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Costa Rica - Where to Stay for the Trip of a Lifetime


Costa Rica, a land of lush rainforests, towering volcanoes, unspoiled beaches and a vibrant community of people and wildlife. It has long appealed to me to visit this diverse country in Central America, and this year to mark a special celebration, I was fortunate enough to travel there and experience much of what it has to offer. Throughout our two week stay, we travelled from San Jose, the capital, to the North (Arenal and Monteverde), down to the far South (Osa Peninsula), and finally to Manuel Antonio on the Pacific Coast. We stayed in a huge array of accommodations, from a modern Airbnb, to luxury wooden lodges, and even to an igloo!


Finding the right accommodation is often a daunting task when planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and I know from personal experience it can be extremely overwhelming to select from the huge amount of choice available. In this article I will share my experience of each accommodation we stayed in in Costa Rica with honest and hopefully helpful reviews. As always, please feel free to get in touch if you are planning a trip and would like further information/advice!



As a little aside, this is my first review post. I have always dreamt of becoming a travel blogger/hotel reviewer so this is my first step into that world. I will be rating each accommodation out of 5 stars based upon multiple factors such as location, friendliness of staff, interior design/cleanliness, amenities, food and value for money. I want to be harsh so you can really tell when an accommodation has blown me away - thus 3 stars and above are places I would recommend. 5 stars is reserved for only truly exceptional experiences!




Price: £

Location: 3/5 - not in the centre of town, but incredible views from the rooftop and near shops/restaurants/parks

Friendliness of staff/owners: 4.5/5 - very helpful and responsive Airbnb host and friendly reception staff

Interior/Exterior cleanliness and design: 4/5 - modern, clean and bright interior and exterior areas

Amenitites: 4/5 - jacuzzis, gym, hotel security

Food/Catering: N/A (self-catered)

Value for money: 4/5 - good value for a 2 bedroom city apartment with additional amenities

Best for: couples, young professionals

Overall rating out of 5*: 3.9/5


I am a big fan of Airbnbs, given the great value for money and host of good experiences I’ve had with the site. San Jose was no exception, with this beautiful modern apartment located a little outside of the city centre. The apartment had everything and more that we could ask for: two bedrooms, two shower rooms with toilets, a spacious kitchen/dining/living room area, and to complete the experience, access to the rooftop 23 floors up with two Jacuzzis so you never miss a sunrise/sunset. There was also a gym and reception area for security. While not in central San Jose, the apartment was close to all amenities needed, and we found ourselves frequenting a local falafel restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Our host Miguel was super helpful, leaving a whole booklet of recommendations and information in the apartment, as well as replying quickly to messages. This was certainly the perfect stay to begin our Costa Rica adventure, with all the Western luxuries, and to top it all, the most incredible view of the surrounding area from the rooftop dec. Great stay, I would thoroughly recommend for up to 4 people (2 double bedrooms)!




Price: ££

Location: 4.5/5 - only 10 minute's walk to La Fortuna’s centre, yet very peaceful and private with a direct view towards Arenal Volcano

Friendliness of staff/owners: 3.5/5 - friendly and helpful staff

Interior/Exterior cleanliness and design: 3.5/5 - basic room interior with all necessities, the garden is the star full of exotic plants and birds

Amenitites: 3/5 - small pool, exotic garden

Food/Catering: 2.5/5 - basic breakfast with 3 options available

Value for money: 3.5/5 - great location and very relaxing

Best for: retirees, young professionals, backpackers

Overall rating out of 5*: 3.4/5


La Fortuna is a favourite holiday location for Costa Ricans and tourists alike, due to its location at the base of Arenal Volcano and surroundings of lush jungle. Hotel Secreto was a perfect oasis just on the outskirts of town, brimming with lush exotic plants, birds and paths winding their way to each room. The hotel is a 10 minute amble towards the centre of town which is full of restaurants, bars, souvenir shops and a lovely park to enjoy the volcano from. Our room, as with all the rooms, overlooked the garden with floor-to-ceiling windows. It was basic inside, with little storage space, but they did fit in two queen-size beds, perfect for a mother and daughter duo which we were! It is without a doubt that the central feature of the hotel is its gorgeous pool/garden area and views of the volcano. A little limited on sun loungers - four for at least 18 rooms - the garden area was a perfect place to sit after a day’s hiking/adventuring. Breakfast was simple, beginning with some seasonal fruit (papaya, banana, pineapple), followed by pancakes or gallo pinto or sausages and eggs, but the star of the show was the bird table placed perfectly in view of breakfast eaters filled with leftover fruits. This attracted the most diverse array of little birds which everyone took much delight in watching. Hotel Secreto was an understated, relaxed oasis in the perfect location to explore the many joys of the surrounding area.



