Reviews of Ocho Artisan Bungalows 5 stars

Beautiful property!!! Perfect little bungalows with a great restaurant and beach area!

Zero complaints

We stayed at the hotel for two weeks, longer then most I think. The bungalows are wonderful and the place with the restaurant / bar by the beach is so nice. It is hip, it is alive, it is cool, it is groovy. This is the obvious place to go if you want to take a sun-downer and realax with a good drink and some nice music. Every now and then the manager himself was standing in the DJ both. The staff is so friendly and professional and always have time for a chat and they can help you with anything. We had time to walk the whole beach a couple of times, checking in other places, and I dare say, this is the best place by far. At morning when you sit down by the beach to order your breakfast, the birds sing in the trees above you and later in the day when you lie on the beautiful sun beds you have a good chance to see the local crocodile (!!) come out from the creek to enjoy the sun. Just dont go to close, he is big. Food is good, dinks are good, music is good, staff is good. This is the place.

Hard to find anything negative. You have to be prepared for what it is. This is not a polished hotel with marble floors. This is bungalows (really beautiful) in a nature setting. This means you get monkeys at night playing on the roof, they can be loud. You get racoons running around, but they dont bother you. This is Costa Rica. Pura Vida!

The hotel is located right on the beach and surrounded by beautiful trees and flowers. Several bungalow-looking "rooms" are on the premises, with a small pool area and restaurant. The hotel also has soft beach sofas and chairs. The vibe is incredibly peaceful and zen. The grounds are full of lush greenery and beautiful Buddha statues, making it the perfect place for relaxation. The bungalows have a unique, bohemian style with natural materials. I loved the small, pool area and the feeling of being in a "jungle on the beach." It’s a truly tranquil and beautiful escape.

While the staff were very friendly, it was clear some significant issues were not a priority for management. We dealt with a leaking roof during heavy rains and persistent pest problems like ants and giant cockroaches. These issues were acknowledged with a smile but never resolved, perhaps as part of the "real Costa Rican experience."

Our stay at Ocho Artisan in Tamarindo was absolutely wonderful! The beachfront location is unbeatable, with a beach club that is hands-down the best in Tamarindo, and a beautiful pool to relax in. Our bungalow was surrounded by lush nature, with plants and playful monkeys right outside — truly magical. A heartfelt thank you to Priscilla and Zula for always being attentive to our needs, and to the entire team for their constant smiles and warm hospitality. We can’t wait to come back!

Clearly, being surrounded by nature, there were inevitably some mosquitoes bothering us at night.

Beautiful rooms. Amazing location. Everyone is super attentive. Great food. Great food and drinks. Pretty pool and deck. Loved our outdoor table and couches. We felt very welcome They went above and beyond to set a lovely table for our son’s birthday. Loved it!

Had a nice stay here in an ocean-view bungalow in the heart of Tamarindo Beach. Stayed 3 nights and really enjoyed the hospitality, amenities and wonderful beachfront location. The bungalows are artistically rendered, with A/C, very comfortable beds, and all the amenities one might need for a few nights. The location is close to everything and the beach club set-up is the best in the area with nice beach lounges and umbrellas. The wait staff were friendly and very accommodating for bar/food services on the beach. There is a nice peaceful dipping pool for guests that is practically on the beach and a bonus. There is even a resident crocodile (Coco) who visits the banks of the river outside that was fun to watch. They welcomed us with a drink upon arrival and helped us plan a fun boating activity.

The only negative here is the level of noise from the Ocho Beach Club, that went from noon to 9pm daily. The noise carried to our villa, and was difficult to escape. We ended up eating at other restaurants outside of the property that had a quieter atmosphere for dinners. Would advise to consider the atmosphere and level of noise you are looking for prior to booking here. Without the noise issue would rate it a 5 star.

Eclectic design, creative and fun. Think Boho chic. Room was quiet. Staff were great. Right on the beach.

The pool was nice.

The Ocho website depicts the hotel as being romantic, relaxing, and in nature but that is not the reality. We booked this for 4 nights and only stayed 1 night, just to get out of this environment and town. Upon arriving and drinking our welcome drink at the Ocho beach club, we were immediately approached by multiple beach vendors trying to sell us coke and weed, which was really off-putting and harassing. We had been on the property only 5 minutes and were already having to fend off sellers. We also later saw a guy overdosing on the sidewalk down the street. The entire town and the beach seems really sketchy. The hotel is right off the road so you can hear cars and traffic and bars all night, and there was continuous bass music in the background. The room itself smells like weed, the decor is weird, and cleanliness is questionable. There are no doors to the bathroom, just a sheer sheet curtain so you'll want to make sure you are extremely comfortable with the person you are staying with. The bathroom has open air screens, so the room does not stay well air conditioned. The three-sided bungalow windows look cool in photos, but in reality you will want to close the curtains so that people walking by don’t see inside, as it is very easy to see inside the bungalows and there are walkways around them. It is not private. The beach is only accessible through the beach club entry-way, as there is a stagnant body of water with a crocodile in it in front of the rest of the property. Overall, just a total disappointment and maybe I had too high of expectations, but the photos on the website make it look way nicer than it actually is. If you are looking for a rustic-vibe party place with easy access to drugs, this may be the place for you. If you are looking for peace, nature, privacy, or quiet, this will not be the place for you. And if you want a true representation of Costa Rica, go somewhere other than Tamarindo.

I like the fact that it was at the beach.

