is some kind of a cocoa coffee bliss... Get it. Trust me. I ate in the restaurant several times during my stay and heartily recommend the Patacon sandwich and the Tipico breakfast. Oh... and don't forget the artisan chocolates. Seriously, everything at El Sano Banano is heavenly.

8/10

Excellent

08 Apr 2017

edgar

The hotel is a partner with Ylang Ylang which is an upscale resort. You have access to the pool there and the restaurant.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 Mar 2017

Dustin

Good beds
Good AC
No Scorpions in our bedsheets
Cool animals
Beautiful pool 15min walk up the beach
Central location
Nice breakfasts
Close to Montezuma falls
Nice staff
Do walk the trails at Ylang Ylang pool, there are Capuchins like the one I snapped this pic of.

Overall had a great visit here. Stayed 5 days and scuba dived in St. Lucia. If you're from Canada, think of St. Lucia and Montezuma as a Tofino of the south. Very laid back surf town, hippie vibe and lots of hippie types floating around. So many Europeans too.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Mar 2017

Gina

Friendly staff, garden to eat in. Some rooms do not have Windows. We enjoyed staying there. Use of pool at the sister hotel about 15 minutes walk along the beach.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

28 Feb 2017

traveller

Ok hotel, small room

Check in was awkward. We were shuffled to 3 different staff members. None seemed too concerned. The room was small with no exterior window or tv.
Food was good as was the included breakfast that is ordered from the menu.

2/10

Poor

10 Dec 2016

robbed

Noone in charge. Ignorance.dishonesty

They would not provide a receipt because they denied keeping $88.91 that was accidentally overbooked by hotel one. Staff was ignorant or dishonest. Some acted distracted.troubled. credit card is making inquiry/investigation

8/10

Excellent

30 Sep 2016

paul

Good location hotel

I stayed for 3 nights and it is a good price along with breakfast. The waitresses seem indifferent to getting your food and they were not serving dinner as it was the low season. The first morning there was only cold showers and after talking with the staff the shower became either extremely hot or very cold - nothing inbetween. The room was clean and had a view of the street.

8/10

Excellent

12 Sep 2016

Verified traveler

Close to everything. In town, clean. Nice breakfast.

10/10

Exceptional

14 Aug 2016

Jenn

Great budget option

The room was a great value and offered everything we needed. Given the low price point, we had budget questions that the staff were unable to help with (such as local bus schedules), but overall, they were pleasant and accommodating.

10/10

Exceptional

16 Apr 2016

Debra

Always a hit

Our 3rd trip and this hotel is always our favorite .... Sad to see no dinner service or movie

Partner

8/10

Excellent

26 Mar 2016

Tati

Perfect location nice people

The room was actually ready before check in and they let us go in right away, the rooms are nice and clean, the hotel has a great patio and a nice front deck it is very close to the beach and the restaurant instalations are nice also, overall great stay and experience staff were great also.

4/10

Poor

06 Mar 2016

Verified traveler

very oppresive

restaurant area was nice, staff ok but rooms had no ventilation, hence mould everywhere

6/10

Pleasant

05 Feb 2016

David

Only complaint was no windows. Price on the high side but quiet and air conditioned comfort. Staff were terrific.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Feb 2016

Verified traveler

Lovely hotel with beautiful courtyard

I really enjoyed this hotel, however, the bedroom we had was on the interior of the hotel and no daylight. Because of that its not a room you'd want to relax in. The room was extremely clean and it had lovely painting, the whole hotel felt very cared for.

6/10

Pleasant

30 Aug 2015

Verified traveler

Nice but dated hotel

The rooms are good if you only plan to sleep in them and spend most of your days outdoors. The hotels is very dated, the rooms have no windows that look outside, and there is no hair dryer. Apart from that, there are no real downsides -- the location is great (almost on the beach) and the staff is friendly and helpful, which is always a plus in my book.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

03 Apr 2015

Verified traveler

Montezuma stay

Nice Clean Place - good food in Restaurant. Loved the movies. Nice people that work there.
I was lucky to have a window in my room, however - the room was very noisy due to outside noise & other establishment restaurant next door - downstairs.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

15 Mar 2015

jennifer

Perfect spot to check out Montezuma

Great place in the heart of the city;good place for a night or two but probably too much action if you want peace and quiet. Great food and excellent service. Perfect way to check out Montezuma if you are just passing through. Just a short walk down the beach and you can have peace and quiet and a pool with nice restaurant at sister resort Ylang Ylang just by showing your room key.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

03 Mar 2015

Verified traveler

Good location, but noisy. Surprise key deposit

The hotel is right in the centre of Montezuma, so you can't beat the location. It's a quick five minute walk to the main beach. Guests also have access to the sister Ylang Ylang resort's pool, but be warned -- it's another 15 minute walk or so, which sounds fine in theory but can be harder under mid-day sun on scorching sand. It's also worth noting that the hotel has a $100 key deposit -- you obviously get your money back, but this surprisingly large deposit is not listed anywhere on Expedia or on the hotel website

8/10

Excellent

24 Feb 2015

Ryan

awesome location, decent hotel

Wifi isn't great in the rooms, and not having a window was a bit of a downer, but you can't beat the location and the people are great. BIt pricey compared to other options, but the seemed to always have availability so it worked for us.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Feb 2015

Lee

Convenient location

We had a great room with a window (overlooking the roof, however) but the couple we were with had a smaller room with a window painted on the wall. We were happy, they were not. We found the hotel a great place to stay for the money. Montezuma doesn't have many options, but even if there were we would consider this hotel. We found it quiet at night and the movies they show a nice alternative for the evening. We ate at other restaurants but liked theirs the best.

