Guest User
June 5, 2024
I’ve been a loyal Marriott traveler for the past twelve years and always enjoy getting to stay at a Bonvoy Autograph Collection property as they beautifully marry the comfort and familiarity of a Marriott property with unique and local flair. El Mangroove was no exception and we knew we had chosen the right accommodations as soon as we arrived. The property is gorgeous. The buildings all felt new and are modern architecture with clean lines and lots of blurred lines between indoor and outdoor living, for example our room had a “living room” area that included a waist-high wall and then floor to ceiling screens above that across the back of the room. It was perfect to sit in at night because it was bug free, but we felt like we were outside and could enjoy hearing all the night sounds. The front lobby and all the dining options were also open air (but with a roof of course) so you can enjoy all the scenery of Costa Rica while you dine. I can’t imagine how many horticulturists they must employ, but the grounds are incredibly beautifully manicured. I don’t think I saw a single **** or dead leaf the entire time I was there, and everything is lush and lovely, almost like staying in a botanical gardens. We ate at two of their restaurants plus ordered room service twice, and the food was delicious. {Note: if you are a frequent Marriott traveler and your status affords you the choice of a welcome amenity, we would highly recommend choosing the breakfast. The buffet is large and everything on it is excellent and if made it so easy to wake up, walk out to breakfast and enjoy and then go off on whatever adventure we had planned for the day. One less thing to have to choose/locate/drive to each morning.} Our room was lovely (we stayed in building 1 which was convenient as it was closest to everything so we didn’t have to walk far or take a golf cart, but it was still quiet at night.), beds were comfortable, everything was clean and we loved the variety of cookies we got each night at turn down service. The property also features a lovely spa (we didn’t choose any services, but did enjoy spending time in the relaxation pool and steam room), workout facility, beachfront location with complimentary paddle board and kayaks for guest use, and five swimming pools! One pool is adult-only (which I always appreciate having when I’m traveling in an adults-only group), and the other four are of various sizes, depths and settings and available for anyone of any age to use. PRO TIP: if you are traveling with kiddos, heads up that there is a GORGEOUS playground that is tucked away to the right of the main lobby building sort of behind some meeting room space. It has kind of a secret-garden feel and all the equipment looks brand new and was perfect for my daughter (including soccer goals and ball!) We stumbled upon it by accident on our second-to-last day on the property, and it was our only negative from our stay that we hadn’t been told about it when we che