room choices for Honeymoon - Xandari & Grano de Oro
 

I've read through most of the postings, and I don't think this has been answered.

I'm going on my belated honeymoon in January.

Itinerary
fly in on red-eye, fly Sansa to Tambor (12:30 flight unless we arrive on time and can fly stand-by on 10:30), rent 4x4
3 nights in Santa Teresa Red Palm Villas honeymoon villa
3 nights in Mal Pais (same area) Casa Chameleon ultra villa
fly Sansa back to SJO mid-afternoon
1 night at Grano de Oro (or elsewhere?)
6 a.m. pick up, raft
1 night Pacuare Lodge river view suite
raft out, drop off at Holiday Inn Express at 6 p.m., taxi to Xandari
1 night Xandari (or elsewhere)
afternoon transport to SJO, fly out at 7p.m.

Questions:
1. At Grano de Oro, are the deluxe rooms worth the extra $ over superior rooms? (and is this a good choice? It was mentioned as place where Pacuare would pick us up). Any specific room suggestons?

2. How much is the taxi to Grano de Oro from SJO Sansa terminal?

3. How much would a taxi to Xandari cost from the Holiday Inn Express?

4. At Xandari, are the prima plus worth it over the regular villas? I assume so? And if so, which villa should I choose? Any recs? Couldn't find any except 20 (I guess that is a memorable one, but it got mixed reviews). Or is there another hotel that would be better? We won't get there until late (after dark), but we have much of the next day to relax, hike the property, and perhaps hang by the pool before having to be at the airport. Seems expensive to me, but the leisure activities the next day are appealing.

Thanks - need to firm this up today if possible, so help is appreciated!

Also, did I mistake by not spending the extra $ to stay at Florblanca instead of RPV?

We really liked Grano de Oro. We only stayed there for one night before our flight left, so we stayed in the most basic room. It's built in an old mansion and has lots of twists and turns. They have some rooms that have their own little gardens that look really neat. If it were my honeymoon, I'd buy the best one I could afford. You only get one honeymoon. Our room had a bathtub which I really liked. Sort of a splurge in CR.

Don't miss the restaurant; it's very good with charming service. Also nice rooftop garden with hot tubs. I don't know if they do it anymore, but when we arrived they surprised us with a beautiful fruit plate gratis - very nice since we hadn't had time to eat anything.

Regarding the taxi, you can just e-mail Grano de Oro, and they can quote you a price. We used them for our taxi service the morning we left, and they arranged everything for us. I don't remember the cost, but it seemed reasonable.

volcanogirl - according to the website, the most basic rooms, standard, don't have bathtubs. Superiors and up do. So maybe you stayed in a superior?

Anyone else stay there? I don't know if I want to spend $245 for the garden suite since we're leaving at 6 a.m. and I'm already spending a lot in Mal Pais. Just trying to decide btwn deluxe and superior.

Wow, that was a Superior? It wasn't anything fancy; the room was fairly small without air conditioning, but it was clean and the decor was nice. Good luck with your trip.

Ha ha - ok, so you recommend the deluxe at least.

Anyone with recs for Xandari - or a preference of another resort if not Xandari, for our last night?

Hi venicegirl,
We are also getting married and having our honeymoon in CR in February. We have booked one night at Xandari, villa #4, which they refer to as the "honeymoon suite". It was expensive, but, hey, hopefully you only get married once. It is supposed to have an incredible view, and offers the most privacy. I have friends who are joining us at the wedding who will be staying at Finca Rosa Blanca, and the rooms there look beautiful too. Let me know what you decide.

Oh, if you had more time, I would have recommended the Peace Lodge, the ultimate honeymoon hotel about an hour outside the airport, but I don't think you have time to enjoy it. Jacuzzis, waterfall showers, gorgeous waterfalls - great spot to indulge yourself. Maybe for your one year anniversary!

costaricalover - congrats on your upcoming marriage. do you know what type of villa villa#4 is?

Venicegirl,
I am pretty sure it is an ultra villa, and the cost is $295/night. They assured me that it was the most private unit, and that the view was breathtaking. There is probably more room than we need, but we have decided to just go for it.

Yes, it is the most private villa. You'll love it. There is a picture of its patio on their web page. It's the one where the guy is sitting under the palm leaf palapa by the round wall. Wonderful view.

I'm not sure I would pay the extra at Grano de Oro. We did and it only included a peek at a little strip of plant life. Pleasant but not worth the extra $ in my opinion. Our room wasn't very big - barely had enough room to open up both suitcases. Enjoyed having a safe for our camera, passports, etc. Their front desk staff are fantastic about arranging day trips, recommending restaurants and calling taxis. Our room was on the third floor and when big trucks would go up and down Paseo Colon, during the night, our whole room vibrated and rattled. Trying for a room on the ground floor might be a good idea. We went rafting from Grano de Oro and it worked out fine. Had to be up and ready almost an hr earlier than others - first to get picked up and last to get dropped off. Stayed near the zoo last year and found that pickup/drop off much easier. We were last to get picked up, first to be dropped off - right off the main road.

Linda 137,

Thanks for your advice. I wonder why nobody mentioned the rattling rooms previously!

May I ask you which rafting company you went with? I wonder if they all pick up in the same order.

Also, may I ask what was the other place you stayed at where you were picked up last instead?

Thanks!