This trip was a big splurge for us and a return to international travel after 2020. I'd guess we were the only people there who fly in coach.
The villas, restaurant and grounds are gorgeous, with views that never get old. We did the partial ocean view and loved it.
Sunsets are a reason to stop whatever you are doing - and they are fast, so grab a seat, cocktail and enjoy.
The quiet is incredible. No cars, very few people, no kids, no loud music. Such a treat to just listen to the jungle. We never turned on the TV or streamed any content.
Terrific staff throughout, especially enjoyed talking with Javier, Will and Berny. Top-notch housekeeping.The staff alerts housekeeping when you're at breakfast or on an adventure. Room was always done or near done when we finished breakfast.
Room service is offered but we enjoyed the views from the restaurant/ pool so much we never ordered in.
The spot is very safe, with a gatehouse to the property. Our room number was always reported to the man at the gate, and I think they were doing a headcount to ensure guests were accounted for after trips down the mountain.
Even though January is the dry season, it rained every day (sometimes impressive downpours). Most of the rain happened late afternoon. I liked watching it from the beautiful covered deck.There are two umbrellas outside the room.
The excursions, restaurant and spa were pricey for our budget, so we made "economy" choices and opted for a few supermarket meals, horseback riding on the beach (amazing), a kayak tour and a day in Uvita at the Whale Tail / Marino Ballena National Park (highly recommend Marino Ballena).
Be advised that no tour provided water. This seems to be a Costa Rica thing related to minimizing plastic bottles, as we also experienced it in Tamarindo
Did not see much wildlife near the hotel, but did spot a small troop of monkeys, several macaws and toucans, and many lizards.
Breakfast is included and every option is delicious.
The villa was very comfortable, perfect for two people. Loved the deck and spent many hours just staring at the view.
The Wi-Fi is pretty good.
Appreciated that there is no TV in the restaurant/lobby.
Staff are super-responsive to WhatsApp messages and that's how we arranged tours and taxis.
If you don't have a car, you'll arrange taxis directly with the hotel. $70 RT to Uvita / $120 RT to Dominical, $600RT to San Jose airport (add $20 if going downtown San Jose). The drivers are all wonderful. If you don't have a car, try to coordinate stops to supermarket or pharmacy with your excursions.
The drive from the airport was 4.5 hours with one short stop. The drive back to downtown San Jose (Hilton Curio) was five hours with a quick stop. Be sure to allow extra time if making a flight: we encountered one closed road and a mudslide that temporarily shut down traffic in both directions.
A few notes:
The hotel asks about dietary restrictions, but not sure why as no alternate menu items were offered. I asked for a salad one night, which they kindly made, but it was not at the level of the other food we tried. We ended up grazing on cheese/crackers/snacks from the supermarket a few nights. I love visiting supermarkets and pharmacies outside the US, so we had fun picking our room picnics.
A different breakfast / lunch / dinner item to supplement the regular menu would have been a nice option.
The weirdest thing: We asked twice for extra coffee pods but had no luck. It seemed like a very modest request. (I do understand trying to minimize waste.) Ended up buying pods at the supermarket.
Milk/creamer in the fridge would have been great.
The power went out twice, once overnight and once in the morning.
