Executive Room, 1 King Bed
from $90
La Catalina Hotel and Suites
3.5 out of 5.0
74% based on 85 reviews
TripAdvisor Traveler Rating
Recent guest reviews
reserved and paid for presidential suite with balcony and free WIFI. room has no balcony ????? WIFI non existent, place needs a serious renovation and needs to update website with accurate info as well as get internet, the manager (who was vey nice) actually gave me a code to get internet but said in advance it did not work. Ownership needs to invest some $$$ into this place, staff was nice but didn't overcome the condition issues and lack of internet. Reserved 2 nights ,left after 1
My second time staying at this resort. You can chose from the large houses for large groups or the smaller apartments / studios. The vision is to develop a small town where all can walk to the beach, 2 restaurants, beach club. You can chose to stay at the beach (which has lots of natural shaded spots), in the many hammocks or rocking chairs, or by the infinity pool sipping amazing margaritas. Or you can go off and do many activities - best knows for its 20+ miles of mountain biking, snorkeling right off the beach, paddle boarding, kayaking, etc. All equipment provided by the local store Pura Vida for a fee (which makes the best coffees and gelato). Amazing place. I'll be back!
We spent a long week-end at Las Catalinas, we rented flat 20 avenida la Antigua 1 and the 5 of us could sleep in the one-bedroom apartment perfectly (two adults and 3 children). The flat is beautifully designed and decorated and comes with a small yet cosy pool on the terrace. We enjoyed very much the area by the beach (walking distance of a few minutes) with swings and howler monkeys up in the trees. When you rent at Las Catalinas, you are also provided with access to the beach club, with several pools (the children's pool is much appreciated if you have small children!) and a restaurant. There is also a restaurant by the Danta beach (Limonada). Everything is walking distance. Since the flat comes with a kitchen and appliances, it is highly recommendable to bring your own groceries (there are no supermarket or convenient store at Las Catalinas). The overall feeling is very unique: relaxed yet classy, beautiful, quiet and safe.
Only 30 minutes from downtown san jose and overlooking the valley this mansion house converted in to a hotel is a must see. Well maintened house and gardens with a beautiful view of the city from the top, is a place to enjoy and relax.. Staff very helpful and friendly also offers good home cooking. Beware that this is adults only hotel where there's one of the pools for nudity,i found out at check in but nobody bothers the others..we'll back anytime..
Pool ambience was great , we met many couples. Our room had the best view of the valley. The food at this place was excellent, All inclusive but NO BUFFETT with a large menu. Great Parties on Saturday night and Sunday Funday!! We did the Poas Volcano tour and was close to this location!! Very pleasant staff!!
It was a great experience staying at your hotel, was better than we expected. My wife and i were really happy because thats what we were looking for, a calm place sorrounded by nature, great view, delicious food, and staff were really kind and helpful.
When we get there, Because it was hard to get there, they request the payment prior anything, then they told us that the hotel was a partial nudist hotel, then we get to our room that all over was really bad cleaning, and had no A/C, when we complains they try to upgrade us to the honey moon suit the one that part of the view was the nudist / swinger pool, I had no problem with that style of living, but I not shared and it will be nice if the hotel staff let you know it before payment because when we request the refund they say NO at all, it was a really sad and not romantic experience.
We wanted to get away for a few days and although this hotel was far out of the way from San Jose we decided to try it because it looked so nice on-line. it was not easy to find and included driving 2 or 3 kilometers on a very bad road with many potholes. In fact in some parts you could go only 2K per hour because you climbed out of one pot-hole and immediately down into the next. When we finally arrived it took them a long time to check us in and then they took as far from the main house to a section that looked like it had been build many years ago as an annex. We arrived in a dirty car-port with waste papers all over it and then had to climb two sets of stairs to get to our bedroom and when we finally got there we found it had no air conditioning (which we had been assured it did have).We did not even take any luggage into the place. We just drove back to the main building and told them we were leaving. The girl behind the desk talked for a long time to her manager and then asked us to wait for her to come. We waited a total of 30 minutes and then we left. It took us 45 minutes to get there but 3 hours to get back to San Jose because they had delayed us so much that we were stuck in rush-hour traffic. Since they had not even processed our credit card we did not expect it to be charged but we just looked (two weeks later) and found they had charged it. So now we have to waste more of our time to get a refund. The most important things I told the woman when I called to book was that I MUST have Air Conditioning and it MUST be ground floor. They lied to us about both. Buyer beware!
