I honestly don't get what all the super positive reviews are all about...
It's not a bad place by any means...hammocks are cool, proximity to the beach is nice (even though you can't swim in it)...I just had to knock my rating down to poor because it is NOT a good value for the dollar...we paid $82 a night (with taxes and all through hotel.com) for a triple room...the room is basically a budget hostel room, barely enough space for the 3 of us to move around and a shower with water that is not cold (not even close to warm)...I get that Tortuguero is remote so I did not expect the Ritz Carlton, but I feel about half of what we paid would be a fair price for this place...
as for the "friendly" owner Calixto...when we checked in he says "everything is taken care of" (referring to my PRE-paid hotel.com reservation...then all of a sudden, the night before checking out, he tells me I have not paid for the room..."100%, you did not"...not sure how friendly he was to other people but that was pretty much my only interaction with him...pretty far from bend-over-backward friendly as everyone else put...
I do have to give props to Leonardo, one of the guides affiliated with the hotel, he knows his stuff, and I loved kayaking in the canals with him...
Bottom line, there are better places...or at least better value places in town...pretty much any place other than the Icaco will be a better value...