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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Capitan Suizo is an environmentally conscious and future oriented beach hotel. It is an ideal place for relaxation that carries a tropical ambiance and lies amongst a lush garden. With a discreet elegance and a touch of Swiss quality that blends with an informal and joyful atmosphere, Capitan Suizo is an oasis where it is implicit that nature and animals are integrated with love and respect. Capitan Suizo is located directly on the beach in a privileged area 1 km outside of town and at the end of the bay.
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The Capitán Suizo Beachfront Boutique Hotel garners accolades for its exceptional service, with guests lauding the friendly and helpful staff that enhance the inviting atmosphere. Nestled in a serene location, the hotel offers the perfect blend of tranquility and convenience, with direct beach access and a stone's throw away from town amenities.
While some guests mention the rooms' higher prices, the overall comfort and cleanliness of the accommodations, alongside the beautiful grounds and pool, often offset concerns regarding value.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Welcoming
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Outstanding
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The hotel is a lovely, two-story building with an interesting architecture using local materials set in a splendid tropical garden. Be sure to take a room on the second floor to be immersed in the foliage and more privacy. There are no water views. The nicely decorated rooms are large with a king canopy bed , stepping down to a sitting area, and the bathroom has a large shower. The open-air restaurant is charming with views of the ocean. The breakfast was delicious with made to order omelettes, lattes, and sweet breads and tropical fruits. The dinner we had there was also excellent and the beach BBQ on Friday was fun, entertaining and tasty. As I found all over Costa Rica, the staff was friendly and capable. The southern setting on Tamarindo Beach was perfect as it was quiet and about 10-15 minutes from the busier central area. You look out at sailboats bobbing and mountains in a half moon around the beach. At low tide, the beach is extremely wide and perfect for walking a long distance. If you want to have a great pizza or pasta for lunch, a 5 min walk south takes you to Fish & Cheese.
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Date of stay: January 2025
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:The pool was too cool to swim in, but the ocean was warm with huge breakers.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fantastic boutique hotel. We enjoyed our family experience. It's a great size- not too big, nor too small. What's really nice is that people who stay at Capitan Suizo are always happy and social. It's the vibe the place creates! And it's a great location- a bit out of town, so it has a nice, secluded feel, but close enough to walk to stores and restaurants. The beach is right there, and the pool is wonderful. Staff is always friendly and helpful. We stayed three nights, but wish we stayed longer!
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Date of stay: April 2024
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:We liked having a garden level room- easy walk right out to the pool and beach.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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What an amazing hotel this is! It starts with the staff – they are warm and friendly, and they take the time to learn and remember your names. Every morning at breakfast it was, “Hello, Mr. Robert!” It’s like staying with family, and it was hard to leave all those wonderful people behind.
Then the location – right on the beach, the restaurant has tables that are just above the beach itself, great for a candlelit dinner. The food is delicious, the drinks are strong, the breakfast buffet is generous, and there’s nothing like taking your meals a few meters from the ocean.
The beach is public but not very many people as it’s toward the south end of Tamarindo, away from all the commerce. The waves are okay for surfing or body surfing, and walking up the beach really is the fastest and easiest way to get to the shops or restaurants in Tamarindo. You can easily do a 4-mile walk along the beach, any time of day. Their location is so peaceful – you cannot hear the noisy bars way up the coast.
If your budget can handle one of the bungalows, I’d recommend it. They are huge, comfortable, and surrounded by lush plants and trees – very private, and close to the beach.
This is as close to the perfect beach holiday as we’ve ever gotten.
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Date of stay: December 2023
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Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:If you want to eat dinner close to the waves, reserve a table in advance.
Walk the beach every...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I have been to many tropical and beach hotels around the world and Capitan Suizo would probably land somewhere in the middle of the list - everything is fine but also no wow-effect. Maybe we just entered the hotel with too high expectations - which was probably triggered by overwhelmingly positive reviews and relatively high price tag. For USD 700-800 per night in bungalows we assumed something more posh and polished, while in fact it was just an average beach hotel where some areas would benefit from another round of refurbishment (during our trip in Costa Rica we stayed in some more luxurious hotels for significantly lower price tag).
Location is good - on the nice area of beach, about 10-15 minutes walk from Tamarindo. None of the bungalos seem to be really beachfront and they don't have much ocean view either - they are separated from the beach by greenery and a glasswall - but otherwise quite nice, especially the bathroom area.
Breakfast had a relatively limited choice (which is understandable for smaller hotels) but was adequate. Dinner was excellent every time when we tried it - in our view one of the best in Tamarindo (especially "Tonight specials"), so we would recommend having dinner there even if not staying in the hotel.
Overall, not bad at all, just our expectations were even higher.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2025Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
After spending three wonderful nights at the world-class Nayara Resort in La Fortuna, Costa Rica, we drove to the Pacific coast for a five-night stay at the W Hotel in Reserva Conchal. Unfortunately, the experience was so disappointing that we decided to check out four days early and look for alternative accommodations online. That’s when we came across Capitan Suizo Hotel in Tamarindo, and what a pleasant surprise it was! This charming, Swiss-owned beachfront resort turned out to be nothing short of perfection.