Price: £££

Location: 3.5/5 - not in walking distance to Santa Elena but has incredible views over the ocean and surrounding hillside

Friendliness of staff/owners: 4/5 - very helpful receptionists and good service

Interior/Exterior cleanliness and design: 3.5/5 - simple bedroom interior, focused on the incredible view had all over the property

Amenitites: 4/5 - small pool, gym, viewing dec, canopy trail, tours

Food/Catering: 4/5 - large buffet breakfast, high quality restaurant

Value for money: 3.5/5 - incredible views, great service and many amenities for a reasonable price

Best for: families, young professionals, retirees, tour groups

Overall rating out of 5*: 3.8/5


Home to the infamous Cloud Forest, Monteverde is a beautiful area of rainforest up in the hills. El Establo Mountain Hotel is a short drive away from the main town in Monteverde, Santa Elena, and resembles a family-friendly resort. Set along a mile stretch of the hillside, shuttle buses are available to all guests to ferry them from breakfast, to their rooms, to the pool, to the top viewing platform and rainforest paths. Upon arrival, the concierge at reception were very helpful in explaining the layout of the hotel and tours available. Our room was the accommodation block furthest down the hill, yet still had an incredible view of the Pacific Ocean and gulf area. The room was extremely spacious, in fact the sparsity of furniture made it almost too generous in size, yet the bed was so comfortable and large that I had the best night’s sleep here of all the hotels. The shining star of the room was certainly the hanging rope chairs overlooking the large windows, a perfect sun trap in the afternoon where I spent many a happy hour. We didn’t make use of the pool/gym but we ventured to have a look. It was not luxurious, but with that perfect view of the ocean and adorned with hanging sun loungers, I would have been very happy to spend an afternoon here. The breakfast buffet was filled with an amazing variety of cereals, cakes, fruits, as well as freshly made omlettes/eggs cooked to your preference. We also ate dinners at the hotel’s restaurant given the location of the hotel is too far and hilly to walk into town. The dinner options were certainly diverse and the food quality was brilliant, but not cheap. A wonderful surprise was the viewing platform right at the top of the property. We ventured here for sunrise and sunset and both were, although cold and windy, extremely beautiful. There is also a jungle path which we explored, though didn’t see many animals - I'm sure a good guide would reveal a plethora of fauna. Overall, this is a lovely place to stay when visiting Monteverde, perfect to relax in the hanging chairs after a day of sightseeing.



Price: £££

Location: 3.5/5 - inaccessible without a car/driver, but the remoteness means you are surrounded by unspoiled rainforest and an incredible ocean view

Friendliness of staff/owners: 5/5 - friendly staff, especially one member who went above and beyond to surprise and delight us

Interior/Exterior cleanliness and design: 5/5 - stunning grounds with perfectly manicured lawns, beautiful interiors full of local wood finishes, all focused on the surrounding nature

Amenitites: 4.5/5 - pool, jungle walks, tours, massages, kayaks, private beach, board games

Food/Catering: 3.5/5 - great breakfasts and a relatively large dinner selection centred around local ingredients

Value for money: 4.5/5 - given the luxury and privacy, Kunken Lodge has a very reasonable price tag

Best for: honeymooners, retirees

Overall rating out of 5*: 4.3/5


Kunken Lodge, a slice of paradise set on the Osa Peninsula, an area of lush jungle on a gulf of the Pacific Ocean. We were welcomed upon arrival with fresh fruit juice and were taken to our own lodge which had not one but two en-suite bedrooms - a luxurious surprise which all bookings come with! Our lodge was a delight with polished wooden floors, a jungle showerroom, a beautiful veranda with lounging chairs to enjoy the view of the sea, and rather to our apprehension, mesh nets as windows! It is true, going to sleep to the sound of the jungle all around was on the first night, rather a challenge, and I did wonder slightly if this was a (very glamorous) version of camping. However, by night two I slept soundly and quickly, facilitated by blissful days of swimming in the massive pool, bath-warm sea and kayaking around the bay. By the time we left, we were really sad to miss hearing the sounds of exotic birds, howler monkeys and cicadas, and waking to the beautiful golden sunrise and gentle breeze. The hotel itself is set on an expanse of the hillside, so each lodge has a magnificent view of the sea. The restaurant and bar areas are totally open, which allow you to feel the warm sun and hear the nature around as you eat and relax. The pool is huge and idyllic, but the star of the show is the private beach with four poster lounging beds and golden beach lined with palm trees. We were delighted with fresh coconuts cut straight from the palm trees which were passed into our hands with a quick and skilful slice of the machete to reveal the freshest coconut water I have ever tasted. We befriended a particularly cheerful member of staff who certainly had a flare for customer experience, producing a flower floating in an upside-down wine glass and a grasshopper made from a leaf! These small touches made our stay particularly special and memorable and is part of the reason I will certainly be visiting again if ever I am lucky enough to return to Costa Rica. The hotel is expanding from 8 to 12 bedrooms, so you are assured to have an exclusive luxury holiday here.




