Mar de Luz street, Av. Pastor Diaz, Jaco, Costa Rica | (251) 219-4428
Within walking distance of Jaco’s restaurants, bars, and the beach
Two adult pools, a kids’ pool, and a whirlpool
Quaint rooms with kitchenettes and private balconies or terraces
Some rooms have two-burner hotplates
Breakfast included in room rates
Open-air common area with books, games, and exercise equipment
Playground with trampoline
Outdoor grills for guests' use
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Free self-parking
Decor a bit old-fashioned across the board
Not directly on the beach
No on-site restaurant for lunch or dinner
Hotel Mar de Luz is a two-and-a-half-pearl hotel located in the busy beach town of Jaco. This small hotel offers 30 clean, unfussy rooms, all of which have kitchenettes with microwaves and coffeemakers; a few have two-burner hot plates. Family-friendly is the ethos here -- there's a kids’ pool and a playground. The hotel also has two large pools for adults, and a relaxed common area. Decor is far from trendy, but with its natural woods and colors, it has tropical flair. Breakfast is included in the room rate, as is Wi-Fi, and the hotel’s central yet quiet location is tough to beat. Travelers might want to check out the nearby Aparthotel Vista Pacifico, which offers similarly affordable rates and low-key charm, but it doesn’t have Hotel Mar de Luz’s prime location.
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Scene
A family-oriented hotel that's easily one of the best deals in Jaco
While Hotel Mar de Luz doesn’t look particularly impressive from the outside, inside it’s a delightful two-story hotel with lush gardens centered on an attractive pool area. A sign at the entrance reading “We Don’t Allow Neither Prostitution Nor Drugs” can feel jarring, but it serves to emphasize the Dutch owners' intention to create and maintain a family-friendly environment. Mar de Luz’s location is central but well-removed from Jaco’s sometimes raucous nightlife scene, and its down-to-earth Triple Rooms, Villas, and Family Rooms are all great options for families. Eco-consciousness is a priority for the hotel as well, with solar roof panels fueling a large portion of its energy. Mar de Luz was designed to incorporate nature as much as possible, and its small grounds are defined by palm trees, flowering plants, and well-landscaped greenery. The decor can be a little drab, but everything is immaculately clean. There are usually at least a few guests lounging around the pools or reading room during the day, but the property has a relaxed, uncrowded vibe overall.
Location
Excellent location in the heart of Jaco, walking distance to dining, nightlife, and the beach
Hotel Mar de Luz sits on a quiet side street off Jaco’s main thoroughfare, Avenida Pastor Diaz. Supermarkets, bars, and restaurants ranging from local establishments to fast-food chains are less than a 10-minute walk along the main road -- the hotel is far enough away from the main drag that late-night noise isn’t a problem. Jaco Beach is about a five-minute walk away.Other nearby attractions include Hermosa Beach, which is less than a 20-minute drive from the hotel, and Carara National Park, which can be reached in a 30-minute drive. Manuel Antonia National Park and Juan Santamaria Airport are both less than 90 minutes away by car.
Rooms
Homey rooms include microwaves, coffeemakers, and fridges
The 30 rooms at Hotel Mar de Luz are cozy and practical, with solid wooden furniture that’s well-maintained but hardly fashionable. Patchwork or striped duvets have a grandmotherly look, while artwork ranges from colorful abstracts to depictions of windmills. The color palette is fairly dark in most rooms, with deep teal or orange walls combined with gold drapes and sitting areas with brown or gray-green sofas and armchairs. All rooms have flat-screen TVs and free Wi-Fi. Kitchenettes are also standard, with microwaves, coffeemakers, fridges, and cutlery, and dishes. Balconies or terraces are furnished with rocking chairs or small dining tables, and they overlook the hotel’s well-kept grounds. No-frills bathrooms offer pump bottles of shampoo, body wash, and hand soap. Hairdryers are included. The rooms we visited had wet-room showers with glass doors or simple shower curtains, but some bathrooms also have tubs. Family Rooms and Double Villas add larger kitchenettes with two-burner hotplates and a greater range of cookware. Double Villas are the most appealing, featuring river-stone detailed walls and split-level layouts. The hotel also has two-floor Apartments located in a separate building. Apartments feature living areas and kitchens on the first floor, along with two bedrooms and two bathrooms a flight up.
Features
Two outdoor pools plus a kids’ pool and a whirlpool, comfy reading lounge, and free breakfast
The features at Hotel Mar de Luz reinforce its cozy, family-friendly appeal. The star features are the two large rectangular pools, which are found side-by-side on a concrete deck with soft loungers and beach umbrellas. A shallower kids’ pool sits between the two main pools, and there’s also a round whirlpool.The open-air reading lounge is reminiscent of a basement rec room, with overstuffed sofas and stone-wall detailing. The lounge includes a flat-screen TV, as well as two long shelves of magazines and books in several languages. There’s also a foosball table and some cardio machines. Breakfast is included in the rates, and is served in a modest restaurant, which is opened to the pool area on one side. Two-person booth-style chairs are arranged around tables with red tablecloths. A cute playground set within the gardens includes a trampoline, a slide, and swings, among other equipment. A couple of grills available for guests' use are found adjacent to the playground. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout, and free parking is offered in a tiny lot in front of the property.
