The Grateful Hotel

3.0 star property

Photo gallery for The Grateful Hotel

Outdoor pool, open 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM, pool loungers
Standard Single Room
Restaurant
Dining
Garden

Reviews

9.2 out of 10
Wonderful

Popular amenities

  • Breakfast included
  • Parking included
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Restaurant
  • Air-conditioning

Explore the area

View map
Palm Beach Estates, Cabo Velas, Guanacaste, 50309
  • Place, Grande Beach
    ‪8 min walk‬
  • Place, Hacienda Pinilla Golf Course
  • Place, Tamarindo Beach
  • Airport, Tamarindo (TNO)

Room options

Standard Single Room

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(6 reviews)
  • Garden view
  • 19 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Similar properties

About the area

Playa Grande

With a stay at The Grateful Hotel in Cabo Velas, you'll be 1.6 mi (2.6 km) from Las Baulas National Marine Park and 8.4 mi (13.6 km) from Conchal Beach. .This hotel is 10.4 mi (16.8 km) from Playa Brasilito and 10.4 mi (16.8 km) from Reserva Conchal Golf Course.

What's nearby

  • Grande Beach - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
  • Las Baulas National Marine Park - 5 min drive - 2.5 km
  • Ventanas Beach - 10 min drive - 5.2 km

Getting around

  • Tamarindo (TNO) - 37 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Restaurante Brisa Mar - ‬30 min drive
  • ‪Rural - ‬26 min drive
  • ‪Medusa Bar - ‬31 min drive
  • ‪Nari - ‬30 min drive
  • ‪Tamaonda - ‬30 min drive

About this property

The Grateful Hotel

Hotel with free parking, near Las Baulas National Marine Park
The Grateful Hotel offers 10 air-conditioned accommodations with safes and complimentary bottled water. 40-inch LED televisions come with cable channels. Bathrooms include showers and complimentary toiletries.

This Cabo Velas hotel provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Business-friendly amenities include phones; local, long-distance, and international calls are all complimentary (restrictions may apply). Additionally, rooms include coffee/tea makers and irons/ironing boards. In-room massages and change of towels can be requested. Housekeeping is provided daily.

Recreational amenities at the hotel include an outdoor pool.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.

Make yourself at home in one of the 10 air-conditioned rooms featuring LED televisions. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms have showers and complimentary toiletries. Conveniences include safes and coffee/tea makers, as well as phones with free international calls.
Take advantage of recreation opportunities such as an outdoor pool, or other amenities including complimentary wireless internet access and concierge services. This hotel also features gift shops/newsstands, wedding services, and a television in a common area.
At The Grateful Hotel , enjoy a satisfying meal at the restaurant. Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at the bar/lounge. A complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast is served daily from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM.
Featured amenities include a computer station, a 24-hour front desk, and multilingual staff. Free self parking is available onsite.
A complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast is served each morning between 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM.
The Grateful Hotel has a restaurant on site.

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Free uncovered self parking on site
  • Limited on-site self parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking and van parking available

Food and drink

  • Free cooked-to-order breakfast available daily 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM
  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant
  • Coffee and tea in common areas
  • Couples/private dining
  • Private picnics

Things to do

  • Boat
  • Boat tours
  • Bodyboard
  • Canoeing
  • Ecotours
  • Fishing
  • Hiking/biking trails
  • Horseback riding/rentals
  • Outdoor pool
  • Sailing
  • Scuba diving
  • Snorkelling
  • Surf lessons
  • TV in common areas
  • Ziplining

Family friendly

  • Outdoor pool

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Gift shop/newsstand
  • Guidebooks
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk
  • Vending machine
  • Water dispenser

Guest services

  • Change of towels on request
  • Concierge services
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Multilingual staff
  • Porter/bellhop
  • Proposal/romance packages
  • Tour and ticket assistance
  • Wedding services

Business services

  • Computer station

Outdoors

  • Pool loungers

Spa

  • In-room massages

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • No lift
  • Valet for wheelchair-equipped vehicles
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible concierge desk
  • Wheelchair-accessible lounge
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible pool
  • Wheelchair-accessible public bathroom
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant
  • Wheelchair-accessible van parking

More

  • Designated smoking areas

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Blackout drapes

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Private bathroom
  • Shower
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • 40-inch LED TV with cable channels

Food and drink

  • Champagne service
  • Chef service
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Free bottled water
  • Restaurant dining guides

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Free international calls
  • Free local calls
  • Free long-distance calls
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Phone
  • Safe

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 7:00 AM; Check-in end time: 11:30 PM
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
If you are planning to arrive after 11:30 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Renovations and closures

This property is closed from August 16 2025 to June 30 2027 (dates subject to change).

