With 2 swimming pools, a restaurant & billiards room, Hotel Mono Azul is a spacious property that’s big on amenities but light on the wallet – find out why it’s the best-value, mid-range hotel in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica.
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Hotel Mono Azul: The Owners
Hotel Mono Azul is a family-run business, owned & operated by Paige & John from the USA.
They escaped the rat race in 2009, heading first to St Johns in the Virgin Islands, where they managed several hotels. In 2014, they arrived in Costa Rica, seeking another, more permanent sea change.
After traveling around Costa Rica for one month, we can see why they chose to settle here!
They came across Hotel Mono Azul in Manuel Antonio, which was up for sale by the original Tico owners.
Bureaucracy, financing & paperwork stepped in and after some negotiations, Hotel Mono Azul was in the hands of Paige & John!
Since then, they’ve spent the majority of time & money making many of the major & minor repairs necessary.
The next goals involve renovating the rooms, starting with a shipment of new bedding due any day now!
Hotel Mono Azul Location
Hotel Mono Azul is conveniently located 2km from Quepos town, on the road to Manuel Antonio National Park.
There’s onsite parking available if you are travelling by car, otherwise a bus passes in each direction every 15 minutes (295 colones / $0.50).
Hotel Mono Azul Lobby
Check-in at Mono Azul was a seamless process. We were warmly welcomed by Andreas, a native of Quepos who spoke fluent English.
The reception area is in the heart of the action, so you have a good sense of the atmosphere & environment as soon as you walk in.
The restaurant & bar is on one side and a casual lounge area on the other, with a sofa, coffee table, tables & chairs. Here, there’s also filtered water & coffee available 24/7.
Hotel Mono Azul Rooms
We here at DIY Travel HQ stayed in a Standard Plus room at Hotel Mono Azul, which was very spacious & clean. It featured 2 double beds with 2 colourful paintings of flowers decorating the walls.
There were also side tables, a lamp, chair & an LED TV with cable channels, including HBO in English. And the air-conditioner was a cool relief from the heat outside, especially during the day!
The bathroom was large with soap provided, hot water & excellent water pressure.
Our room was on the 2nd level & had a small patio area with a table & chairs. We enjoyed hanging out here in the morning & evening, playing cards 🙂
Hotel Mono Azul also offers Standard Rooms & Family Rooms:
- Standard Room – a mix of single & double beds, with private bathroom & fan. Overlooks the pool & patio area
- Family Room – 2 double beds + a twin bed. Features air conditioning, cable TV & private bathroom
Hotel Mono Azul: 2 Swimming Pools
There is not 1 but 2 swimming pools to choose from at Hotel Mono Azul!
The most popular pool is located near the hotel entrance, in front of the standard rooms. The atmosphere & water in this pool is the perfect temperature as it’s warmed by the sun. There’s also a small waterfall to stand under if you want to feel even more refreshed!
Out of the water, you can relax poolside on one of the reclining sun lounges. If you prefer to stay in the shade, there’s a little gazebo hut with a table & chairs where you can also charge your electronics.
The other swimming pool is located in a more secluded section of the hotel. It’s surrounded by towering trees, flowers & plants, providing plenty of shade, so this pool is not only cooler but larger & deeper than the other one.
While you’re in the water, don’t forget to look up in the trees for toucans, macaws, monkeys & even sloths!
There are sun lounges to relax in & a large, undercover area with tables & chairs, foosball & a barbeque – it’s a fantastic entertaining area, especially if you’re in a group of family or friends.
Hotel Mono Azul: Rainforest Restaurant & Bar
The Rainforest Restaurant at Hotel Mono Azul is a relaxing place to enjoy a drink or a meal – by yourself, with a partner or family & friends. The rustic, wooden décor overlooks the leafy gardens at the front of the hotel.
The menu offers a large variety of American, Costa Rican & vegetarian food, including sandwiches, hamburgers, salads & burritos. Dinner entrees feature chicken, fish & pasta from $10.00-18.00.
There’s also a great bar with a large TV. It serves beer, mixed drinks & killer shots – don’t leave Costa Rica without trying their national drink, Guaro Sour (made from a clear liquid distilling from sugar cane juices)!
Most importantly, Happy Hour is between 5:00-7:00pm 🙂
Hotel Mono Azul Wildlife
While you may not find any Blue Monkeys at Hotel Mono Azul as its name might suggest, you will see plenty of other wildlife.
Titi Monkeys (aka Central American Squirrel Monkeys) visit every evening, crossing the power lines in front of the hotel – a couple of other lines were put up just for them, by the previous owners.
You’ll also find monkey playing on the roof near the waterfall pool, with toucans & macaws in the trees around the other pool. If you’re lucky, you’ll even spot a sloth on the grounds!
Paige & John are true animal lovers – Hotel Mono Azul acts as a drop-off centre for injured animals, which are then taken for rehabilitation to Kids Saving the Rainforest.
Other Features of Hotel Mono Azul
- WiFi – different networks throughout the property, it reaches most rooms but the best connection is around the restaurant/bar
- Billiards Room – with a full-sized pool table
- Tour Desk – the staff at reception can help recommend & book the best activities & services in Manuel Antonio
- Parking – available onsite
- Golf cart rental – $39 a day
- Conference space
Things to See & Do in Manuel Antonio
- Manuel Antonio National Park
- Manuel Antonio Beach
- Parasailing
- Zip line Canopy Tour
- White water rafting
Know Before You Go
Address: Quepos/Manuel Antonio Road, Costa Rica
Prices: Standard room $70.00, Standard Plus room $95.00
Contact Information:
- Phone: 506-2777-2572 (Costa Rica) / 720-446-0765 (USA)
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: Hotel Mono Azul
Check out the Tripadvisor reviews for Hotel Mono Azul here
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*** The Final Word – Hotel Mono Azul offers fun & friendly, value for money accommodation in Manuel Antonio! ***
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* We enjoyed a complimentary stay at Hotel Mono Azul – thank you to Paige for hosting us. We only recommend great value accommodation that we believe our readers would enjoy & as always, all opinions are our own
Visited in January 2017
Comments
How could you not love a hotel that focues on my favorite color — blue? I loved that even the toilet was blue! Looks like a great place to stay when traveling on a moderate budget — thanks for the information.
We were so close to booking a trip here this year – we have been dying to visit this area of CR and have heard it is gorgeous. Your hotel looks lovely!
What a lovely hotel. I love that there are two pools and 24/7 coffee. Sounds like my kind of hotel!
What is it about the name, “blue monkey”? I’ve seen a ton of restaurants and hotels with this name (in different languages). Is it something that is deep-seated in the human collective consciousness?
I’d love to spend some time in that second pool surrounded by the jungle, especially if I could spot some Toucans and monkeys in the trees!
I love all the color in the hotel. It looks like a fun place to stay while in Costa Rica. I love supporting local business by staying in their hotels. The wildlife would be amazing to see. I would love to see a sloth on the ground. that would make for an amazing experience. I also like how they have kept the lines up to keep the monkeys safe and off the roads.
This place looks great. I love that you had an ocean design on your shower curtain. This place def has some character