Very cool hippie/boho vibe at this boutique resort. Nice beach loungers and plenty of umbrellas. Beach front was awesome! Pool was very nice as well! Bungalows are tucked back in gorgeous greenery, quiet and private, even though the resort itself is just seconds from lots of shopping and restaurants. On site beach restaurant and beach bar with attentive servers. They even knew our names by the end of the first day! Gio was particularly awesome! Front desk personnel was very helpful in whatever we needed (Zulay and Priscilla).

Keep your bathroom door closed! Open air bathrooms are so cool, but LOTS of mosquitos! Housekeeping left our bathroom door open one day and we had to sleep with our heads under the covers to keep from being eaten alive.

All of the staff were amazing, property was beautiful, food sooooo delicious. Loved that breakfast was included with stay.

The beach was fine. The water definitely not the pretty blue that I had envisioned. Approached by way to many locals trying to sell stuff. There were a few things that contributed to me not giving an excellent rating for facilities but they really weren’t things that the staff would’ve been able to address during our stay.

Beautiful property

The beach vendors are relentless. And they allow them to come right up to the tables where you eat to disturb you over and over and over while you try to enjoy your meal

It was well located although the access road isn’t great, and it smelt terrible because there were massive garbage cans right by the entrance

We booked a Deluxe King Suite at Ocho, specifically for its advertised ocean view. To our surprise, upon arrival we were assigned Bungalow 7, which the front desk claimed was “the best bungalow.” Unfortunately, this couldn’t have been further from the truth. The room offered no ocean view—just stagnant water and a direct view of the hotel pool. To make matters worse, the entire suite was lined with glass doors and walls, offering zero privacy. Everyone in the pool area had a clear view into our room and even straight to the bed. We immediately raised our concerns and asked to be moved to a room that actually had a view and a bit more seclusion. But the head of reservations was conveniently “unavailable,” and no one else on staff could help. Management remained completely unresponsive and uninterested in resolving anything. On top of that, there were basic functionality issues in the room: no water pressure in the shower or taps, no hot water, and our AC stopped working halfway through the night. We brought this up to management too, but their attitude was dismissive and borderline indifferent—they offered no real solutions or support. To make things worse, we were told that dinner was served until 9 PM. However, when we showed up at 8:20, the restaurant was already shut down, the staff had vanished, and the only people on the property were two security guards. The entrance to the hotel itself is incredibly off-putting—it smells like a landfill, with a large garbage bin placed right by the walkway leading in. The location is undeniably beautiful, but the hotel is shockingly mismanaged. The only person who genuinely tried to help was Priscilla at the front desk, but she had no authority to do anything meaningful. Those with decision-making power were perpetually absent or “unreachable.” The booking process was a mess as well. The hotel required us to pay through PayPal, which they then mishandled by transferring the funds to the wrong account.

very artistic hotel at a nice location, on the beach, nice sunset

Amazing location with even better staff. Pictures do grounds, no justice. Its so beautiful here! We loved our stay and only wish we stayed longer.

Nothing

Great staff, beautiful location. Mauricio, Marco, Zulay, Pri and Lourdes are the best!

Nothing

Amazing staff! Food was great! Atmosphere very cool.

We had a fantastic stay! The villa was spacious and super comfy, with a big bathroom and a hot tub that was perfect for winding down. The bed was decent. The pool was a total highlight: clean, with cool water features, never too busy, and we always snagged a lounge chair (there aren’t tons, but enough to go around). Service was top-notch — the staff were all lovely, super friendly, and attentive. For a resort at this level, daily water delivery to the room would be a nice touch (even just in a glass jug!), but everything else was spot on. Breakfasts were great, and good restaurant food overall. Location-wise, it’s hard to beat: gorgeous beach, soft clean sand, fun waves for swimming, and great people-watching. Just a short stroll to Tamarindo town for restaurants, shops, and all kinds of activities. Loved being in the heart of the action while still feeling tucked away in a relaxing space!

We had a lovely stay at the resort overall - the property is well-maintained, the service was great, and the location is absolutely beautiful. One thing to note is that the main restaurant is situated on a public beachfront. From Thursday to Saturday, there's a DJ from Ocho playing high-volume electronic music from around noon to 9pm. It's a lively scene with lots of people eating, drinking, and dancing — definitely a fun vibe if you're traveling with friends or looking for a party atmosphere. However, if you're a couple seeking a more tranquil, serene getaway, the beach area can feel quite busy and noisy, especially with other loud music sources nearby. It's worth considering what kind of holiday experience you're after — this might be perfect for some, but a bit too noisy for others.

The staff was very pleasant and helpful. The location to the beach was good and the pool was nice.

Our stay at your resort had some high and low points. To begin, our rooms weren't quite ready when we arrived, but we understood since we were a bit early. We had lunch at the onsite restaurant, which was enjoyable, and we appreciated the arrival drink. However, we found it difficult to relax anywhere near the beach due to the constant stream of vendors trying to sell merchandise, massages, or braiding services. This was overwhelming and persisted throughout our stay. We stayed in bungalow #2, which, unfortunately, had some issues. There were noticeable openings and loose boards in the flooring and ceiling, and the bathroom lacked a proper door, using only a sheer curtain. Additionally, the screening in the bathroom let in hot, humid air, making the room consistently hot and unbearable during the afternoons. One day, I had a migraine and had to sit by the pool because it was cooler than the room, even though the sunlight wasn't ideal for a migraine. The constant traffic noise and techno bass at night also made it difficult to sleep, so earplugs are a must. Overall, we made the best of our stay and consider it an experience. However, we won't be returning. We're looking for a more relaxed environment these days, and a reliable air conditioning system is a must. This place might be suitable for younger guests who don't plan to spend much time in their rooms, especially during the day.