Modern hotel designed for eco-conscious travelers, located in a private setting minutes from Tamarindo beach. Offers yoga classes, swimming pool, and an onsite restaurant, Off The Grid, that serves plant-based cuisine. IG @Meveganhotel. Open Mon-Sun 8:00am-10:00pm.
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100 meters west AYA, Tamarindo, Costa Rica
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- Outdoor seating
- Reservations required
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
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Last update on 16 Mar 2021 by MotherEarthVeganHotel
Update business info -
Added by MotherEarthVeganHotel on 10 Mar 2021
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15 Reviews
First Review by kiiabby
JenniferJinnette
Points +74
EXTREMELY overpriced and weird vibes - Edit
EXTREMELY overpriced and weird vibes at the restaurant. We visited the food truck yesterday and the restaurant/hotel today. I got the beyond sausage at the food truck and honestly the toppings were too much and not cohesive. It was also too much bread for the sausage but it was fine and I was so happy to have an all vegan truck. My daughter’s burger was good. I didn’t pay attention to prices.
Read moreWe met the owner who encouraged us to come to her restaurant/hotel and it seemed like it was going to be a vibe. We made a reservation and we were the ONLY PEOPLE THERE for most of the time. It was awkward. The food was absurdly overpriced. I will pay good money for food but this was crazy. My veggie pizza was already $24 USD and to get beyond meatballs on top it would have been $10. Crazy. My daughter’s $28 pesto pasta was just ok. The sloppy Joe burger was good but $24 is still crazy.
The staff was nice but after seeing the other bad reviews on here I wish I hadn’t gone. I feel like I wasted a night in Tamarindo on overpriced food and a lackluster ambiance. I would go to the food truck again and try something different but not the restaurant. But the staff was very nice.
Pros: Lots of vegan options , Beautiful property
Cons: SOOOO expensive , Weird ambiance
Guest
NoelyBarbozaSandova
Points +77
Lots of options, not cheap - Edit
Read moreWe went to dinner as a family.
Place: Very nice, with several food options. Price: Not very cheap.
Service: Quite bad. We had to wait almost 50 minutes for the food to arrive, and it didn't all come together. The waiters came several times to confirm the orders.
Payment: They didn't have change for dollars and they didn't accept American Express either.
Food: The preparations are basic, nothing extraordinary.
Overall: Not a place I would recommend
Pros: El lugar
Cons: Not ready to receive bunch of people, Make sure to your cc, Greasy food
Guest
clemenscan
Points +197
Great food with Big Manu - Edit
Fun menu with a good selection. Sit inside or by the pool for table service. Delicious mocktails and big cocktail menu.
Read morePros: Selection , Taste, Atmosphere
Guest
CareyYarussSanders
Points +18
Traveler BEWARE - Edit
Just FYI, travelers beware. Please feel free to contact me for more details on this totally insane experience. There’s a lot more.
Read moreThis is regarding our visit to Mother Earth Vegan Hotel in Costa Rica.
This is a very bizarre review to have to write purely because of the alternate-reality-movie-like situation we apparently walked into.
My hubs and I chose Mother Earth Vegan Hotel to celebrate our 10th anniversary at. Our first vacation since our honeymoon, and one that we planned for many months and anticipated with great excitement. We had found the hotel through VegNews, and despite the caution from our travel agent, who had heard very mixed things, and tried and failed on multiple occasions to speak with the owner, we went ahead and booked it. As a vegan couple, we were drawn in by the beautiful photos and the fact that we knew we’d be able to have vegan food easily.
The owner, Karen, communicated with us via email before our arrival on multiple occasions, promising things like a private tour upon our arrival as well as a sit-down meeting with the executive chef to discuss how they could make our anniversary dinner special. She told us they’d curate a custom meal for us, flowers, a private dining area, a playlist, even specially chosen mocktails and balloons.
None of that ever happened, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The morning after our arrival, after we’d of course already unpacked and settled in, we went to take showers only to realize that there was no hot water and only a tiny trickle. I had to use a washcloth to wash my body. Karen, who had told us we could sent a WhatsApp text 24/7 ignored messages for the next 12 hours about it. That night finally said she had never seen the messages, and eventually switched us to another room. Fun times, having to completely repack and move on the 2nd night. Ok, maybe just one little glitch right? Sadly, no.
We met Johnny, the sweet and attentive bartender, Tara, the incredibly kind and talented chef, and Ashley, Karen’s brand new assistant. All 3 of them were top notch people, professional, talented, and giving us the pampered experience we had hoped for. I would cringe any time Karen would approach. She talked at us for an hour over dinner one night, telling us her stories - which all seemed rather outlandish and hard to believe. Her frenetic energy was far from the relaxation we were looking for. She made it clear that she was a LOT more interested in trying to convince us of how amazing she is than asking us anything about ourselves. A true narcissist.
