Hotel Experiences in Costa Rica
Dec 9th, 2004 | 06:45 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Hotel Experiences in Costa Rica
Wanted to share some good and bad experiences about places we stayed at while traveling through Costa Rica during low season. Hope it helps!
Hotel Valle Escondido (On the road between San Ramon and La Fortuna)
We arrived during a strike where hundreds of truckers were blocking the roads, so we had to stay the night in this hotel on the way to La Fortuna. The rooms/bathrooms were somewhat old, nothing out of this world. I would not stay there again, unless I had no where else to go. The landscape was nice, but the hotel staff seemed very pushy to try to get us to eat at their hotel, not a nice feeling. I would not recommend this hotel. Cost = approximately $75.
Arenal Paraiso (La Fortuna, Arenal Volcano)
We stayed at Arenal Paraiso (which I believe is on the North side of the volcano). We stayed in a superior room and were quite pleased compared to some of the other places we stayed later on our trip. The rooms were cozy, had a TV and airconditioning. There was a GREAT view of the volcano and we saw lots of lava flow in the evening. It was one of the best nights in Costa Rica. Highly Recommended! Cost = approximately $85.
http://www.arenalparaiso.com
El Sapo Dorado (Monteverde, Cloud Forest)
The rooms were very cabin-like, ours having a cute chimney. Do not expect any luxury, but the rooms are still cozy and quite large. The hotel grounds and restaurant were very nice. The staff was also GREAT. I would definitely recommend this one! Cost = approximately $85. http://www.sapodorado.com
Villas Kalimba (Playa Samara)
If you are considering Playa Samara.... you definitely need to stay at Villas Kalimba. You will not find this one in any of the books because it is brand new. We stayed there in September... just a month after they had opened. They have 5 brand new beautifully decorated two room/two bath villas (cottages) with a kitchen. This is by far the nicest place we stayed at on our whole trip. The pool and grounds are beautiful. You will not want to leave once you are there, the beach is only a few steps away. Highly recommended! Tell them Sandra & Luis (from Miami) said hello! Prices are reasonable and the Italian owners Mara & Roberto are wonderful. You will not be disappointed. Very Highly Recommended! Cost = approximately $85.
http://www.villaskalimba.com
Tropico Latino Lodge (Mal Pais)
We thought this bungalow type hotel would be heaven sent, especially since several months in advance we reserved the bungalow closest to the beach with direct ocean view. It was supossed to be the “best room available” according to the manager. When we arrived the manager said that she was sorry, but that she had already sold the room to someone else. She asked us to pay for all nights in advance and put us in a bungalow that she said was “the same” but that had no ocean view. Does that sound the same to you? I also thought it was strange she demanded we pay all nights upfront. We were tired from traveling 6 hours by car and just wanted to find a place to stay. When we went into the bungalow and everything looked old and stuffy. The room smelled very humid, there were crabs in the room, the bathroom had kitchen sinks (instead of bathroom sinks), the bathroom lights did not work, it was a nightmare. When we complained were told there wasn’t anyone on site to repair the lighting problem until the next day. By the way the manager and the staff were very unfriendly (rude) and completely unacommodating. As if everything we were experiencing was our own fault, not theirs. The following morning both my husband and I were uneasy and decided we did not want to stay a second night. We figured we would find another place to stay, rather than having to walk by the lobby and get nasty looks. When we mentioned we were not staying another night, the manager refused to refund our money. She said she had already reserved that room for us and could not refund the money. We explained that she obviously had not reserved the room she promised and to top it off, she sold it to someone else, so she wasn’t really losing any money. After arguing (actually yelling) for about 15 minutes with her, she finally threw the money at us and cursed at us several times. It was the most unpleasant conversation I’ve had in years, I could not believe that a manager would treat the customers this way. I promised her that I would post my experience to make sure others know they way they run their business. I definitely DO NOT recommend this place. It was a horrible experience. Cost = approximately $85. http://www.hoteltropicolatino.com
El Jardin (Montezuma)
The hotel staff was very friendly and the hotel grounds were gorgeous. The rooms were inexpensive, however they were very old and depending on what room you have could be stuffy. We stayed in two different rooms, I can’t remember the first room number, but it was pretty old looking and dark. When we moved to room #9, it was much better, nothing luxurious, but still decent. Recommended. Cost = approximately $65. http://www.hoteleljardin.com
Hotel Valle Escondido (On the road between San Ramon and La Fortuna)
We arrived during a strike where hundreds of truckers were blocking the roads, so we had to stay the night in this hotel on the way to La Fortuna. The rooms/bathrooms were somewhat old, nothing out of this world. I would not stay there again, unless I had no where else to go. The landscape was nice, but the hotel staff seemed very pushy to try to get us to eat at their hotel, not a nice feeling. I would not recommend this hotel. Cost = approximately $75.