Access methods

Staffed front desk, key retrieval

Pets

Pets not allowed (service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees)

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Payment types

Important information

Fees

You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property. Fees may include applicable taxes:

  • Deposit: USD 5 per accommodation, per stay

We have included all charges provided to us by the property.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and cash
Noise-free guestrooms cannot be guaranteed

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
Pool access available from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Property is also known as

The Grateful
The Grateful Hotel
The Grateful Hotel Hotel
The Grateful (Dead Themed)
The Grateful Hotel Cabo Velas
The Grateful (former Bula Bula)
The Grateful Hotel Hotel Cabo Velas

The Grateful Hotel Reviews

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 38 out of 50 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 6 out of 50 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 50 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 50 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 50 reviews

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

8.2/10

Amenities

9.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

4/10 Poor

Paul, Murrells Inlet

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Staff & service
Travelers beware! Don’t be fooled by the location! We were looking for a last minute stay near downtown Tamarindo. This hotel on Expedia is located .89 miles from Tamarindo Beach. HOWEVER, it is NOT even close. After we booked and plugged in the hotel into Waze, it was a 40 minute drive because there is a body of water separating the hotel from Tamarindo. Unless you plan to swim to downtown, it is misleading!!!!!! We were really looking forward to staying at this property, I’m sure it’s lovely but after driving for hours from the San Jose area at night there was no way we were driving another 40 unanticipated minutes. I cancelled FIVE mi after reserving and Expedia said they “tried” to contact the hotel numerous times but wasn’t able to get my money back. MONEY GRAB - also beware!!!
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Keven

Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Perfect Ending to our trip!

We initially booked the Grateful Hotel for one night but ended up extending our stay to two nights because we loved it so much! The staff was incredibly welcoming and went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed—they were genuinely some of the most helpful people we’ve encountered. The atmosphere was fantastic, with fun and friendly people, great food and drinks, and an overall lively vibe, especially at the pool and bar. The location is also a major plus—just a short walk to a beautiful beach and a few quaint spots to grab a bite to eat. While the hotel isn’t fancy, it was clean and absolutely perfect for what we were looking for. If you’re after a laid-back, fun, and welcoming place to stay, the Grateful Hotel is a great choice. Highly recommended!
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

6/10 Okay

Maria

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great place to enjoy peaceful days, music at night and the playa grande beach is waling distance. Clayton was awesome!
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

CRAIG

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Grateful Hotel - a deadhead experience.

Amazing boutique hotel with a bar & grill. Live music. Phil the owner and his wife are lovely people.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Cher

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Robert

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The music
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

ara

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Good Vibes, mudslides & palm beach

Great stay! Amazing people &Vibe. Food,drink's, and service are amazing too!!! Go you will be stoked.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2024

2/10 Terrible

Jasvinder

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Terrible location and bad roads leading to property. The road for last 1 mile has so many pot holes. Location is on a very bad side. Its about 1.4 mile from main area that is happening but that drive is a 45 min by car. Beach is about 10 min walk and on back of hotel there is tiny water area that offers water taxi. Rooms are ok at best. One person in staff was nice. I requested a refund for 2nd night and was told will be ok. I checked out and even though I was told would be ok by request was later denied. There is no front desk or staff on site at this tiny so called hotel. They outsourced to a German lady Sarah who does not pick up whats app calls. Expedia tried so many times to call her. She communicates via messages with hotel bar staff and said ok for me to leave. Dont book and pick rather other side of beach with much better hotels.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

tova

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Fun place, stayed during the off season so was quiet. Good food and bar. Great pool. Close walk to the beach.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Johnnie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Nikki

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

I’d stay here again😍

Such a cool, easy going vibe! Food here is amazing
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Atmosphere and food are excellent. Location is close to nice beach and you can take a water taxi to Tamarindo. The rooms are ok but the mattresses definitely need replacing as well as the fridge.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Timothy, Bend

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Unique setting and location. A nice change of pace from the resort community. Thank you.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

6/10 Okay

Kevin

Travelled with group
The showers in the rooms are in bad condition, spray all over or very clogged and no pressure. They need to changed out.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

2/10 Terrible

Dahlia

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

8/10 Good

Shane Marcell

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The room was clean with everything in working order. Staff was top notch, friendly and accommodating. The only thing that i would say i didnt care for would be the owner, Phil lingering around every evening. He was none of the forementioned.
Stayed 6 nights in Jan 2024

8/10 Good

chunling

Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service, amenities
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
The service was great. Staff was very friendly and helpful. the condition of the room was old. it;s located in a very good location and very close to water.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Cheryl

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

A Trippin’ Gem

If you’re into live music, especially the Grateful Dead this is a hotel for you. If you’re not it’s still a wonderful place to enjoy the beauty of Playa Grande. It sits right on the estuary and there’s tons of wildlife and a short walk to the beach. The hotel rooms are clean and comfortable. The pool is fun. In the evenings it can get lively, but as an early bird I had no trouble sleeping. The owner and staff are friendly and helpful. I would come back in a minute.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Hollis

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We stayed here 3 nights & really enjoyed it. The rooms are basic but nice & clean. Staff is great, the food is amazing, & nice to have live music at night. We saw tons of wildlife in the area including a Python snake, an armadillo, & a baby turtle on the beach. Playa Grande beach is under 10 min walking distance & one of the nicest beaches I've had the pleasure to enjoy. We would absolutely recommend the Grateful Hotel & area to all visiting Costa Rica.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Patsy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Milagros Giannina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
They are very nice People kind and Sweet lovely good experience and happy
Stayed 7 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kirk

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff is fantastic! Great music playing, creating good vibes. Genuine, friendly people working here, great food and drinks, minutes from the beach.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Lloyd

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Rioms were clean and comfortable but the staff was exceptional! We will definitely be back.
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Edward

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

David

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Unique and location
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023