8/10

Excellent

14 Feb 2015

bruce

Fun place

Wonderful service, location and value!!

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

13 Feb 2015

Verified traveler

El Sano Banano Village Hotel

Staff were very helpful and courteous. Breakfasts and food was great.Room would be better if it had a small fridge to keep water and drinks cold. Having natural light would be an asset. Overall stay was very enjoyable and being able to use the facilities at Ylang Ylang Beach Resort was an asset. Overall our stay was enjoyable

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 Jan 2015

Alison

Great Hotel and even better food!

I love this hotel. I've stayed here a couple of times now and I hope to go back. The staff is friendly and the food is amazing. The price is great and the location is central to all of Montezuma. Even if you don't stay at the hotel, make sure to go for the food and movie shown in the evenings. So much fun!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jan 2015

Jim

Great hotel, right downtown\n\n

Montezuma is definitely a funky place. This hotel was a great find. Moderate price, great staff, great food, really good hot water and water pressure, cold air conditioning. If you want a view from your room, this is not the place for you, windows open on walls or interior spaces. However, this makes the rooms very quiet and keeps them cool. Beds were very comfortable, reasonable pillows. Decor is Flintstones meets the rainforest, you feel a bit in a cave, but the murals are nice. Room comes with access to their sister resort, Ylang-ylang. Down the beach a walk, more than twice as expensive, absolutely spectacular but small pool. Great lizards, and monkeys wandering by. Don't pass on going over. Be very careful of the tour arrangers in town multiple reports of ripoffs, particularly on ATV rentals keeping your deposit by claiming damage. We had problems with the one across the street.

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jan 2015

Verified traveler

Perfect hotel in \"downtown\" montezuma

We had a wonderful stay here. It's right downtown (which is basically just a road) but is not noisy at all! The staff were so great - very welcoming and friendly every time we saw them. The breakfast is great - you get to pick off of a menu of ~10 items (the banana pancakes were the best) with a drink as well. We didn't eat at the restaurant because there were other great cheaper places in town (soda monte sol is highly recommended). The best part of this hotel is that you pay minimal amounts and get to go to ylang ylang (very fancy resort) to use their beautiful pool when you get sick of the beach!! Overall and excellent experience and I would stay here again for site!

6/10

Pleasant

12 Dec 2014

Verified traveler

Wouldn't return

Montezuma is much smaller than we had anticipated. It took 5 mins to walk through everything. I probably wouldn't bother returning to this remote beach town now that I've seen it. There's much easier to get to beach towns that offer more. Also we were disappointed that the hotel didn't have a pool. With the jungle extending right to the shore there were also lots of insects. The rooms were very basic but decent unless you plan on watching tv as they were incredibly old, fuzzy and small. When checking out also no one even helped my pregnant wife with her baggage. (There are no elevators) so I had to do 2 full trips on my own down the stairs and to our car. Disappointing altogether.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Aug 2014

Kolleen San Pedro

great customer service

This was very welcome surprise! The customer service was fantastic. They really go out of their way to make you happy. The breakfast portions were great and made fresh to order. Pizza with a movie was also a treat.

Family

8/10

Excellent

11 Jul 2014

Verified traveler

Great location and excellent restaurant

We loved this place! It had the best staff of our travels in Costa Rica. The food was excellent, far superior to anything else in town. The only issue was the late night partying and music from nearby beach bar. We will be back

10/10

Exceptional

19 May 2014

Alexis

Great hotel in Montezuma!

The El Sano Banano is a great choice for travellers on a budget! You have access to the gorgeous pool at the Ylang Ylang Resort without paying the high price.

We stayed at El Sano for 3 nights. The staff are great and there are lots of choices for the breakfast that is included. Not your typical toast muffin and cereal here - hot breakfasts, fruit, yogurt, granola etc.

Our only complaint was that the shower was not hot water, and you had to be brave in the morning! But it is perfect and much needed after a day on the beach.

8/10

Excellent

23 Mar 2014

Verified traveler

Clean and convenient Hotel

The only negative thing about my one night stay was I happened to catch the night there was a party in the streets and in the local bar and the deep base sound was so loud that I couldn't sleep. The hotel is very nice other than the proximity to the local bar that can be very loud.

8/10

Excellent

12 Feb 2014

Verified traveler

Great hotel in the city and right next to beach

Right in the middle of montezuma and right next to the beach. Good security. Great breakfast. The staff were friendly and went the extra mile to help us when we locked our car keys in the car. The room was small but clean and the shower was great. We would definitely stay there again. And if you go to montezuma you should definitely see the water fall!

8/10

Excellent

01 Feb 2014

Verified traveler

nice place

great breakfast included, pretty good beds and awesome shower. We were very happy with the place. Don't book any excursions there, the prices they quoted are outrageous. Also, asked them to call a cab for us since there were none down the street, and they said the \"guy\" they use was busy, so he couldn't call any. That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Since they weren't getting a cut from my cab fare, they wouldn't call one... 10 minutes later the guy did ask nextdoor, and that guy was nice enough to call me a cab. But a hotel should have numbers for LOTS of cab drivers.

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jan 2014

Kjlb2281

Great hotel

The staff were very welcoming and looked after us very well. The room was clean and comfortable, with a good bathroom.Good wifi availability. Restaurant service good food, and it was lovely to eat in their outside area.