10/10 Excellent
Sarah H., Spokane
23 April 2022
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful home
We thoroughly enjoyed this rental. Our group of 11 ranged from18m to 52. It has many luxury features that set it apart. The entire home is tastefully decorated- it looks exactly like the photos. Not exactly baby/toddler friendly- but we managed (by staying on alert for breakables) It has a striking view overlooking the ocean from up in the hillsides. The neighborhood is a very nice/ safe area with VERY steep hills. You don’t need 4w drive but I would not want to walk it with young kids. We ended up driving our crew down to the beach each day. The pool at the house is on the small side- but great for cooling off and for the kids to play in. There is also a larger neighborhood pool, but we did not use it. One of the king bedrooms is separated from the house- can be accessed by walking along the pool deck. The kitchen is well stocked- so you can prepare meals if you like. The house has several nice small appliances- ie vitamix blender, toaster, microwave that set it apart from other Costa Rica rentals that I have seen. There were a few maintenance things that needed to be addressed: specifically the half bath in the hallway was leaking water from the toilet when we arrived. The host turned the water off to it and locked the door to that room so we wouldn’t use it. They did not return to fix it while we were there. In addition- there is a dishwasher- but it did not seem to be working- dishes never got clean even after running it numerous times. We finally resorted to hand washing everything. I messaged the host about it after our second day, but it was not repaired while we were there.
Nearby- playa Hermosa is a quiet “local” beach. It did not have the bustling feel of other areas (Coco, tamarindo). The water is very calm- hardly a wave to be seen within the cove. The sand is light brown. Many shade trees along the shore. We were surprised that the water was very muddy looking. Not clear at all. The locals told me that it’s not normally like that- I guess a tide had changed and made the water murky. Anyway- the children didn’t see to mind- it just wasn’t the clear blue water I had expected. There are numerous nearby restaurants (sodas and more fancy). Also there is a nearby grocery that has everything you might need.
On the whole, it was a great trip. We ended up driving over to Tamarindo beach (1.25 hours) a couple times because the older kids wanted to surf and wanted to be near more activity.
Sarah H.
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2022