First of all, to address some of the negative comments in earlier reviews, let's say this first: THIS IS NOT A FIVE STAR RESORT. Right. Now that we've done that, let's talk about what it is. It is a charming place with great ambiance for those seeking relaxation in a laid-back location that is both secluded and close to the action. My wife and I stayed a week here and LOVED it. The resort is within a walled and gated 6-acre estate originally built as a playboy millionaire's mansion. It is located on a mountainside overlooking San Jose with beautiful views of the valley and city both day and night. It is secluded and sequestered from the teeming bustle of the city while still close enough that you are only minutes away from anything you want to do or obtain in town. There are suites, a restaurant/bar, a library, and lounge area in the main house, with other suites, a small spa, a "playroom" and a gym all retrofitted from various guest houses and quarters throughout the grounds. Our suite was one of these, with two stories that had balconies on each. We found the room to be clean, spacious, and well-appointed. The king bed was comfortable and all our linens were clean and nice. There are two pools, one for those who prefer to be nude, and one for those who don't, and an outdoor jacuzzi. All three were lovely, well-kept, and clean. The grounds are covered with gardens that if not meticulously manicured serve to create both seclusion and wide open spaces throughout the six acre compound with an abundance of trees, vines, shrubbery, and flowers with an eclectic and wide variety of colors and textures, and placements. Birds flock by the thousands and lend color, sound, and motion to the scenery. The food may not be gourmet quality, but is a good mixture of Canadian and American staples with authentic local fare added to the menu. It is fresh, cooked to order, and deliciously satisfying. The Staff are incredibly friendly and helpful, and though we found they indeed possessed a wide range of English fluency, we had no problems being able to be understood and eagerly waited upon, even sought out and asked what we wanted frequently. With all that being said, here's what we liked best that you will get at no "perfect" stuffy five-star. The REAL "Rock-Star" treatment, being able to do what you want, when you want, without the restrictions of a suffocating structure. There are no signs declaring the pools or jacuzzi "Closed at 10PM" or restrictive restaurant hours or menu choices. The restaurant is open from early to late, and you can just wander in and order whatever, whenever, however, and they will gladly make it how and when you ask for it. You are free to skinnydip at midnight without tiptoeing around looking for the security detail and hoping not to be scolded.The playground is open, and buzzkill is non-existent. Carmen, who manages the facility, is extremely helpful at suggesting and facilitating the reservation and setup of activities of all sorts across the country should you wish to tour, sightsee, or recreate outside the resort. We took advantage of this and had an awesome time at a variety of venues ranging from natural wonders to beach and shopping trips. Like another reviewer (Dec 4 2012) we were able to retain the services of Geovanny Mendez as a driver through Carmen. I would not recommend those uninitiated in the traffic patterns of Costa Rica try to do so in a rental. Geovanny proved to be a safe and affordable option, he is also familiar with not only every area of the country, but was a treasure trove of knowledge of local customs, language, food, plants, photogenic vistas, places to eat, and hidden prizes all along the route to where you set out to go. There simply cannot be anyone better at what he does, with his ever-present smile, wit, and knowledge, he made us wish our day trips didn't have to end. We were introduced to the unique beauty and and personality of this country through this resort, its staff, and our inimitable driver. We will be back, and cannot imagine staying elsewhere. Others may differ, maybe crave the rules and regulations and details of the finest hand soaps and the most closely-cropped hedges of a hoity-toity resort. Not us. We crave the laid-back charm of this place, and can't imagine Costa Rica any other way.
Very little customer service here. Almost every single time I wanted something, I had to walk inside the main restaurant area and hunt someone down to place an order. For the days when people are out by the pools, there is no reason not to send someone out every 20 or 30 minutes to take orders. Also, there was one bottle of hot sauce for the entire hotel. It was gone on my second night, and I cannot eat Tico food without hot sauce. As far as the rooms, they are okay. Nothing special. The nights were quiet. The hotel grounds are nice, but the lounge chairs and poolside furniture could use an upgrade. Great view of the valley at night.
Hotel highlights
- Free WiFi and wired Internet in public areas
- Free parking
- Onsite dining
- Spa
Located in Birri, La Catalina Hotel and Suites is 12.4 mi (19.9 km) from Spirogyra Butterfly Garden. This 24-room, 3.5-star hotel has 2 outdoor pools along with a full-service spa and a restaurant. In the mountains, the hotel is also within a 30-minute drive of Museum of Costa Rican Art.
Dining
This hotel is home to a fine-dining restaurant and a bar/lounge. Savor a meal from the privacy of your room with room service, or get a pick-me-up at the coffee shop/café.
Rooms
La Catalina Hotel and Suites's 24 soundproofed rooms provide balconies, refrigerators, and minibars. Guests can expect to find LED TVs with cable channels. Beds are dressed in pillow menus and down comforters, and bathrooms offer hair dryers and free toiletries. Other standard amenities include coffee makers, free local calls, and ceiling fans.
Property features
Guests of La Catalina Hotel and Suites have access to a full-service spa, 2 outdoor pools, and a fitness center. You can take advantage of free parking, along with an airport shuttle for a fee (available 24 hours). The 24-hour front desk has multilingual staff ready to assist with dry cleaning/laundry, tours or tickets, and luggage storage. Other amenities at this adults-only hotel include a spa tub, an outdoor tennis court, and free WiFi in public areas.
Reviews from Trip Advisor
74% of guests recommend this hotel
Total of 85 reviews
