Hotel Bula Bula

From the moment I arrived via water taxi to the hotel, it felt like home. I'm not sure how to explain it, but it was my happy place immediately! I was welcomed by the day manager and brought to my fabulous room. I very quickly met people who knew many of the same people as me. We became fast friends and they were my tribe the rest of my stay. During my stay, everyone I met was like-minded, good hearted and down to earth. Grateful Dead memorabilia is everywhere and the hotel is very tastefully decorated. The music and playlists were perfect and fitting. Garrett from JMF was the live musician each night, amazing talent, great shows! Everything was wonderful from the restaurant (fabulous food) to the pool (refreshing) to the room (great A/C and fan) to the surroundings (including howler monkey's in the trees). The nature is beautiful, the beach is close and pristine. Mostly though, it was the hard working and super friendly staff that put this place over the top. Stellar service, smiling faces, accommodating and engaging. This ended up to be the trip of a lifetime and I will always hold such fond memories. I hope to be back again sooner rather than later. Fare Thee Well, Tracy

I had previously stayed at this small boutique hotel over a decade ago when it was under a different name and ownership, so was interested to see how things had changed. Of course, as a Grateful Dead themed hotel now, everything from the signage on the grounds, to Sugaree's (the restaurant), to the rooms, now have a touch of Grateful Dead decor to them, but I thought it was tastefully done. The basic but nicely decorated rooms, grounds, pool, and restaurant were just as nice as before. Howler monkeys even hung out in a tree behind the hotel for a while one evening. My room had perfectly functional air conditioning, a flat screen TV (although I never used it), a coffee maker and a safe, and I slept well every night. Wi-Fi was flawless throughout the facility. Steven (hopefully got the name right), the head daytime server (maybe daytime restaurant manager) was incredibly helpful with booking tours and helping to troubleshoot and resolve airport transfer issues at the last minute (muchas gracias!). Probably the best addition to the hotel was the live music at Sugaree's every evening and on some afternoons. If you're a surfer, it's a short 12 minute walk to the beach, Playa Grande Surf Camp to rent a board, or Café Mar Azul to grab one of their great tacos.

We had a grateful experience at the Grateful Hotel and their Sugaree Bar & Grill. Great live music, great swordfish, great breakfast, and a great (albeit expensive) souvenir tye dye tank top. We got picked up for the Estuary Boat Tour at their "dock" one morning and had a tremendous wildlife experience. Highly recommended!

The showers in the rooms are in bad condition, spray all over or very clogged and no pressure. They need to changed out.

The room was clean with everything in working order. Staff was top notch, friendly and accommodating. The only thing that i would say i didnt care for would be the owner, Phil lingering around every evening. He was none of the forementioned.

We love coming here every year. Great music and food. Our bartender Alberto absolutely made the visit this time; he was fast, attentive, kind and makes the best drinks. Highly recommended this place and playa grande over all. See you all next year

The service was great. Staff was very friendly and helpful. the condition of the room was old. it;s located in a very good location and very close to water.

If you’re into live music, especially the Grateful Dead this is a hotel for you. If you’re not it’s still a wonderful place to enjoy the beauty of Playa Grande. It sits right on the estuary and there’s tons of wildlife and a short walk to the beach. The hotel rooms are clean and comfortable. The pool is fun. In the evenings it can get lively, but as an early bird I had no trouble sleeping. The owner and staff are friendly and helpful. I would come back in a minute.

Got an appetizer and a round of drinks. Drinks took a while and the appetizer took two hours. The servers were very kind but very overworked. I hope that management gets some more help. Expect a wait.