About Us

Location

Moana Lodge is a small personal orientated hotel set amid the unspoiled jungle of the tranquil region of Mal País on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.
Being located in Mal País, Moana is set away from the hustle and bustle and the dusty roads of Santa Teresa which many guests have come to discover is a blessing.
The area of Mal País has some of Costa Rica’s most beautiful white sanded beaches, along with incredible surf breaks and jungles teaming with wildlife. By coming to Mal País you’ll discover the true meaning of paradise.
As for the word Moana, it’s taken from the Polynesian word for ocean, making it a very apt name as the hotel is located a mere 200 meters from the sea.

The Hotel's History and Staff

Moana was taken over in 2006 by present owners Aidan and Vicky. Aidan, hails from Ireland while wife Vicky, is a Costa Rican native. The two met when Aidan was working in Cuba and Central America as a photographer (Aidan did all the photography for the website). Charmed by Vicky and by this magnificent part of the world, the return ticket to Ireland was torn up thus providing the hotel with a wonderful and youthful management team. Both Aidan and Vicky have a history in the hospitality trade so running the hotel wasn't that big of a change to either of them.
People often ask why the African inspiration. The answer is that the previous owner had African roots hence the theme.
We liked the idea and the style of the hotel and instead of changing it, we felt, well, let's enhance it and take it a step further, as the theme sits perfectly in Mal País's tropical backdrop. But we were very conscious to not over do the African theme as we didn't want the hotel to end up looking tacky or contrived. So in terms of style we kept things simple and searched the globe for authentic African art. The hotels art pieces range from Ghana, Cameroon, and The Congo. Items have been sourced from Swaziland to Camden Town Market in London, along with Nigeria, Ireland, The United States and Costa Rica in between.

Additions and Remodeling

Moana completed its second construction project two years ago. The hotel was closed to the public from May 08 to February 09, allowing us to release the full potential of the property and its wonderfull views. During the time we added on the Suite and two Junior Suites, and our new ocean view breakfast and bar area, which is open to all of our guests to enjoy.
We also added a new chill out TV lounge and a large reception with improved office services and free access to the internet.
The hotel was first closed for remodeling in 2006 for six months. This was shortly after it was taken over as it was in dire need of an extensive overhaul.
Our aim was to correct the problems of old and set about introducing more luxury and elegance to the rooms. So out went the bad and in came the good. As for the furniture, pretty much everything had to be replaced or added, lights, beds, linens, wardrobes, curtains, everything! We paid great attention to the small details of the rooms to ensure better functionality for our end product. The remodeling didn't just stop with the rooms, we also added a Jacuzzi, new pathways, a new car park, and the Barbeque area. In the end it turned out to be a huge undertaking, but it made all the difference. Ever since then we've continued to add and improve the hotel to meet and exceed current standards.
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Our Aim

With luxurious rooms and beautiful location we want Moana to be a homely and welcoming place for our guests to enjoy. We're often labeled as being a Boutique Hotel or a three or four Star Hotel but we don't consider that we fall into a certain category.
We definitely don’t want people being put off by thinking the hotel is pretentious or overly sophisticated because of a label.
The best way to describe our type of hotel would be to say that we're a friendly and professional Bed and Breakfast and we bring with that a modern and stylish approach to our rooms and amenities. For us it’s all about meeting people and understanding that the small touches is what makes a place special.
We hope you get to enjoy this wonderful part of the world as much as we do.

"Pura Vida"

- The Staff of Moana