The next night, our anniversary, she insisted on taking over the kitchen and serving us pizza, pasta, and bread. Not at all the produce-centered vegan food we wanted to celebrate our special day with, and nothing at all like the gorgeously presented, clean, healthy, colorful food that Tara makes. Why in the world we were given no choice was beyond me. She actually did bring a menu over when we said we really didn’t want such a carb-centric meal, but went on to say that most of it isn’t available in the off season- something she definitely did not tell us before booking our stay…and then just continued bringing us her self-proclaimed delicious food, which frankly, was nothing special at all.
She had also promised free mocktails to make up for the need to switch rooms, and I ordered one which she never brought.
We had a few very early morning excursions planned and were told by Tara and Pablo (another chef) that boxing up a breakfast would be no problem, but apparently Karen then told them both it wasn’t allowed and we were sent with, on the first excursion a moldy wet apple muffin and an apple, and on the second day a stale cinnamon roll and an apple. Every so often Karen would tell us something totally contradictory to what we’d been told by her initially or told by someone else on the staff. It became very clear that the owner is the ONLY problem. She hired a gifted staff who is constantly frustrated by her failure to communicate with them. We found out she has gone through 200(!!!) staff members since opening a few years ago and it’s no wonder why. I wouldn’t last 5 minutes working for such a gas lighting, egomaniac. I’m out of space for this review. Please reach out if you want more of this story.
Editing to add: everyone needs to read Tara’s comment on this thread. So much worse than anything imaginable. If there are any attorneys on this page who can help, please reach out. This situation is dangerous, inhumane, and just absolutely horrific.
Forman
Where is Tara post?
Read moreCareyYarussSanders
Sorry, I think it got deleted but you should be able to find it on Facebook if you search the vegan travel pages. The owner seems to be finding ways to hide anything negative written about her hotel from various sites. So shady!
Read moreForman
No worries. Facebook sucks and is a time waster.
Read moreGuest
Ann-KathrinBiber
Points +2581
Tasty food - Edit
We stayed here 3 nights, it was a really unorganized team. Nobody heard our ring or knocks at the porch for check in … we had to call via WhatsApp- make sure u have a esim 😂 Needed mostly 30-45 min for our food, we were the only guests for 2 nights. One time the blt-sandwich was totally burned … but they charge around 20-25$ for a sandwich… for this price I expect a perfect sandwich… I tried to love this place so much but it’s hard 🥲
Read moreGuest
ElizabethL1
Points +278
The loveliest little hotel - Edit
This was the perfect little oasis. Cozy, comfortable room with plenty of storage space. Our room was immaculate - the housekeepers do such a thorough job, and stop by twice a day. The private patio was my favorite part. I spent so much time relaxing on the hammock and rocking chairs reading or just looking at the plants and birds. Really nice vegan bath products, especially the banana scented conditioner. The setup of the hotel is really nice. Very peaceful and quiet in the room/patio space, yet so close to the pool, restaurant, and other amenities.
Read moreThe location may be a negative for some, but if you are aware and prepare accordingly, it isn't a big deal. It's at the top of a very steep unpaved hill, with no direct path to the beach. You have to take a winding road through a residential neighborhood to get to the town and beach. It took us 15-20 min to walk to most of the places we wanted to go, but with good shoes, it was fine. Great exercise after all the food!
Amazing amenities for such a small hotel! We used the salt water pool and lounge chairs almost every day. The yoga room is so serene with incredible views. I was able to practice there on my own early one morning, and also booked a class with Camila. She led a well-balanced class leading up to the best savasana I can recall. We also booked the facial/massage combo, also held in the yoga space. So relaxing!
Pros: Beautiful, tropical setting, Spa and yoga amenities, Very clean
Guest
sophiee24
Points +716
Perfect Stay - Edit
We stayed for over a week, it was the best vacation I ever had. The staff is very lovely and the owner is very nice. The outdoor area with the Pool is so beautiful. Perfect atmosphere to calm down and relax. The Rooms are very clean and beautiful.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-02-12
Guest
LilachCohen
Points +24
A perfect vegan experience - Edit
had an amazing experience in the hotel, and as a vegan for almost 8 years, and I’m having I lot of trouble finding food in Central and south America, it’s not always simple, and being in on hotel like this was heaven to me, to know that everything is vegan including the shampoos, pillows, minibar. Also the room was very nice and comfortable.
