Parador Resort and Spa in Costa Rica Review (2024)
If you’re thinking of heading to Parador Nature Resort & Spa in Costa Rica, you’re in the right place.
Parador is located in the Manuel Antonio region, so it’s perfect if this is a part of Costa Rica you want to see. We spent 3 nights here during our 10 day Costa Rica itinerary.
If you’ve seen photos and read tips on Parador, you already know that it’s a high-end resort where the guests are pampered. But it is worth it?
Overall – we would say yes. We enjoyed our time at Parador. The food was great, we loved the views. The staff was very friendly, and we enjoyed many of the amenities on site which we’ll get into specifics of below.
Normally, we are not big resort people, and we mainly came to Parador becsue of the pools. (We had our 9 year old and 8-month old baby when we went to Parador.) Based on that experience though, we can give you an in depth review of everything at Parador, including:
- the pools, the food, amenities, location, spa, and other things that we tried there
We’re going to go through all of the services and amenities below and give you our honest impression of each. Hopefully, this gives you a realistic picture of what your stay at Parador will look like.
Parador Nature Resort and Spa with a Baby: A Review
Below is our honest take on each of the below amenities offered at Parador, and how they fit with staying there with a baby or young child.
The Location of Parador Nature Resort
Parador resort is surrounded by acres of jungle, so even though you’re not far from the busy town of Quepos, it feels like you’re away from everything, surrounded by nature.
If you want to stay in a luxury resort and be near Manuel Antonio National Park, then Parador is a good, reliable place to stay.
Its large and well-known in the area, so any outside provider you’re booking tours with that offers a shuttle service will be able to pick you up at Parador.
Beaches near Parador
The beach closest to Parador has very strong waves, which is great for surfing. However, if you have young kids with you it might not be suitable for very small children, (there are a few other family beaches in the area.)
Here are some beaches near Parador and the approximate driving distance from Parador:
- Manuel Antonio National Park (12 min drive from Parador)
- Playa Espadilla (10 min drive from Parador)
Parador’s Check-in and out Process
When we arrived at Parador, we were greeted with a fruit drink (non-alcoholic) and a warm hand wipe while we waited to check-in.
We found the check-in process a bit slow, so it was nice to have the drink.
There’s a lot to look at in the lobby area; our older child was looking at the knight statues while I pushed the stroller and my husband stood in line. We probably waited about 15 minutes to finally be able to check in, but it was our turn, and it didn’t take too long to get everything sorted.
Once we were ready to head to our rooms, there was someone to help with our bags and escort us to our rooms.
They drive a small vehicle so you can load all your luggage and they drive it while you walk, which is pretty convenient. He was able to take us as far as the escalator.
The Food at Parador
All our meals at Parador Nature Resort were delicious; the food was one of our favourite things about our stay. What really impressed me was that they had a separate plant-based menu for lunches and dinners!
They also have vegetarian and gluten-free options. For drinks, they offer lots of traditional Costa Rican beers, wines and cocktails.
La Gallería is their main dining area; its where you’ll eat breakfasts and lunches. They serve dinner as well, and there are also two other restaurants that serve dinner.
La Gallería has a beautiful ambiance, often live music in the evenings, and it overlooks the ocean.
Breakfast in La Gallería was a buffet. They served beans, egg, rice, lots of different kinds of fresh local fruits, waffles, bread, croissants and muffins, and a design-your-own omelette station.
Drinks are brought to your table by a server, such as Costa Rican coffee and freshly squeezed fruit juice.
The Rooms at Parador
I requested an ocean-view room but was a bit disappointed when our view was more jungle than the ocean. Having said that, we ended up enjoying the jungle view. It was on the side of the building that doesn’t get direct sun, so we were shaded in the early evenings. We saw a toucan and many other birds from our room at Parador.
The curtains were perfect for blacking out any light. (This was helpful to not wake up too early every morning)
The beds were comfy, and the whole room was very clean, it had a very luxurious feel to them. The AC worked well as well.
The complimentary bath products were Ocean brand; usually, I don’t enjoy free hotel products, but these smelled nice and worked great on my hair.
Our room was on the 3rd floor, which means that we often had to climb a few flights of stairs.
There is also a gondola that takes you down to the main floor, but it’s a bit slow, so we usually opted to just walk.
The Monkey Trail at Parador
There is a trail through the rainforest surrounding Parador for their guests that they call The Monkey Trail. We didn’t see any monkeys, but we may have been unlucky; I know other people talked about seeing them.
Regardless of whether you see monkeys or not, its a nice nature trail. (We’d recommend a baby carrier, not a stroller.) Parador is built on 12 acres of rainforest, so the trail and jungle surrounding are very natural, with lots of wildlife living in it.
Along the trail, we saw birds and also stopped at a place with a bench with a beautiful view of the ocean.
Tip: Don’t forget some sort of bug repellant for the monkey trail. We use these stickers, as they’re safer for baby’s skin. Read my post on bugs in Costa Rica
We did get lucky at the pool area once when we were at Parador – we saw a baby sloth!
The Pools at Parador
The pool was a big part of what drew me to Parador resort – especially the infinity pool. Who could say no to a pool overlooking the ocean?
I can say, it looks just as beautiful in person as in photos you see online. We enjoyed morning and evening swims.
