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Reviews of Hotel El Pequeño Gecko Verde

3 out of 5
Hotel El Pequeño Gecko Verde
Playa Samara, Cantarrana, Sámara, Guanacaste

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 28 out of 40 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 9 out of 40 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 40 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 40 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 40 reviews" "

9.4/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Staff & service

8.2/10

Amenities

9.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great out of the way location. You can walk to the beach from here. Tonnes of wildlife wight under the deck!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Caitlin

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We loved our stay! We stayed in the family suite with the private pool and it was absolutely perfect. Its a short drive/walk/scoot to town which makes for a nice quiet stay while still being close to all amenities. The staff were amazing and the little soda on the corner was delicious. Thanks!
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2024

4/10 Poor

James, House Springs

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We were told breakfast was included when we checked in, when we checked out we were billed for it. When I confronted the manager she literally went on their Expedia site and changed it to not included breakfast, right in front of me! When I reserved my bungalow I was told only the largest was available, 2 people in a sleep 7, so I reserved it, the property was not sold out. I was told because I had the one that has a kitchen I had to pay for breakfast because I could have cooked my own! I don't vacation and rent the most expensive villa to cook for myself. Also the TV did not work while we were there, could not sign into NetFlix or Prime, NO english channels and staff could not fix it. There is no A/C in living room/kitchen where you want to hang out, only in bedrooms, so you have to just lay in bed when your'e not out or it's raining. I brought up multiple inconsistent immenities and she would just change the wording on their Expedia site as I spoke. They would not even offer a discount on breakfast to get a better review, they just ignored me, typical French. They are obviously new to hospitality and are not interested in making a customer a happy or a return customer. Also we are both handicapped and staff were aware of it since we use canes and cannot walk well, not once did staff offer to help us with unloading or loading luggage. We do not recommend this place. If you have reservations I would think twice and rebook somewhere else.
Response from Muriel on 1 Dec 2023
Thank you Sir, for taking the time to write us a review, but I'd like to add a few clarifications concerning your report because I don't appreciate your lies because we didn't give in to your blackmail to make a bad comment.You say that my receptionist told you that breakfasts were included with your room, but it's absolutely the opposite, you were warned at the time of your reservation, as well as at check-in, and you even signed this check-in sheet! Your bad faith reaches its peak when you say that I changed the expedia page in front of you for the breakfast and for the A/C , when first of all this manipulation would require at least 1 week of delay to be changed, and that it was just to show you that even at the time of your reservation, everything was already written on our internet page! As for your booking of the villa when there were only 2 of you, we simply accepted your booking, without any prior request on your part... so it seems logical to me that if you decide to rent for the 2 of you, a villa with 3 bedrooms and private pool (and that's your absolute right)... the price would be higher than renting a single room, wouldn't it? Nobody oblige you to rent the villa !Finally, as far as TV is concerned, we are in Costa Rica and the package of TV channels we have is mainly in Spanish... do you know that this is the official language in Costa Rica? Moreover, 2 times my receptionists came to explain how it worked... and finally, Carlos also offered to help you with your luggage! We're not new to the hotel business, and you should know that many customers come back .... but fortunately for us we have many lovely customers who would never dare to blackmail us with a bad review in order not to pay for their breakfasts!And it's well known that the greatest pleasure of hoteliers who work hard to satisfy their customers is to steal from them and modify their website in real time to deceive their customers !!!!! We wish you a very happy vacation in Costa Rica.

10/10 Excellent

Jason

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

carol

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
loved this spot
Wonderful place, great service!
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Leighton

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023

8/10 Good

pat

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Road and access to and from hotel is rough and not friendly user for driver.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sonya

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We had a wonderful time. The property is gorgeous, lush, and vibrant. The staff are very helpful and friendly. The perfect place to stay!

10/10 Excellent

Thomas

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Villas are gorgeous. Property is lush and well maintained. It's a bit of an adventure getting there but has access to a fairly secluded beach.

