Which villa at Caletas and Makanda?
 

For our "splurge" part of our Costa Rica trip we will be staying at Villa Caletas and Makanda. Since both those places are costly, I'd like to try to get the best accommodation (often there's a significant difference in rooms/suites even if the cost is the same). Any specific recommendations at those two places much appreciated. Thanks!

Same for Xandari in fact: any specific villas to recommend (or avoid)? We value quiet and privacy. (monkey noises ok :)

My husband and I just got back from a stay at Makanda, we were in Villa #6 for 4 nights. I did not get to see the inside of the other ones so I can't really compare it, but we were VERY pleased with ours! I wish I was back there right now!

Skaderian-
Thanks very much for your reply. If you feel like doing it, I'd apreciate any tips/suggestions for the Manuel Antonio area. Did you eat at Makanda the whole time? Did you have a car? What tours did you take? Where else in Costa Rica did you particularly like (or not like)? Thanks!

We stayed at Makanada a couple of years ago in one of the studios. It was fine, but the villas were awesome. We didn't have a car. We like to walk, and actually walked to the park twice. Makanda isn't very far from the main road, but it's a fairly steep hill. If you're walking it at night, take a flashlight. There's no sidewalks and it's dark. Karola's is an excellent restaurant right at the top of the hill. El Gato Negro isn't too far away, and there's another one next to Karola's, whose name escapes me at the moment, which is also very good.

We didn't do any tours while there, just went to the park and wandered the area.

Jean

do not miss sunset at la mariposa one night. it's right at the top of the hill on the right. awesome view! we stayed in villa #5 and it was wonderful. if it matters to you, make sure you ask for a room that is enclosed. i think some of them are fairly open to the outside. ours opened all along the front. we were able to close the folding doors right before dusk - keeping all the bugs out. (i preferred sleeping under the A.C. at night, anyway) around 7:30 a.m., the monkeys were in the trees right off our porch. the pool is lovely! you will be spoiled. we left most days to go eat or explore a little bit. (we're pretty low-key) barba roja has live music some nights and pretty good food. we got a taxi to the little market and had snacks and light lunch in our room. they bring you breakfast in the morning and set it up on your table outside. mmmmm-mm sorry, we didn't see any other rooms - so can't comment. we did the canopy safari - loved it. we leave tuesday for cr again - this time staying around the central valley the whole time. you should go over to the nicoya peninsula next trip - beautiful!

Anything starting with 'standard deluxe' at Villa Caletas is good enough, standard rooms have no view. The rooms are small, though - again, except standard, which seem to be of the same size as two rooms of villa combined. Master suites are a steep walk downhill.

Mian-- Thanks for responding. I wasn't sure exactly what you were saying though. Are ALL the accommodations at Caletas small?? We were thinking of maybe booking a junior suite, and those are quite costly (by our lights). If they are small, I don't think they'll be worth it. Maybe we should look at a different property?

I just returned from my honeymoon and we stayed at Villa Caletas for 8 days. Because we were on our honeymoon we splurged for there top room, the Master Suite (Villa #20). The Villa was very private but they are doing some construction building vacation condos down the hill. While we could not hear the construction from our room, in the daytime you sometimes heard the work trucks driving by on the road below. All in all though we loved the hotel, the service was impeccable but I would recommend at least a Suite with a Jacuzzi or a pool. From what I heard the standard rooms and the standard villas both lack in size and views but I was able to sneak a peak at a Villa with a Pool and one with a jacuzzi and they both looked fairly comfortable and spacious.

Good Luck!!!!

I would caution you about Villa Caletas. We stayed there recently and even though I specified the room I wanted, my request was denied when I checked in. They gave me a room that was still being renovated and the workers were still coming into the room fixing it while we were there! Despite my complaining they did not do anything about it as the hotel was fully booked and there was no where to move us to. And they would not give us a discount, either. To make matters worse, the inexpensive restaurant was reserved the entire time we were there for a convention and we had to eat at the expensive restaurant or go all the way into town to eat. The location of this hotel is nice and it could be a nice place, but I would not recommend it. Not for the prices they are charging.

Joni

I think the food at Villa Caletas is mediocre at best. We ended up driving 45 minutes south to find a great Italian restaurant. We had a junior suite which was very nice.You really need a car(unless you just want to hang around the pool which wasn't our preference). Drove to Manual Antonio which, compared with Corcavado, was disappointing. Lots of honeymooners at the hotel.

Thanks for the reports on Villa Caletas. Very disappoining to hear. The place is expensive, and that's ok if it's terrific. But to pay high prices for mediocre food is a bummer. Also, that non-accommodating attitude is even worse than mediocre food. I hope we can find somewhere else to spend those several nights. Even if the view is great, it doesn't sound like a very pleasant place.

I stayed at Villa Caletas a few weeks ago and found the hotel wonderful. I would recommend it expecially if you love birds. Carara National Park is great. We stayed in a regular room and had a great view of the ocean, the staff was very nice. The construction is still going on but did not impact us at all. One of the most romantic hotels I've stayed at in CR is the Vista del Valle - stay in the el nido.

Have a great trip.

PuraVida-- Thanks for the in-put. Can you tell me a little more abt where the construction is? I really do dislike having that kind of noise/equipment around. I think we're supposed to stay in a junior suite (I'd heard that the rooms in the main hotel aren't as private, that one can sometimes hear other people-- as you can tell, we're extremely "noise sensitive.") Did you happen to do the Tarcoles River boat tour when you were at Caletas? Were both restaurants open for every meal? (I don't like the idea of having to eat at the expensive restaurant for dinner-- esp when the website claims to have 2 restaurants. Did you find the food quite terrific--worth the hefty price?) Thanks again.