There are three ocean-view infinity pools; two of which are adult-only. However, the one open to children is also their nicest one, and the one featured in most of their ads.
Our 9-year-old loved the pool most of all, and it made Parador her favourite place of all the places we stayed at in Costa Rica.
We’re pretty sure our baby enjoyed it too. The main pool is shallow at the beginning but gets fairly deep.
Pro Tip: At the pool, you can order a drink or ice cream anywhere and it will be brought right to your lawn chair and the tab put on your room # to be paid at check-out.
The Fitness Centre at Parador
I didn’t use the fitness centre at Parador (kudos to those who do while on vacation, especially with kids!)
However, it looks very spacious with tinted windows. So from the outside, you can’t see much detail, but from the inside you have a beautiful garden view while working out.
The fitness centre at Parador has treadmills, and strengthening exercise machines.
The Spa at Parador
My husband treated me to a massage in Parador’s spa, called Pacifica Spa. It was a great experience! I was greeted with a glass of fresh orange juice when I arrived and brought to the massage room.
After the massage, (which was perfect, very relaxing) I was brought to the water therapies room to use the hot tub and the pool.
It was nice to relax there for a little while, and have some quiet time. I went on my own, but it would also be a fun thing to do as a couple. Overal, I highly recommend trying the spa while you’re staying at Parador.
The Parador Staff, Service and Communication
All staff members at Parador were friendly, and helpful and spoke excellent English. (I wanted to use my Spanish at times too, and they were supportive of that as well.)
Prior to your visit, you can message them on their website with questions.
During your visit, you can message Parador staff on WhatsApp with any questions, or to make bookings for things.
Who is Parador Resort & Spa Best For?
Overall, we found Parador to be best for couples travelling on their own, as that represented the majoriety of the visitors while we were there.
Most of the clientele at Parador seemed to be seniors, however we did see other families with babies, toddlers and school-age kids.
We didn’t feel like the resort was specifically targeting families with young children, but Parador offers several amenities that children and families would enjoy, such as the pools, playroom, high chairs, fold up crips which you can rent (we brought our own).
So, if you’re in Costa Rica with kids and want to stay at Parador – I say go for it. There’s babysitting, a children’s play room, and excellent pools.
Ready to book Parador? You can book your stay at Parador here on Booking.com
Otherwise, if you want to read more about staying at Parador with kids, then continue below as I highlight the services offered at Parador to families with kids, and if its worth staying there with kids.
Staying at Parador Resort with Kids
Here are our reviews on the family amenities offered at Parador
The Children’s Playroom at Parador
I took our 9-year-old to Parador’s children’s playroom while our baby was napping.
At 9, she was above the age that the playground is targeted at, so we weren’t in there for very long. Our baby would have been a bit too young to enjoy most of it.
However, Parador’s playroom is perfect for toddlers and young kids under 5. It has a little trampoline, toddler-size slide, carpet with toys, rocking horse, and a little swing.
Its a nice break from the heat outside, in a different setting than your room.
The Babysitting Service at Parador
The cost for babysitting service at Parador is $20/hour per child. So this meant for two children, we paid $40 USD/hour.
This can get expensive depending on how many children you have and how many hours you need it for, but we felt that it would be worth it to have a nice relaxing meal out in the restaurant.
When we got back from dinner, our daughter was on the patio with Maria, (the Parador staff member and babysitter.) Maria had taught her how to say her name in Spanish and told her some things about Costa Rica.
Miss V was talking about it for the rest of our trip, teaching us a lot of the tidbits and facts about Costa Rica that she learned, such as that the kids wear uniforms to school.
We were glad that we used the service, not just for the night out, but for the cultural exchange for our older daughter!
The relaxing meal in the restaurant is worth paying for the babysitting. It’s a very nice restaurant, and I’m glad we had the opportunity to enjoy it child-free.
The babysitting service was charged to our tab that we paid when we checked out.
Availability of children and baby items at Parador
Onsite at Parador Resort, there are gift shops and even another shop that sells some necessities, like swim diapers, goggles, and pool toys. We didn’t find that it had everything needed for being there with a baby or toddler, however.
There was a small convenience store just down the hill right by the entrance to the small road that leads into the resort area. We were able to purchase diapers and other supplies there.
We stayed on the 3rd floor and we hardly used our stroller at all, because of the only options were to carry it down several flights of stairs, or take it in the funicular.
The stroller fits in the funicular, but we didn’t end up wanting to use it. If you’re heading to Parador with a baby, we would strongly recommend bringing a baby carrier.
If you decide for whatever reason that Parador isn’t the best hotel for you, we have recommendations on other family-friendly hotels in Costa Rica.
Good to Know: The restaurants at Parador Hotel have high chairs, and you can also rent a portable crib if you stay at Parador with a baby (although, we chose to bring our own.)
Final Thoughts onnParador Resort and Spa
Hotel Parador was the only resort we splurged on in Costa Rica, and we were glad we did.
Manuel Antonio is a great region to visit in Costa Rica because of the access to beach as well as the rainforest. If you want more rainforest, consider heading to La Fortuna in the Central Valley.
Overall, we would recommend Parador to anyone for a relaxing time on your trip to Costa Rica. Click here to see all of our Costa Rica travel guides for more Costa Rica tips.