10/10 Excellent

Susan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
I highly recommend this place.it is extremely beautiful & comfortable. The breakfast was a terrific way to start the day. Lots of amazing places to visit near by.the staff are all truly wonderful helpful people. I will go back.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Drue

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2022

6/10 Okay

Michelle

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities
The property is nice, but the facilities are run down. Our shower head barely worked. It didn’t work enough to take a real shower. The room was tiny. We had a small refrigerator, no kitchen as I thought when I booked it. Nowhere to put your bags so they had to stay on the floor. I had an emergency at had and had to cut my trip by a week. The other two hotels I had to cancel were completely accommodating and refunded me my money. This one didn’t care. They just said I have to pay the full price. The pool was really nice and a couple of the staff were very sweet. That made it an okay stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Elias

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best hotel in samara
Amazingly
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2022

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Gecko review
We had an amazing stay at this lodge. The only thing that was a surprise to us was the cabin had a full kitchen. I didn’t notice that when we booked. But the cabins with the full kitchen do not include breakfast. You could order breakfast for an extra cost. We arrived in the evening and did not bring any food to cook. So we ended up purchasing the breakfast that came with most of the rooms. It was a little frustrating since we spent more than we usually spend on rooms. The pool was also very cold. It was a very nice property. And out of the way of the busy town. If you’re looking for dinner a little later, you will have to travel into town by car.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2022

8/10 Good

Terrence

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful property nestled in the jungle makes you feel like you are in another world yet its location is close enough to the beaches and offerings of Samara. Highly recommended
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

Kyle

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2022

8/10 Good

Christine, Huntsville

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very nice property surrounded by luscious vegetation. Staff was great and breakfast delicious. The bed/mattress definitely needs an upgrade. The rooms are outdated but very clean. It’s very close to downtown and the beautiful beach.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022

10/10 Excellent

Joanna

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Had a great trip
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Robert

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Friendly staff, great pool, clean rooms, yummy breaakfast
Stayed 7 nights in Nov 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2021

10/10 Excellent

olivier

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing stay
Just perfect. Surrounded by nature and very clean. Amazing
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Exactly what we expected. It was nice being away from the hubhub of town. Bed wasn’t super comfy.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Jesse

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Place to Stay in Samara!!
We had a great time!!! The place is so cozy and friendly we would return again in a heartbeat. The breakfast was delicious and the staff was so helpful when booking surf lessons for us. It’s far enough from Samara Beach to be quiet, but close enough to get there in an under 5 minute drive.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Rachel

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic Stay in a Jungle Oasis
We had a fabulous stay at El Pequeno Gecko Verde, it is a true jungle oasis! Our kids, ages 5 & 7 loved the walk through the jungle to the secret beach and the pool was the perfect way to cool off in the afternoons. My son especially loved the banana milkshakes! The location was perfect for us, lovely and quiet, a 5 minute walk to Buenavista beach for sunset and about 10 mins walk down the street to a the bakery/soda . We enjoyed being out of town and had a car if we wanted to go into town for dinner. Muriel & Fabrice made us feel very welcome, their breakfast was delicious! We will definitely be back, hopefully sooner rather than later!
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2019
Response from Fabrice & Muriel on 13 Nov 2019
Thank you so much for coming Rachel. Really it was a pleasure to have you and your family as our guests. Maybe we will come to visit you one day too !

8/10 Good

CKB

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The cabins are very cute, and the staff is extremely friendly and helpful. You definitely need a car to get there. It’s pretty far off the beaten track and far from the beach and town. The sliding glass door of the cabin gives you a great view of the jungle, but there is no screen on the door and lots of mosquitos, so you need to keep the door shut and air conditioning on.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2019

