Hotels in Costa Rica – Take My Advice, I Live Here

The Best Costa Rica Hotel Accommodations

People sometimes ask me what the best hotel in Costa Rica is and if you read my main page very well then you should understand that you first need to decide what you want to do or see before selecting any Costa Rica hotel to vacation at. Anyway, my response is always the same; I ask them, the best hotel for what? When you’re asking this question the first thing that crosses my mind is; are you asking for the best hotel by location, class, price, or by what’s around it? There are approximately 50 main tourist towns in this country and each town has at least one, best hotel in it. Let me ask you a question? Would you consider a 5 star hotel to be the best? If so, then you’re wrong! Some of the best hotels in Costa Rica are small elegant places to stay like hotel Villa Caletas, which sits about 1500 feet above sea level at the top of a mountain and offers an amazing 360 degree view of both the ocean and jungle. Some luxury hotels are even hidden in the jungle like Lapa Rios and of course you could always choose a beautiful tropical rainforest spa hotel with hot springs such as Tabacon Resort that also has volcanic views.

Costa Rica All Inclusive Hotel Accommodations

Because there are so many Costa Rica all inclusive hotel options to choose from, tourists sometimes become confused. Many travelers run immediately to book a beach hotel in Costa Rica for their entire stay and later find out that the main attractions they really wanted to see are 3 to 4 hours drive away, one way. All inclusive packages allow you to throw your map away and cut the cost of a car rental but, can also be very tricky to book without the help of an experienced agent that really knows the country and understands what you’re interested in doing. There are three kinds of all inclusive hotels in Costa Rica. The first is all inclusive resorts which are usually found along the coastlines and can be a good idea because they offer everything for one price so it makes the planning process easier. Secondly we have the all inclusive hotel option, which basically means that it is smaller, not a resort and that there’s not another option for food close by. Last, we have Costa Rica all inclusive lodge options, which basically mean’s that they are usually located in remote areas. These types of all inclusive Costa Rica hotel accommodations are usually a little expensive due to the customs tax charged by the government on imported foods and beverages coming into the country and because remote all inclusive hotels in Costa Rica must bring everything in by boat or plane.

Note* - If your considering a Wedding here then I suggest that you also research the possibility of a Non – All Inclusive hotel as well. The price differences will be surprise you.

Luxury Hotels in Costa Rica

When tourist search for a luxury hotel in Costa Rica they really need to first make a decision. Are you looking for a big hotel that will make you say; Wow! Or are you looking for a small hotel that offers class? Personally my wife and I always pick the small luxury hotel in Costa Rica every time because they have character! Even though they may only be rated as a 4 star hotel, the personal service and class they provide make you feel completely spoiled! There are fabulous small luxury spa hotels scattered across the entire country. These types of luxury hotels normally offer fewer than 40 rooms and boast outstanding customer service that is second to none. On the other hand, some tourists love feeling like they are at a big luxury resort with lots of people. A good example of large luxury hotels in Costa Rica would be lodging like the Peninsula de Papagayo Four Seasons Resort or the all inclusive resort, Paradisus Playa Conchal. These are real estate investments with a plan, they offer just about everything one could want, and things are happening on a regular basis from golf or lavish spa treatments to casinos and nightlife. The only problem is that you usually spend all of your money with just their hotel. These resort hotels are designed completely so that you will not venture far or check area prices. Generally these are also adult hotels, where you will not find a lot of children less than 12 years of age running around unless they are supervised by baby sitters or kids clubs.

Costa Rica Hotel Lodging for Arrivals and Departures

There are only two main areas where you may need to seek an airport hotel in Costa Rica. The first area would be if you’re arriving to or departing from Juan Santamaria International that is located in the Central Valley. A couple of good middle price range hotels for an overnight stay would be maybe like Hampton Inn and Suites or the Garden court which are only 3 minutes away but, remember to be careful because many San Jose Costa Rica hotels offer a pick up service and act like they are close to the Juan Santamaria International. My advice is to ask them how many minutes are they away in traffic. Now if you’re staying around Daniel Oduber International in Liberia it is a complete different story. Almost all Guanacaste Costa Rica hotels along the coast can be reached within 25 minutes to no more than 1.5 hours so, here is my thinking; if I know that I’m going to have to drive in from a coastal hotel and it’s going to take lets say 1 hour, then why would I not want to spend my last day having fun at the playa or fishing rather than driving in the night before and staying at a boring hotel that offers nothing to do? An hour drive is the same whether it’s early morning or the night before. Besides, in most cases transportation can be arranged easily. However if your a worrier and you have to stay in closer the try the Best Western El Sitio or Las Espuelas.

Note* - Cheap hotels can also be found just a few minutes away from either place but, my rule of thumb for a “middle of the road” hotel in Costa Rica is to budget $7.00 for every hour that you’ll use it unless you’ve got deep pockets.