• Jenny@TravelAddict101.com

Costa Rica

JACO, COSTA RICA: South Beach Hotel MAY be a great choice for you!

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South Beach Hotel is a BASIC hotel.  This may be a great location and exactly what you are looking for!

This is what we found and an honest review of the hotel when we traveled in March 2017.

We were disappointed with what we found when checking in.  Athough the hotel was “clean”… the maintenance was poor.  I felt the hotel was overpriced for what the accommodations provided.

First…google maps has NO idea where this hotel is.  We even tried Galileo which was no better.  The hotel manager should change the coordinates of the FRONT of the hotel.  Both maps tried to send us down a side road to the beach to enter the hotel.  Unfortunately we were frustrated before we even walked into this hotel.  After waiting 10 minutes listening to the single person at the “front desk” on the phone, we were checked in.  My first clue should have been the threatening tone of this individual when explaining the consequences of NOT returning the room key, TV remote and AC remote.  Note there are no elevators to the 2nd or 3rd floor of the building.  Although not an issue for us, it is an important detail for some travelers.  The room was large with a large balcony.  The furniture was SPARSE and of poor quality.

 

There is not a closet but rather a large wooden structure presumably to store surf boards, wet suites, etc.

We complained there was no hot water at the bathroom sink although this was not fixed during our stay.  I complained again when checking out (handing key and remotes to front desk).

The shower was large enough although the plumbing was questionable, however included hot water.  I would love to have hotel mangers/owners understand that relatively simple repairs or upgrades make a big difference to travelers.  In this case, a shower head that directed water down would make a huge difference.  This shower went in every direction with poor pressure down.

 

 

 

Another way to make guests feel comfortable would be to have something other than molded plastic lawn chairs (2) on the balcony.  I felt as if they made it as uncomfortable as possible to sit outdoors.   But the view from the balcony is beautiful!

The hotel is located on the beach which is quite nice.  However, Jaco is VERY different than other beach towns we have been to in CR and other locations.  In Jaco there is nothing on the beach.  No restaurants, bars, shops, etc.  As far as a leisurely walk down the beach to a restaurant, it doesn’t happen in Jaco.  You are forced to walk/drive to get into town.  All the rooms face the pool and if you have a 3rd floor room it is an “ocean view”.  Be prepared for lots of noise (happy noise) from the pool during the day.

There is also a large fountain which is run 24 hours a day….making it very loud all night.

There is security on the property which i find to be typical.  Although the room did not have a any extra security on the door (deadbolt), etc. we didn’t feel unsafe.

Although I wanted to like this hotel, it simply missed the mark for the amount of money charged.  If it was priced for the level of hotel it is, i would have been happier.  It is trying hard to be a mid-class hotel, and simply isn’t.

Casa Luna Hotel and Spa: What a perfect find in LaFortuna

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We spent 4 nights at this amazing hotel!  I will be back and can’t wait to share the experience with others as we recommend locations in Costa Rica.

Front gate is locked at night although security is available to open the gate for guest.

Although we travel a great deal this was a special trip to celebrate my birthday.  The staff at Casa Luna did a great job of decorating our room, preparing a birthday cake and greeting me with birthday wishes all day!

The open air restaurant services meals throughout the day for guests, birds and iguanas alike!

Our room was fabulous, large, well maintained and included extras that make the stay exceptionally comfortable.  The large patio and outdoor space provided a bit of privacy in this beautiful location.   We were able to enjoy Arenal when she would make her breathtaking appearance.  Early mornings were spent on the spacious patio with coffee and bird watching or reading.  We found Toucans from our patio as well as many water birds.

Our Beautiful room

 

 

The pool is nice with a beach entry and plenty of chairs and space to enjoy the sun or shade areas.  There are 3 natural hot tubs each with privacy and of varying temperatures.  We ordered a very nice lunch from Melvin at the pool bar which was delivered directly to our comfortably reclined position at the pool.

Don’t miss the quiet little path at the back of the property.  It is a short hike to a creek with amazing vegetation and flowers.  The entire property has beautiful flowers and plants throughout.  The grounds crew are BUSY and taking care of the picturesque grounds.  The frogs come out at night and sing throughout the evening.

 

 

 

 

We found a secluded area which looked like it might be a perfect space for a private dinner or small gathering.  We found this on our last day and would have loved to take advantage of this area had we known it was available.

The Casa Luna Spa was a small piece of heaven.  You can find details of our exceptional spa treatment in a related post.

Casa Luna Hotel is also close (even walking distance!) to many attractions.  The La Fortuna waterfall, Rain Forest Chocolate tour

Casa Luna is a fabulous find and we can’t wait to return!  Treat yourself.

Fishing in Costa Rica

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Fishing in Costa Rica was amazing!  I had never been deep sea fishing and couldn’t wait for our day on the water.  We booked with Quepos Fish Adventure and had a good time.

After finding the fishing dock, GoogleMaps and Galileo both had issues, we bought our fishing license for $15 US each.  There are multiple charter companies working from this dock with boats moored nearby.

After an hour and a half or so motoring to a reef, 45-60 minutes of bait fishing, we were headed to deep water!!

Almost as soon as the first mate had at the 6 lines set and in the water, we had our first hit!  After a 40 minute fight a beautiful Sail fish came aboard for a quick photo op.  These fish are not “keepers” so can only be out of the water for 45 seconds max.  Kenzie, our first mate, did a great job of helping her out of the water and in position for photos.

After a brief excitement period when the adrenaline was just coming down, our second (and last) hit of the day comes.  Seriously!  We caught 2 Sail Fish in less than an hour.  The video of this second catch can be found here!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB61IOM-MtI&feature=youtu.be

Unfortunately, the extend of our excitement happened in the first hour of our fishing day, but any day on the water is a great day.

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