Punta Islita Hotel

My Husband and I stayed at Punta Islita for 5 nights. What an amazing property. We had a Suite with an outdoor hot tub and the most incredible views of mountains and ocean. The food was wonderful. The Executive Chef was great. He would take special requests for dinner and customize your meal. We went in June (wet season). Be aware that it will take about 5 hours from SanJose. If you are driving, you have to walk out into a river to see if you can cross. If not, add another hour to your arrival. Make sure and have the... more

So as many posters have mentioned, Punta Islita is nestled on the side of a hill overlooking the Pacific and is gorgeous. Overall, we enjoyed our stay, but would like to note a few things as a warning to future travelers. First, as the last poster mentioned, room #10 is noisy. We stayed in this room and probably should have bargained for an upgrade due to the construction and ATV/car traffic noises from below. Next, never leave your door open, not even for 30 seconds. One evening we returned to our room to find an entire colony of... more

Punta Islita is a wonderful place and would be perfect for a honeymoon - it's romantic and secluded. The staff is attentive. My only regret is that this wasn't the end of our stay, as it would have been a wonderful and relaxing end to our trip after white river rafting, ziplining, hiking, etc., in other areas of CR. We changed rooms after 2 nights, as our first room was a casita with hammock and jacuzzi close to the main building and we could hear construction next to us and ATVs starting early in the morning. Why, when the resort... more

We just got back from a 4 night stay at the Punta Islita and I can honestly say it met all of our expectations. The staff is genuinely warm and friendly, but the big draw is the incredible view that you just have to see to believe. The drive from the Lake Arenal region was a little long (about 4 hours), but was worth it. If you can manage to fly in instead, that is probably the way to go. The river was low enough on the way back to the airport in Liberia to simply drive across, which cut off about an hour. I wouldn't try this on my own,... more

Hotel Punta Islita was the destination we chose to start our Costa Rican vacation. What an awesome choice. We opted to drive from San Jose and we are glad we did. The drive was an adventure in itself but the directions were great. We arrived and were greeted by the staff with wet towels to cool us off. It was nice because we were muggy feeling from the humidity. Our stay here was excellent and well worth the money. We actually got a free upgrade when we arrived probably because we went during low season. The room was great. It was... more

We stayed at Punta Islita the last 4 nights of our honeymoon and it was well worth it. We stayed in a Junior Suite that had a great view of the valley and the ocean. The food was excellent the chef was very creative. They took care of everything you could possibley need to make your stay perfect. We had stayed in two other locations in Costa Rica the fist 8 days and this was by far the best with Makanda by the Sea a close, very close second. They also had a pool and resturant down by the beach that was great to mix it up. Both pools... more

I stayed at Hotel Punta Islita with a small group of friends and can't say enough good things. Everything was first class - including the food, staff, and rooms. Not to mention the breathtaking views from everywhere on the property. We particularly enjoyed the endless pool and the messages on the beach. We've travelled to destinations all over the world and this ranks at the top. Hotel Punta Islita is perfect for those that want to get away and enjoy a once in a lifetime vacation!!!

We returned yesterday from our magical vacation at Punta Islita. The weather was perfect, the service attentive (understated but charming) and the activities were great. We combined adventure (an exciting zip line over a canyon) with massage sessions near the ocean. The highlight was our private romantic candle lit dinner. What a treat! Delicious food and an incredible setting made it the most amazing travel experience we've had in while. I would have to give Islita my highest ratings in Costa Rica. The Four Seasons offers... more

The moment we stepped out of the car, someone was there to greet us and hand us cold towels. The entire staff was extrmemely helpful and friendly. We stayed in a standard ocean view room. The accomodations were exceptionally clean, and I'm hard to please when it comes to cleanliness. I'm neurotic!! Going to Costa Rica we were expecting to fight off alot of insects. Suprisingly, we found NOT one in our room. The food was very good and the Saturday bbq at the beach was fun. The activities director was extremely helpful. I highly... more

The review from Chicago is right on target. The hotel is on a hill top overlooking a gorgeous cove beach. Peace and quiet reign the day since the location is certainly off the beaten path. We thoroughly enjoyed our days on the beach where the water is luscious and swimmable and the amenities have all been brought downhill - pool, bar, restaurant, chairs, umbrellas. But this is not a luxury hotel by American standards. To compare, this would be a lower priced option in the Carribean. Some of our dissappointments included the unfriendly... more