Arenal Paraiso (La Fortuna, Arenal Volcano)
We stayed at Arenal Paraiso (which I believe is on the North side of the volcano). We stayed in a superior room and were quite pleased compared to some of the other places we stayed later on our trip. The rooms were cozy, had a TV and airconditioning. There was a GREAT view of the volcano and we saw lots of lava flow in the evening. It was one of the best nights in Costa Rica. Highly Recommended! Cost = approximately $85.
http://www.arenalparaiso.com
El Sapo Dorado (Monteverde, Cloud Forest)
The rooms were very cabin-like, ours having a cute chimney. Do not expect any luxury, but the rooms are still cozy and quite large. The hotel grounds and restaurant were very nice. The staff was also GREAT. I would definitely recommend this one! Cost = approximately $85. http://www.sapodorado.com
Villas Kalimba (Playa Samara)
If you are considering Playa Samara.... you definitely need to stay at Villas Kalimba. You will not find this one in any of the books because it is brand new. We stayed there in September... just a month after they had opened. They have 5 brand new beautifully decorated two room/two bath villas (cottages) with a kitchen. This is by far the nicest place we stayed at on our whole trip. The pool and grounds are beautiful. You will not want to leave once you are there, the beach is only a few steps away. Highly recommended! Tell them Sandra & Luis (from Miami) said hello! Prices are reasonable and the Italian owners Mara & Roberto are wonderful. You will not be disappointed. Very Highly Recommended! Cost = approximately $85.
http://www.villaskalimba.com
Tropico Latino Lodge (Mal Pais)
We thought this bungalow type hotel would be heaven sent, especially since several months in advance we reserved the bungalow closest to the beach with direct ocean view. It was supossed to be the “best room available” according to the manager. When we arrived the manager said that she was sorry, but that she had already sold the room to someone else. She asked us to pay for all nights in advance and put us in a bungalow that she said was “the same” but that had no ocean view. Does that sound the same to you? I also thought it was strange she demanded we pay all nights upfront. We were tired from traveling 6 hours by car and just wanted to find a place to stay. When we went into the bungalow and everything looked old and stuffy. The room smelled very humid, there were crabs in the room, the bathroom had kitchen sinks (instead of bathroom sinks), the bathroom lights did not work, it was a nightmare. When we complained were told there wasn’t anyone on site to repair the lighting problem until the next day. By the way the manager and the staff were very unfriendly (rude) and completely unacommodating. As if everything we were experiencing was our own fault, not theirs. The following morning both my husband and I were uneasy and decided we did not want to stay a second night. We figured we would find another place to stay, rather than having to walk by the lobby and get nasty looks. When we mentioned we were not staying another night, the manager refused to refund our money. She said she had already reserved that room for us and could not refund the money. We explained that she obviously had not reserved the room she promised and to top it off, she sold it to someone else, so she wasn’t really losing any money. After arguing (actually yelling) for about 15 minutes with her, she finally threw the money at us and cursed at us several times. It was the most unpleasant conversation I’ve had in years, I could not believe that a manager would treat the customers this way. I promised her that I would post my experience to make sure others know they way they run their business. I definitely DO NOT recommend this place. It was a horrible experience. Cost = approximately $85. http://www.hoteltropicolatino.com
El Jardin (Montezuma)
The hotel staff was very friendly and the hotel grounds were gorgeous. The rooms were inexpensive, however they were very old and depending on what room you have could be stuffy. We stayed in two different rooms, I can’t remember the first room number, but it was pretty old looking and dark. When we moved to room #9, it was much better, nothing luxurious, but still decent. Recommended. Cost = approximately $65. http://www.hoteleljardin.com
Dec 9th, 2004 | 10:19 AM
#2
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Wow...what a lousy experience at Tropico Latino. I must admit, you made me feel much better about the fact that they have no more rooms available for our up-coming visit. We will be staying at Blue Jay Lodge instead.
