Staying at the Tropical Garden Retreat was a bit like online dating. You show up to the restaurant expecting your date to be a 10 (from the pictures), but they’re more like an 8. The place looked pretty much like the pictures, but without the sun-lit, blown out perfection. Everything was clean-ish -- but not super clean.

And, while the promise of outdoor living is incredible, practically, it was hard to enjoy – unless you wanted to slather yourself with DEET. Three citronella candles did little to deter the mosquitoes. This meant a listing that looked like we'd have plenty of room turned into evenings spent sitting on the bed in the small bedroom. And, the lizards are crawling everywhere – including the kitchen. Finally, the bathroom is open to the outside, which wasn't clear to me from the listing.
That said, the location and proximity to Manini Beach (one of our favorite places during our entire trip) was a real plus.