Venues and Accommodations in Manuel Antonio

Jenn Meyskens · June 1, 2011

Hello,

We really love the area of Manuel Antonio and are looking for a place to get married there. We must have a beach wedding and love the little secluded spots in Manuel Antonio. We are expecting 35-50 guests for our wedding however and would like to offer them nice accommodations with flexibility.

We have explored the Los Altos hotel and some of the villas available at Buena Vista Villas. Has anyone stayed there that could offer a review or photos?

Are there any other places in Manuel Antonio you'd recommend for an intimate wedding?

muzikgrrl · June 3, 2011

First of all congratulations! I'm getting married in January in Manuel Antonio at Costa Verde. We are not having a beach wedding, but a pool side ceremony. My wedding planner recommended the hotel Karahe for a beach ceremony and reception but I wouldn't recommended the hotel for your guests to stay at. You would have to pay a site fee at that hotel. I stayed at one of the properties managed by Buena Vista Villas my first time in Manuel Antonio, they are very beautiful villa's and the property management company is great, however I think there are a limited number of properties of theirs where you could have a wedding. For accommodations check out: Hotel La Mariposa, Hotel Parador and Hotel La Mansion. Also check out Trip Advisor for other accomodation options, there are a ton of great places in Manuel Antonio. Happy planning!!!

JacoExpert · July 6, 2011

Hi there, while there are many places on the beach in Manuel Antonio, many are quite expensive. Flexibility... not sure what you mean by that. Full board, half board, early/late check in/out??? I do know Jaco is closer to the airport, less expensive, and there are many secluded spots for a beach ceremony in the town just south of there, Hermosa. They also enjoy a much more active nightlife. Hotel Docelunas has done numerous weddings, both on their spectacular grounds, and on nearby beaches. They also can be flexible as to meal plans, etc. Good luck....

Kevin Heslin · July 26, 2011

The villas at Buena Vista Villas are first rate. I've worked a lot with these villas. Great management too, if you have a problem, they are all over it. There are a bunch of private houses in Manuel Antonio. I agree with the above post regarding La Mansion Inn. They have a new sky deck and one of the best views in the area, it has a unique aspect that other places don't have. Check out some of the photos on their website. Good Luck!

MeLoveCR · August 4, 2011

Buena Vista has a million rules and it's really a pain to get married there. They require over half your guests to stay there which would normally be fine, but their room are extremely expensive so it's likely your guests will not want to stay there. they do not offer a hotel discount for guests either. That said, their property is beautiful but the rules are a headache that a bride doesn't need.

where2wed2012 · November 18, 2012

we were debating between Koralas (Los Altos) and Karahe/Costa Verde's Event Center or El Avion. We ended up with the event center and it was gorgeous, but may be too big for 40 guests. Koralas would probably be just right for that size. It's modern and pretty, but the views aren't as striking (which doesn't matter much after the sun goes down anyway). I can't speak about Los Altos's beach b/c we didn't visit, but Karahe's is a stunning backdrop and has really reasonable pricing (agree with last poster and wouldn't recommend staying at Karahes). Los Altos condos are really pretty and can be affordable if you stay on a lower floor or share the space. They also have a great happy hour!

We stayed at Casa Paraiso in La Reserva (a little further up the road but still accessible) and it was one of the highlights of the trip. There may even be enough space to have the wedding right there, but not sure if that's ideal. We used Sylvia from Costa Rica Paradise Wedding and were really happy with all her help. She's reasonably priced and we might have been able to plan a wedding without her, but we probably would've paid more and had a ton more headaches - she was especially helpful b/c we didn't visit beforehand and she really helped with every decision and all the logistics. The flowers alone that she helped get couldn't have been more perfect! We didn't visit Arenas Del Mar while we there and none of our guests stayed at the hotel, but that could be a good option for a smaller wedding. Punto de Vista is also an incredible villa. We didn't see it, but it looks beautiful online and becomes more reasonable if everyone stays there. We visited the Parador and are glad we didn't have things there - just not our style at all - definitely prefer Karolas or Costa Verde's venues over Parador's. Although if you're looking for a more resort-like hotel with ambiance inspired by ancient Rome, the Parador's your place. We ate at the Gaia restaurant and would probably choose Karolas over that location as well. Overall we were fine with our guests being in different hotels and villas - nothing was too far away (we rented a car) and there were plenty of opportunities for us all to get together (welcome BBQ, ziplining trip, rafting trip, wedding, and brunch). Just fyi, it's not easy to visit guest in Los Altos or the Parador (esp the Parador), so this may be worth noting if you have guests who will be staying in other locations. Everyone who had a villa was really happy - Casa Antonio, Casa Paraiso, Casa Feliz, Casa Capuchin, and Casa Miramar (all different levels of luxury and various locations - Alex from Vacation Villas Costa Rica helped my parents, my brother and a group of our friends get really good rates). We also loved Casa Romantica from the pics on the internet but it was booked during our wedding weekend, so no one we knew was able to rent the place.

Good luck with everything! I was so overwhelmed at this time last year planning for our August '12 wedding, but we and our guests had an amazing time - everything was perfect and don't regret a single decision (although we - or I - agonized over each one!!)