Concierge.com's insider take:

Manuel Antonio doesn't lack for fine hotels, but Los Altos Beach Resort & Spa, which opened in 2010, offers something new. For better or worse, it's the first high-rise to go up at this popular destination. Its 28 three- and four-bedroom apartments, each with private elevator access, have an urban-boutique style that's unusual for hotels in the region. The minimalist interiors feature custom-designed hardwood furniture and wraparound rattan sofas on dark-gray slate floors; nature-themed paintings add a splash of tropical color. The apartments all have fully equipped kitchens (personal maids and chefs are available for an extra fee), though Karola fusion restaurant (long a staple of the Manuel Antonio fine-dining scene) has been relocated here, too. Los Altos also has a gym, plus a private beach club and bar where guests may spot passing whales offshore or crab-eating jungle critters looking for dinner on the shingle beach.—Christopher P. Baker