We had an amazing stay at this hotel! Sandra at the reception was incredible—she welcomed us warmly and gave us plenty of recommendations for events and restaurants in the area. The hotel’s location was perfect, and everything was spotlessly clean. One of the highlights was being able to borrow beach towels, chairs, and a cooler every day, which made our beach outings so much better. Additionally, the hotel offered free filtered water for all guests, which was a great touch. On Thursdays, the hotel hosts a small event with beers and snacks, and we were lucky to arrive on that day—it was such a fun way to kick off our stay. We also used the hotel’s laundry service, which was reasonably priced and super convenient, with our laundry ready the same day. Breakfast was delicious and offered at very affordable prices. Our room was a good size with a small wardrobe that fit all our belongings. The bathroom was perfect—the best we experienced in Costa Rica—with excellent water pressure and always hot water. We highly recommend staying at this hotel!

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Friendly and helpful staff. Very spacious room with super large and very comfortable bed. Good air conditioning system, large wardrobe with safe and very hot and powerful shower. The swimming pool was lovely and of a very good size. The hotel location is great as right in the centre of Tamarindo, close to bars, restaurants, shops and the beach but yet it’s very quiet as set back from the main road. The only bit of noise came from the adjacent restaurant but it was all over by 10:00/10:30PM. The hotel offers free coffees in the morning and there is filtered water available 24hrs a day. The whole place was extremely clean and great to be able to park the car on the premises.

We really liked the hotel and were very pleased with our choice. To make the experience even better it would have been great if breakfast was included in the price, as not a budget accommodation.

This was a great stay. Rooms are simple, clean & comfortable. Good AC & ceiling fan kept the temperature just perfect. Staff were super helpful, friendly & responsive. Really nice folks. Owners were on site & made a point of introducing themselves & hosting a social hour on Thursday. I felt very safe & welcome. Pool was perfect for short lap swimming, sunning & cooling off. Maintenance person was onsite - very quick to respond to a few minor issues. There is a very good breakfast, lunch service, good cook, nice variety at a reasonable price. Consistent quality. Appreciated the discount for settling the bill in cash. Minutes from markets and the beach. Connected me to all the transfers I needed and an outstanding surf instructor.

Couple of minor comments - the rooms are quite simple and the available desk space in the room is limited, making it not so easy to work from your room. There is a shared working space in the reception area which is great and totally adequate but it would be nice to have a little more desk space in the room. Other item I would comment on was the kitchen space is not as well furbished if you are hoping to do some cooking - utensils and cookware are adequate but could be upgraded. Also the convection stove top was a bit of a mystery

We loved the fact there were no children around as were here to decompress and totally relax for our last three days prior to our flight back home. We appreciated food was conveniently available for purchase on the premises for breakfast and lunch. The rooms were large and comfortable. Also loved the fact that shower gel, shampoo and hair dryer were provided (the first of five hotels we booked for our three-week vacation, so not a common occurrence).

TV and Internet reception are not great, but that is a common shortcoming for all of Costa Rica, not just this hotel.

Amazing location 5 minute walk to the beach, comfortable beds, patio, cafe for breakfast and lunch, and a clean relaxing pool. This place is run very well. The owners are extremely nice and offer many benefits like one free coffee each day, free laundry service if you stay a week, Thursday complimentary happy hour with other guests, fairly priced tours, transportation, and a comfortable air conditioned coworking space if you need to get some work done.

Our stay was wonderful from the moment that we arrived. The staff went above and beyond for every question or request. The Cafe onsite was some of the best food in town and the pool (in the shade most of the times that we required a moment of respite) was always refreshing. Our room was small, which was perfect in its own way, because we were there to be outside and experience a different culture. They had a smart tv and we didn’t have to worry about outlet converters for out electronics. The shower had hot water (my husband was just being special and turned the knob the wrong way). The smoothies and coffee were a great way to start the day. Everything was great. We would have stayed longer, if I didn’t have to go home to my dogs!

There’s not really anything that I didn’t like about the property. If I have any complaints l, it is about creatures comforts that I realize are subject to personal opinions and expectations from not recently traveling extensively in other countries. I just need more practice. For example: Occasional ants (we were in Costa Rica…) Not being able to flush paper (we were in Costa Rica) See? Ridiculous and has nothing to do with the hotel. The hotel, was awesome.

The manager Maggie was extraordinarily helpful and solicitous, from the moment we arrived until we departed a week later. We can’t say enough about how she made us feel at home. Everyone who works there followed Maggie’s gracious example, resulting in an extremely pleasant daily atmosphere.

The problem came after dark… specifically around 21:00 every night. A local bar started playing music LOUDLY, despite the fact that there didn’t appear to be many customers there. The noise continued until midnight (and sometime 2:00 a.m.) every single night, including Sunday. For this reason alone, we would not return to “In the Shade.” In fact, we will not return to downtown Tamarindo, because of that nightly noise nuisance. During the day, the downtown cacophony is exacerbated by music BLARING from a food court, where it is almost impossible to have a conversation. Sad.

The hotel is very well located and staff are super friendly. The bed was comfortable and the room spacious. The social gathering Thursday night is a nice way to meet the owners and fellow travellers.

Personally I would have loved a coffee station so we can help ourselves to a cup of coffee at anytime. And the coffee in Costa Rica is excellent.

We liked everything about In The Shade. The location is in the heart of Tamarindo. The hotel is adult only and that benefit was fabulous! The pool is pristine. The staff is absolutely unbelievably great when it comes to service and assistance for setting up excursions and they are friendly. It seems to me that the entire staff wants their visitors to relax, enjoy and leave the work to them. I cannot say enough great things about the staff—10 out of 10!!!! The food they cook by the pool is amazing. The price per night is great too. Also the Dragonfly restaurant next door has fabulous food and live music.

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I spent two weeks here and loved it! The wifi in my room was great for long days of televideo via Zoom. The room and entire facility is clean and inviting. The owner Patrick and manager Maggie are exceptional! all staff are warm and attentive, I love it here and I'll return for a longer stay. The Thursday night social with snacks and wine is a wonderful communal experience for solo travelers to meet people. I had the queen suite which includes an outdoor kitchen which was perfect for a longer stay. Close walk to the beach, restaurants and grocery store!

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