The atmosphere at Capitan Suizo is both understated and elegant, offering excellent value for the level of amenities provided. The hotel is impeccably maintained, with lush, beautiful grounds and outstanding service that makes you feel special from the moment you arrive until the moment you leave. We stayed in a beachfront bungalow just steps from the ocean. The bungalow was beautifully furnished, featuring a private Jacuzzi, an outdoor shower, and a raised canopy bed. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered stunning views of the Pacific Ocean, making mornings truly unforgettable.
We enjoyed our complimentary breakfast just steps from our bungalow, which was a delightful way to begin each day. The staff at Capitan Suizo were exceptional, providing warm and attentive service throughout our stay, from check-in to check-out. If you’re planning a visit to Tamarindo, Capitan Suizo Beachfront Hotel is the only place to stay. We highly recommend it!
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Date of stay: August 2024
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We recently stayed at Capitan Suizo and can see why it’s considered one of the nicer properties in Tamarindo. The hotel is family-owned and operated, with long-time staff treated like family, which creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere. While we met many guests who return year after year, the experience didn’t quite match what we were looking for.
Tamarindo is a lively and touristy destination, which some may love, but we found it a bit too busy for our enjoyment. We had booked four nights but decided to change plans after two, moving further north in search of the quieter, more relaxed vibe we enjoy.
The hotel itself has a European meets Costa Rica charm, and our son loved the many friendly cats that roamed the property. We didn’t see any monkeys on property during our stay which was a selling feature when we booked. The pool, shaded under thick foliage, was quite shaded, chilly and difficult to keep clean, though being beachfront meant the warm ocean was just steps away. That said, the beach was quite crowded with surfers, so if you’re looking to wade or swim, you’ll need to stay alert.
While it’s convenient to walk to town from the hotel, we recommend being cautious with your belongings. Unfortunately, we had some money taken from our backpack during a surfing lesson. This was our mistake, but it added to our sense of insecurity. Tamarindo was the only place during our two weeks in Costa Rica where we felt this way.
The food at Capitan Suizo was underwhelming, though the location makes it easy to explore other dining options in town. We really enjoyed the Green Papaya Taco Bar, but wouldn’t recommend Patagonia Argentinian Grill.
Overall, if you enjoy Tamarindo’s vibrant, bustling energy and don’t mind a rustic, laid-back vibe, Capitan Suizo could be a great fit. While it wasn’t the right match for us, it’s clear that for many others it is.
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Date of stay: December 2024
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was our sixth and final stop of our trip to Costa Rica and the place we chose to relax. In fact our travel agent suggested Tamarindo and in particular this hotel.However he was unable to book this hotel directly and booked us into another hotel. When I told him that I was able to book this hotel directly and which one would he choose he said, to his detriment, Capitan Suizo. He was perfectly correct as this hotel is at the end of the beach but only 1 km walk to the town where there are numerous restaurants and shops, so is very peaceful . We chose a deluxe superior room which was on the top floor of the two storey main building. It was a large room with lounge area ,a balcony and a small bathroom with one sink , toilet and shower. There was not much room to store toiletries but plenty of clothes storage space .I was a little disappointed but to be fair we had spent the previous three nights at Nayara springs in a huge villa with massive bathroom and our own thermal pool so it was wrong of me to compare the two! This room was more quirky with old fashioned bathroom fittings . The double bed with canopy was lovely and for the first few night we had some luxurious bed linen. However after the third night it was replaced with what I felt was inferior quality bedlinen. The room was kept clean and on the balcony was an oil fuelled lamp lit by matches and a small light plus two lounger chairs. The staff were excellent..there was never a no answer to a request. A robe and slippers in the room ( which I felt for the price of the room should have been provided anyway )…of course…a kettle so I can make tea instead of coffee arrived quickly. Reception staff were helpful and the concierge booked restaurants in town. Nothing was too much trouble. There are a lot of trees, foliage in the grounds and around the refreshing pool, which later in the day obscured the sun but it’s part of nature and there was a man who constantly cleaned the pool of leaves.Chairs were comfortable. There were also chairs facing the beach on the grass area between the pool and the beach. The beach was lovely with a tide that goes in and out and I loved walking down it. I saw a few animals, a racoon, lizard, birds but no monkeys…it didn’t matter as I’d seen lots during our trip. Breakfast was good with a buffet and made to order choices….some more successful than others! For us English who wanted tea in the morning we often had to wait a while for the huge kettle to boil but for coffee lovers there were plenty of coffee choices. There was a good choice of bread and pastries as well as fruit ,yoghurt etc. There is a gym a short walk away which was reasonable but the hotel has to book you in so you need to walk by reception and inform them .It was never a problem. Lunches were very good and made freshly and we ate at the beach bbq on Christmas night where food was plentiful. This is a lovely hotel away from the bustle of the town but near enough to easily access . I know why my travel agent recommended it and he was right to guide me there.
