We love the Manuel Antonio area so decided to stay for four days. Check-in was easy; Bismarck, the super-friendly and attentive property manager, was waiting for us when we arrived, and helped us transport our luggage and groceries up to the house, then showed us around. He was always available when we needed anything (for example, holding our key while we went to the beach).
The views from the four (!) balconies are simply incredible; it was great to have breakfast while gazing down at the bay and beaches, and enjoying the wildlife in the forest surrounding the house. If you don't mind the 132 steps up to the house (we certainly didn't), it's well worth the effort.
Pros:
- Incredible views
- Lots of wildlife -- macaws, toucans, vultures, eagles, hummingbirds, monkeys, iguanas, and even a special appearance by Raoul the Sloth, who was hanging out on the stair rails when we came home from dinner one night!
- Walking distance to wonderful beaches and lots of restaurants, bars, and shops.
Cons:
- The furniture is not very comfortable; an upgrade to the chairs and couches would be a great investment.
- The lighting is bright and harsh. The simple addition of some lamps with softer, warmer bulbs would be great.
- The noise could be a bit much. We were surprised at how loud the traffic could be on the road below us. Also, the macaws in particular could be very noisy, very early in the morning; and the howls of the howler monkeys in the middle of the night is downright spooky sometimes. :-) But wildlife is one of the reasons we love the area, so it's pretty easy to put up with the noise -- just be prepared (earplugs are a great idea for sleeping).
Overall we loved our stay; a few small improvements could really bring it up to 5-star territory.