Gaia Hotel & Reserve

I spent five nights here with my friend and absolutely loved it. The room was great and very spacious, and loved sitting on our balcony watching the beautiful red macaws and then the sunset at the end of the day. The restaurant was also great where we did dinner every night, and can’t say enough about the sushi. We also had treatments in the spa which were also wonderful. The hotel provides a list of activities, and we booked a zip line and a national park tour. Both excellent. The two level infinity pool was incredible also. A few shoutouts on some of the staff: Clarence led two of our tours and he was top notch. Very knowledgeable and fun. Ada was our concierge and answered our WhatsApp inquiries very quickly and consistently asked up if we need anything else. Jack served us several meals, drinks at the pool, and drinks on the roof. This guy seemed to be everywhere! He was so helpful and friendly, always smiling, and made us feel so welcome. Finally, the owner of the hotel Boris greeted us while we were having breakfast and again was a real star. When we checked out, I left something in the room, and not only did he offer to get to us, he got it to us next day where we were staying in San Jose. For anyone that has done the drive from San Jose to the hotel knows that it can take anywhere from 3-7 hours. However he got it to us, he told us it was ‘magic’. Talk about customer service. In sum the place is great and definitely recommend you staying here.

Had a great 10 days Great location and restaurant in a sprawling complex The staff was Excellent!! Always with a smile , hard working and professional!

Our family stayed at Gaia for a week in December 2025. We had a fantastic stay. Above all else, the service at the hotel was excellent. From planning and coordinating off-site excursions to quickly responding to anything we needed during our stay, they could not have been more friendly or helpful. The hotel's location provides easy access to off-site activities (beach, National Park, fishing, Ziplining, ATV's, etc, etc) and we had great experiences at all of those. Special shout-out to Deiver, who was super helpful throughout our stay. We had a nice room, the restaurant was good and very accommodating to any special requests. It was out first visit to Costa Rica and everyone in our family (parents and two teens) loved it. Happy to highly recommend Gaia.

If I could give Gaia 10 stars, I would. The customer service is truly outstanding. We were a family of four, and after a 4 hour plane ride, a 2 hour customs line, and a 3½ hour drive from San José Airport, we arrived at the hotel completely exhausted. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with warmth and care. Friendly staff immediately took our luggage and transported us by golf cart to the lobby, where four fresh fruit drinks were waiting for us. I was introduced to my concierge, completed check-in quickly, given a tour, and escorted to our room—all seamlessly. Our suite was clean, comfortable, and spacious, with a stunning view of the jungle and ocean. There was more than enough room for my husband, myself, and our two adult daughters to spread out comfortably without feeling crowded. The shower pressure was excellent—it was hard not to want to take an hour-long shower! When we weren’t in the room, we loved relaxing on the balcony or in the outdoor seating just outside our door, right next to the pool. The pool area offered breathtaking views of both the ocean and jungle. My husband and I especially enjoyed floating in the pool chairs while soaking in the scenery. The hotel grounds are beautifully maintained and surrounded by a lush tropical setting. The staff throughout the property was exceptional. Our concierge, Edson, was incredibly helpful—always available to answer questions, arrange meals, and set up tours. He consistently checked in to see how everything went and if we needed anything else. The onsite restaurant, Luna, served very good food with top-notch service. Abraham truly stood out. He remembered our names after our first visit and greeted each of us by name every time thereafter. He promptly seated us, ensured we were always taken care of, and went above and beyond in thoughtful ways. One evening, when we ordered food to go, he offered to deliver it to our room so we wouldn’t have to carry the plates. Another day, while my husband and I relaxed by the pool, Abraham was working the bar—he brought us fresh fruit on wooden sticks and even adjusted the music to our preference. These small touches made an already perfect day unforgettable. The golf cart service made getting around the property easy and convenient. The hotel also offers an excellent shuttle service to the beach every hour, with pick-ups every 15 minutes past the hour. We typically took the 1:00 PM shuttle and returned at 4:15 PM. I also loved the convenience of picking up beach towels from security at the entrance and returning them after our outings. One of the highlights of our stay was the wildlife experience. Gaia is a Macaw Reserve and offers a complimentary hike led by Clarence, who is funny, engaging, and extremely knowledgeable. He also guided us through Manuel Antonio National Park. His sharp eye for spotting even the most discreet wildlife and his deep knowledge made the tours incredibly memorable for our family. I’d also like to thank Ada for promptly resolving a maintenance issue we encountered a few days into our stay. She immediately arranged an upgraded room and had all of our luggage transferred, ensuring we were well taken care of and compensated for the inconvenience. I highly recommend Gaia to anyone visiting the Manuel Antonio area. The hardest part of our stay was having to leave. I absolutely plan on returning—next time with even more family members.

The hotel, at the time it was built in 2005, may have comfortably referred to itself as a 5-star resort. Two decades later, advancements in design and aesthetics have rendered some of the hotel grounds antiquated. The rooms are spacious and the showers are luxurious, but feel slightly old - you can see how in 2005 it'd be a top of the line resort. That said, the service they provide is still top-notch, and the staff are kind. They also offer a wonderful selection of soaps, and you can choose for yourself which set you'd like. A nice touch.