Marbella Eco Lodge

When we booked this hotel, I read the reviews and most said it was a very nice place and friendly staff. We had to take a 2 hour ride, which was as expected. But when we got there it was very run down and the room was so tiny and very old. But we decided to give it a try. The pool was awful, not cleaned for a very long time. Weeds everywhere. The toilet did not work and could not find staff. Because of the shared ride, we had no place to go. One of the worst places I've ever gone to.

An absolute highlight of our trip, I could not recommend Marabella eco lodge more. The staff were helpful and friendly, the food was incredible, and the beach was right at the door step. We loved meeting Marta Elena, the cat, and Ginger, the dog, apparently there was another cat we weren’t lucky enough to meet. Only a short walk down the beach brings you to Cecon, a nature reserve where you can see iguanas, turtles, and crocodiles where they are looked after by some amazing volunteers before being released back to the wild! A little further down the beach and you reach a shopping ***** where we had cheap and delicious food. The black sands were everything I hoped to see, a little rough for me to go past my knees but that was fine as the pool was perfect to have a splash. There was nothing I could fault. I’m already dreaming of our return one day.

This is a property located in a beautiful spot, the beach is amazing , however the magic ends there. We booked 3 double rooms for us and extended family, we wanted to go to a quiet spot to relax and chill. From the beginning the owner approached us by whatspp to make clear the hotel policies about not getting any food or beverages into the property, a fair warning, it was nothing out of the ordinary until his wife called us also to warn about the same thing and before entering the property the person in charge also warned us about it AGAIN with a much more menacing tone, it became annoying at that point, specially when we didn’t have any food or beverages with us… as soon as we entered the room she began to explain that you cannot leave the air conditioner on while you are not in the room or they will (kindly) turn it off for you, so if you want to go back to a nice cool room after spending the whole day in the scorching heat this place is not for you. This hotel does have WiFI but they won’t give you the password, apparently it is just for staff and people they like, but not for you. The vibe of the people in charge is that of a cell keeper, their attitude far from welcoming and they make you feel like an intruder inside of “their” property, like you are not paying for it. It is not necessary to explain by that time we really wanted to run away from the place and would have done that if not for the $750 we paid for the two nights….big mistake. The food is sub-standard and overpriced, I highly suggest eat somewhere else in town, the paella we had was salty and had pork in it(which paella usually doesn’t have) and one person in our party was alergic to pork, would be nice to know in advance, the price of the paella per person was roughly $20 per person, beverages not included , not worthy at all. The service at the restaurant was awful, the servers didn’t write down our order and messed it up, bringing some extra items we didn’t order and forgetting others. Be aware to bring your own beach towels, you can’t use the towels they have in the bathrooms on the beach, they will rent you towels to go to the beach for about $2.00 per day, this is was also not advertised in their site. We ended up buying new ones for $2.00 at the near by town. Long story short, this is a tourist trap, overpriced, under serviced, an awful experience overall. We learned that many places near by are very similar at less than half of the price of this place and with a much more welcoming atmosphere, I wouldn’t recommend anyone to book this place unless you like to be mistreated, lectured and taken advantage of. Awful experience.

The staff and manager at Marbella are so friendly and helpful. There was never a request that was denied. The room is small, but comfortable with the air conditioning working perfectly. The view of the ocean and sound of the waves outside the window are amazing. The beach is very clean and although public it only had hotel guests in the area in front of the hotel during our stay. The hotel is aging so do not expect everything to be shiny new, but everything is in working order and could not be more relaxing. The food is very good. It is more expensive than typical for restaurants in the area, but it must be staffed and is serving a small hotel population so is understandable. Overall a wonderful place for a short holiday. We will return here when we visit Monterrico again.

Beautiful properties. Too many rules and extra charges for basic needs

If what you are looking for is a place where right from the moment you put a foot in the door you are treated like family, Marbella Eco Lodge is your place. This place is managed by a couple; he, Cecilio, designed and built the place (con la ayuda de los albañiles chapines que le trajeron más canas a Cecilio) and she, Cecilia, who runs this place (with some help of Cecilio :) with her heart; again, like if we, guests, were her family. Cecilia's love for cooking and perfection goes beyond anything I have seen. Cecilia no relaja sus standares ni para las papas fritas. Do not dare to leave this place without trying Cecilia's antipasto or the combination of tortilla española (which takes an hour to cook) with a side of antipasto. I found that the entire place is designed with this family feeling in sight. There are so many details, the sitting area on top of the bar (where Cecilio retires some evenings to work on his paintings, the fruit trees planted for self-sustainability, Cecilio's turtles (ask him), Cecilio's novels and poetry. But... what will make us come back to this place and stay for as long as vacations allow, is Cecilio's and Cecilia's humanity; no doubts, well, that and the best Internet in Guatemala (for real). I miss those late nights discussing literature, family or world politics with Cecilio (En, Sp, Ge) and Cecilia (En, Es). Also, big thanks to the staff, handpicked with the help of Marisol, Cecilia's right hand, and to Ginger and Gato for their company

The owners were amazing and always willing to serve us in any possible way. The closeness to the Pacific Ocean and the sound of the waves crashing at the beach created a wonderful and unforgettable experience for us. ❤️

Close to beach. Great food. GPS takes you to another hotel.

Oceanfront location was the best part of our stay. Wi-Fi was okay. No hot water in shower. Nice family restaurant.