8/10 Good

C&B

Travelled with family
A nice little casita with deck in a jungle garden setting. Breakfast in ranch by pool in AM was nice with enough selection. An interesting walk through the jungle to a small beach where we watched the sunset and some locals surfing. Not too far from Samara restaurants and shops ( 5 min drive) Some menus provided for restaurants that will deliver to the hotel, if you want to stay in. Ordered pizza one of the nights. Very quiet area. Howler monkeys around so could hear them most days. Acouti wandering around the property were fun to watch. Birds and butterflies around the pool. Friendly staff. We enjoyed driving up to the Nosara area, for the beautiful long beach of Playa Guiones and swim in the tide pools at low tide! It’s about 20 min north. After driving about 20 min, Take the unmarked road to the left 2 km from the cute town of Playa Garza and park at the end. There is a reserve to the right, so it is preferred that you don’t drive/ park on the beach in that area. If you go left, you can drive down to the area of fishing boats. This beach is so different at high tide, you would recognize it. Low tide, it is an expansive beach, you can walk for a very long way. Beautiful shells along this beach, if you love shell hunting. Some shade tree areas, but not many. Very safe swimming in the two large tidal pools for anyone, especially kids! We snorkeled and saw many small fish. Locals fish here. Fun to watch. We enjoyed Samara beach as well, Snorkel north end low tide.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
This hotel is a perfect oasis within walking distance of the beach. The pool and amenities are superb and the staff fantastic. It’s also very clean and quiet. We will definitely return to this location if we make another visit to Costa Rica!
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2019
Response from Fabrice on 29 Apr 2019
Thank you very much for your feedback !

8/10 Good

Eoghan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay, perfect if they change the beds
Everything about our stay was great except for the comfort levels of the bed!
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2019
Response from Muriel & Fabrice on 5 Feb 2019
Hello Eoghan, Many thanks for visiting us, it was a pleasure to have you as our guests. We are changing some mattress, next one will be this one! Best,

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018
Response from Muriel et Fabrice on 30 Nov 2018
Cher hôte, Nous vous remercions et sommes heureux que votre séjour chez nous vous ait plu. Au plaisir de vous accueillir de nouveau.

10/10 Excellent

Thomas

Jungle Oasis
Amazing little oasis in the jungle. A bit of a trek into Samara, but the experience was awesome. Staff was super helpful, breakfast was top notch-Best Gallo Pinto of the trip by far!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018

6/10 Okay

the hobbits, canada

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Quaint jungle bungalow.
The experience of the bungalow in a small confined jungle was charming. Great for families who want the kids to enjoy the experience of a jungle. We didnt like the location of our bungalow as it was right outside the gate and the parking lot... and can hear the cars incoming and outgoing. This is also a bit concerning when your shower is outside and you can hear people going in the parking lot and hear voices and wondering if someone may overlook and wander towards your shower.

10/10 Excellent

Molly, London, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic oasis at the beach!
As the final destination of our Costa Rican tour, my adult daughter and I had a amazing experience at this fabulous, charming and comfortable spot. We loved the outdoor shower. I will highly recommend it!

10/10 Excellent

Kamer

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Carlos

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Muy bueno
Súper privado, silencioso, pocos huéspedes, la comida de la zona excelente!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Un lugar muy tranquilo y relajante apenas para salir del bullicio dela ciudad y muy cerca de la playa.. y doña Mauriel la administradora muy exelente persona y muy amable...y la haviatacion demasiado comoda
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2020

10/10 Excellent

Chris

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Sehr schöne Anlage mit gutem Frühstück! Empfehlung!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2019
Response from Fabrice on 7 Nov 2019
Thank you so much for visiting us Chris !

10/10 Excellent

Nicholas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A lovely place
It was a great place to stay and enjoy the town of Samara
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2018
Response from Muriel & Fabrice on 13 Dec 2018
Hi Nicholas, Thank you very much for your kindly comment. It was a pleasure to have you as our guests. We hope you will have a great trip. Best,

8/10 Good

christophe

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2017

8/10 Good

Stella, France

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
verdure, calme et faune locale
Très agréable, accueil très sympathique. Préférer une chambre avec kitchenette et douche à ciel ouvert pour plus d'espace et moins subir l'humidité ambiante. Mais cet hôtel reste un petit coin de paradis surtout si vous êtes motorisé.