Did you drive from Samara to Mal Pais? If so, how long did it take and how was the road?
Did you drive from Samara to Mal Pais? If so, how long did it take and how was the road?
Dec 9th, 2004 | 11:14 AM
#3
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 10,212
Likes: 0
The coastal road from Samara to MalPais is passable only during the dry season. Even then, there may be rivers to cross (need 4 X 4) and it is slow going! Quite an adventure, I hear; but definitely not possible during the rainy season.
Sandra, I am so sorry you had such a negative experience at Tropico Latino. We stayed in the beachfront cabin and thought it was wonderful. However, I agree, the one behind it may look the same, but the view is vastly different! Your encounter with the owner does and does not surprise me. We didn't find the staff to be super friendly last March. In fact, we didn't use the restaurant except one time. Used the bar only during the day or early evening for cokes.
I do remember, though, that we had reserved 4 nights. There was some mix up as to whether we would get the cabin we had reserved, but we did finally straighten that out. We had decided before we even arrived at TL that we would shorten our stay to 3 nights. That did cause a problem, and she did not want to let us out of the reservation. I had not paid yet, however (except for the half I had paid to reserve a couple of months earlier). I insisted, she relented, and it wasn't quite such an ugly scene. What surprises me is that any business person would allow themselves to act such as way to a customer. What a shame.
Glad you liked Arenal Paraiso. We thought it was a great place to stay! What a view of the volcano!
Sandra, I am so sorry you had such a negative experience at Tropico Latino. We stayed in the beachfront cabin and thought it was wonderful. However, I agree, the one behind it may look the same, but the view is vastly different! Your encounter with the owner does and does not surprise me. We didn't find the staff to be super friendly last March. In fact, we didn't use the restaurant except one time. Used the bar only during the day or early evening for cokes.
I do remember, though, that we had reserved 4 nights. There was some mix up as to whether we would get the cabin we had reserved, but we did finally straighten that out. We had decided before we even arrived at TL that we would shorten our stay to 3 nights. That did cause a problem, and she did not want to let us out of the reservation. I had not paid yet, however (except for the half I had paid to reserve a couple of months earlier). I insisted, she relented, and it wasn't quite such an ugly scene. What surprises me is that any business person would allow themselves to act such as way to a customer. What a shame.
Glad you liked Arenal Paraiso. We thought it was a great place to stay! What a view of the volcano!
Dec 10th, 2004 | 07:11 AM
#4
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 587
Likes: 0
Hello Sandra, what an experience with Topico Latino. Did you get the manager's name that threw money , and the staff that was so mean.
I was recommended same hotel and called today, spoke to Carolina Fernandez and told her about your posting and all the complaints. She seemed very surprised and requested dates you were in there.
I told her that comments were posted in FODORS.COM that seems to be the number one web site for vacation related articles in the USA.
Hotel e mail address is [email protected], i suggest everybody that reads this posting send them an e mail demanding an explanation.
I was recommended same hotel and called today, spoke to Carolina Fernandez and told her about your posting and all the complaints. She seemed very surprised and requested dates you were in there.
I told her that comments were posted in FODORS.COM that seems to be the number one web site for vacation related articles in the USA.
Hotel e mail address is [email protected], i suggest everybody that reads this posting send them an e mail demanding an explanation.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
queeniepng
Mexico & Central America
6
Mar 11th, 2011 06:04 AM
sparks_fly
Mexico & Central America
6
May 21st, 2007 06:35 PM
