Manuel Antonio/Quepos Accommodations: Hotel Parador

Location: Quepos, Manuel Antonio, Central Pacific, Costa Rica
Phone: (506) 777-1414
Fax: (506) 777-1437
Room Information: 108 units
Rates: $175 standard double; $200-$230 deluxe double; $260-$290 premium double; $305 junior suite; $800 presidential suite. Rates include breakfast buffet. Rates slightly higher during peak weeks, significantly lower in the off season
Credit Cards: AE, MC, V
Amenities: A/C, TV, minibar, coffeemaker, hair dryer, safe

This Costa Rica hotel is spread out over more than 4.8 hectares (12 acres) of land on a low peninsula, in Manuel Antonio /Quepos area on Costa Rica's Pacific Coast, down a dirt road from Hotel La Mariposa.

Its design aims to imitate Spanish Mediterranean grandeur, and the main building is loaded with antiques, including 17th-century Dutch and Flemish oil paintings, a 300-year-old carved wooden horse, and 16th-century church and castle doors.

The standard Costa Rica hotel rooms are well appointed but far too small for this price range. All have private patios, but few have any view to speak of. Deluxe hotel rooms offer slightly more space, and the second-floor units have private balconies.

The spacious junior suites are located on the top of a hill, giving a good view of Costa Rica's sea and Cathedral Point in the distance. Note that it's a bit of a hike up to these units, although the hotel offers an on-call golf-cart shuttle service. The premium rooms, located in a newer three-story building built on a high spot on the grounds, have the best Costa Rica views, and are my first choice here. The hotel runs a shuttle van to Manuel Antonio National Park, and there's a small, secluded beach about 500m (1,640 ft.) from the hotel.

Facilities: 2 restaurants; 2 bars; large free-form pool w/swim-up bar and central fountain; tennis court; modest gym and spa; Jacuzzi; concierge; tour desk; room service; in-room massage; babysitting; laundry service.