Read morePros: Vegan by all meaning, not just the restaurant,, Cousy and small , The staff is very kind and helpful in everything
Cons: A bit expensive, but it’s a high class hotel, And I really enjoyed the 100% vegan experience , And everything is really high quality
Guest
TorsiDawn
Points +1193
Can’t say enough great things - Edit
This place is a must stop. Amazing food, great atmosphere, just absolutely gorgeous. We stayed for 3 hours at lunch because we just kept ordering more, it was that good
Read morefutureghosts
That sounds absolutely wonderful! Haven’t been to CR in years..
Read moreGuest
marriedavegan
Points +593
A true gem - Edit
The family went for lunch and everything was very tasty. We had kabab appetizer, very tasty. We tried the crab cakes, BLT, Philly cheese steak and the plant burger. All we’re delicious (my wife and kids thought the crab cakes were too fishy tasting, I didn’t). Desert menu was awesome but we didn’t try. The staff was super nice
Read morePros: All vegan, Staff super friendly, Excellent desert choices
Cons: Expensive, Kind of hard to find
Guest
EmilyHansson
Points +671
Unique, amazing place! - Edit
Costa Ricas first and only vegan hotel.
Read moreLovely atmosphere and interior design as well as outdoor area and pool.
We stayed for one night and had breakfast, lunch and dinner at the restaurant. Nice owner who gave us a tour of the place which was previously her private residence. There is also a yoga room on the top floor with views. Sustainable design and solar panels etc.
Pros: Food, atmosphere, saltwater pool, Sustainable concept, Staff
Cons: Food is expensive, 20 min walk to beach located in residential area
Guest
chim77richalds
Points +44
Incredible Stay, Friendly Staff, Amazing Food - Edit
We stayed at Mother Earth Vegan Hotel for our honeymoon and could not have been happier with our choice! Tucked away amongst the residential neighborhoods and away from the tourist-centric part of town, this quiet oasis is the perfect escape for vegans and non-vegans alike!
Read morePros: 100% vegan menu, Eco-conscious everything!, Incredible Staff
Guest
phonebox13
Points +647
Gourmet Vegan food - Edit
Gourmet food. Portions are small and a bit pricey - but an explosion of flavors that’s well worth every penny - - 5 stars because the owner is super friendly and welcoming.
Read morePros: Gourmet experience
Cons: Expensive
Guest
VeronicaGuerrini
Points +32
Amazing food and vibes! - Edit
Had amazing high end vegan food, it tasted amazing and the owner Karen is super nice!!
Read morePros: Lots of vegan option , Amazing drinks, Great service
Guest
kiiabby
Points +365
High-end vegan food in the centre of Tamarindo - Edit
Having seen the advert on their car around town, I was very excited to try out the food offerings at Mother Earth Vegan. I’ve been here twice now so I’ll describe each meal separately for you.
Read moreFirst visit - we went in the evening with friends and had a 3 course meal each. I had the spicy buffalo wings to start. They were well cooked and tender. The duo they came with was nice too. Not overly oily. We also had some garlic bread to share. My husband tried the chilli and that was wonderful. I’d have been happy with it as a main course! It was decently sized. For our mains, my husband opted for the stuffed mushrooms. We quite liked this dish, although we found it extremely salty. I chose the mushroom risotto and found it almost inedible because of the salt content. It was well cooked but far too salty for my tastes. We ordered two puddings - the Apple pie was divine, the banana caramel was delicious too. We brought up the problem with salt with the owner and she said that she would speak with her chef. I wouldn’t be put off from ordering food here, just make it clear when you order that you prefer low salt. We found the portions quite small as well )the exception being the chilli starter!) everything was very well plated and looked fantastic.
We also visited for breakfast and this was wonderful. Our table ordered the Gallo pinto and the vegan omelette. Small portions again, but everything was well seasoned, not too salty and the potatoes were particularly tasty.
It’s a very nice little place - I think pricing wise it is high for portion sizes so I wouldn’t frequent it often. Not that I don’t think it’s worth the money, but it definitely is trying to offer a more high end experience and that is something Tamarindo didn’t have before so I really appreciate Mother Earth Vegan filling that gap in the market.
Overall I’m very glad this is an option here in Tamarindo, and I’m sure we will be back again.
Please note - I generally eat a WFPB diet so I am very used to large portions of low calorie density foods, very low salt, so this might mean there is some bias on how I perceived portion sizes and amount of salt in food.
The owner was extremely accommodating for our table and was able to come up with simple gluten-free pasta and sauce for the children in our party.
Guest
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