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had just had an amazing stay in LaFortuna and expected close to the same with our stay at this hotel because of its great reviews. We felt completely scammed. I gave this hotel 1 star because it did have working AC, otherwise I wouldn’t give it that much. We checked in later afternoon about 4pm, so it’s not dark yet. We noticed huge ants crawling all over the room. The walls, the floor, the bed drapes, the drying towels in the bathroom . It was awful. We had just left the rainforest and didn’t have any insect problems, so I knew it wasn’t a “Costa Rica” thing, there was a problem with the hotel. I went to the front desk and spoke with Cristian O. I asked if the room we were in was infested or if it was a problem throughout the hotel. Not sure if he was new to the job, but he seemed shocked that I was asking and didn’t know how to handle the situation. I told him that we had gone out to buy spray because the problem was so bad. They never followed up with us to be sure we didn’t continue having problems and of course we did. By far one of the worst hotel stays I have had. One night we were headed out to dinner and were met by 2 large raccoons that were just allowed to roam the lobby and eat cat food that they keep out for the stray cats in the area. It was just a pretty unsafe feeling and very unsanitary. We never ate our complimentary breakfast there for obvious reasons and ended up getting day passes to a beach club a little further down the beach that was a little better manicured than the area in front of the hotel. I DO NOT recommend this hotel! It was awful and it was not cheap!!! Also, there are no T.V.’s in the room. I assume the idea is that you will be out on the beach the majority of the time, however, it does rain quite a bit, which if you are traveling with kids might mean an early night in. We travel with our fire stick and were pretty bummed on those rainy nights that we couldn’t go back to our room to watch a movie as a family.
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Date of stay: June 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We only had one night in Tamarindo, and we are so glad we decided on Capitan Suizo. What a beautiful property! We have stayed at other nice hotels in Tamarindo but this one has the most peaceful location at the end of the beach (no road noise) and beautifully landscaped grounds. The room had a king canopy bed plus a pullout( full or queen sized) where our teenager slept. It was already made up for him which was great. The balcony overlooked the gardens with a peek at the ocean through the trees. The room had all the nice touches and luxuries.
The included breakfast was comprehensive and delicious. It was one of the best we've had in Costa Rica, where breakfasts are often fantastic. The dinner seating right on the sand was lovely and the pasta dishes we ordered were good. The pool had gorgeous landscaping around it as well, and the beach was right there with comfy loungers. Teenager took a surfing lesson right out front. We arranged this last minute through the hotel. He was surfing after we had checked out, and they stored our luggage and then offered us a shower room to rinse off and change into dry clothes. Very competent and friendly staff!
I'd go back here again for sure. Very relaxing!
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Date of stay: December 2022
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The 9 nights we spent there were all part of a wonderful experience. Loved our garden level room; very private with all the beautiful vegetation surrounding us. Enjoyable to sit outside on our lounge chairs listening to the rain. Room was very comfortable and very clean. Coffee and water were replaced daily. Toiletries were very nice. A drying rack was provided and made it easy to get our swimsuits dried, combined with AC, a dehumidifier and ceiling fans. We enjoyed the restaurant for the breakfast buffet (homemade breads!), fun happy hours and very delicious dinners. We walked to nearby restaurants for a couple great evening meals. The grounds and pool were constantly and impeccably maintained; they even worked while it was raining. The grounds are beautiful. Kudos to them. City center Tamarindo is walkable. Cab rides are $6 (American) to and from. Location is perfect. Far enough away from the activities of town. Great walkable beach. Lounge chairs available on the grounds overlooking the beach where you can catch a good breeze, even with the high humidity. Lots of animals and birds to enjoy and of course, the howler monkeys. The crown jewel of Capitan Suizo has to be the staff. From Day 1, everyone knew our names and emanated joy, caring and hospitality . It started at the front desk with Christian and his associates . Here is acknowledgment to the following; I apologize for any unintentional omissions: Bar staff: Henry, “R”, Angel and Natty👍. Natty, Gustavo and Max spoiled us at breakfast and/or dinner. Nubia and Keylor and the lovely ladies at the omelet station. Jerling and Rosa, our concierges that did a great job arranging/cancelling reservations, tours, massages. Rosa, wishing you the best to you with your new direction in life. Housekeeping staff was lovely. There were a lot of hugs upon departure. May you all have a wonderful adventure in Switzerland and we hope to see you again! .
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Date of stay: September 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed in that portion of the hotel 30 days ago and the front desk told us that section is being demolished after September. The building is too old to repair and maintain. I did not hear when the new construction will be completed or what types of units it will contain. The rest of the resort will not be effected by the construction is what they told us. Pura Vida! We love this place and have stayed there twice in the last two years.
Santa Cruz, Costa Rica15 contributions1 helpful vote
It would be best to contact the hotel directly for their rates. That is high season, so expect to pay dearly, if it's even available (everything fills up fast for high season).
There are more places to choose from in the Tamarindo area.
PRICE RANGE
RM 1,587 - RM 2,867 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
capitan suizo hotel, capitan suizo tamarindo
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Hotel Capitan Suizo Beach Front Hotel Boutique
LOCATION
Costa RicaProvince of GuanacasteTamarindo
NUMBER OF ROOMS
35
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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