Price: £

Location: 4.5/5 - perfect location two minutes walk from the beach and 15 minutes walk from Manuel Antonio National Park, it only would benefit from a couple more restaurants nearby

Friendliness of staff/owners: 3.5/5 - friendly welcome with a coconut cocktail

Interior/Exterior cleanliness and design: 4/5 - gorgeous modern bright room with nice outdoor area around the pool

Amenitites: 2.5/5 - pool and loungers, bar/restaurant

Food/Catering: 3.5/5 - great menu of tasty food

Value for money: 4/5 - for a very reasonable price, you are in the ideal location to access all the main tourist spots of Manuel Antonio while staying in unique modern accommodation

Best for: families, backpackers

Overall rating out of 5*: 3.7/5


An Igloo in the sun? This novel hotel is located on a small patch of land just set back from Playa Espadilla. The hotel comprises a small village of igloo-shaped rooms, all furnished beautifully with four poster beds, a deck chair, air conditioning, and a small but fully functioning shower room. In the centre of the igloos is a small pool with plenty of plants and loungers surrounding. The entrance/reception doubles as a restaurant with creative wall murals and fun bamboo lampshades. While the hotel itself is catered perfectly for backpackers and families, it is a wonderful refuge for anyone really. The star quality of this hotel is certainly its location. Playa Espadilla is a sprawling beauty, lined with deck chairs to rent for the day, surf schools and palm trees so it looks the perfect tropical haven. And if you plan on visiting Manuel Antonio National Park - which I would thoroughly recommend - you can walk there relatively easily from the hotel making it very accessible for those with and without rented cars. Honestly, while I may have been spoiled somewhat by the luxuries of the more expensive hotels we stayed in, I would certainly stay here again as it was probably the best value for money accommodation with all the modern luxuries.



Price: ££££

Location: 3.5/5 - set atop the jungly hillside looking over the Pacific Ocean, this hotel feels secluded and private, while being a short drive away from Manuel Antonio’s tourist attractions

Friendliness of staff/owners: 3.5/5 - staff friendly and chatty, though our experience with the reception staff was not great

Interior/Exterior cleanliness and design: 5/5 - luxurious bedroom with a huge bed and stunning interior finishes, the outdoor area was all beautiful with exquisite design using a variety of patterns and materials

Amenitites: 4/5 - private beach, 2 pools (infinite pools), tours

Food/Catering: 4.5/5 - amazing variety of local foods as well as an Asian menu, all fantastic quality and delicious

Value for money: 3/5 - the price of this hotel was by far the highest of all we stayed at as well as the food prices which were eyebrow-raisingly high, however it was incredible

Best for: young professionals, honeymooners

Overall rating out of 5*: 3.9/5


We concluded our Costa Rica adventure at Makanda by the Sea, a true slice of luxury set on the hillside in the Manuel Antonio area. The design of this hotel is truly splendid and unique, with silver and gold accents, rich blue ocean colours of the pools, and natural woods and funky ceramic tiles - it was a treat to the eye and certainly inspired my future home vision board! A marvel experienced at this hotel, above any other, was the family of white-faced capuchin monkeys who regularly entertained us with their presence around the pool and over breakfast, where they cheekily clambered around the tables looking for titbits until the waiting staff shooed them off. It truly was a luxurious sanctuary in the middle of nature. And my goodness, the sunset from the larger pool was amazing, with all hotel guests gathering here to watch from the pool, loungers, hanging baskets or bar area over a refreshing cocktail at Happy Hour (4-6pm). While this hotel was a little less welcoming in its attitude, with a lack of flexibility of checking out time, we has a blissful stay and perfect end to our holiday.


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