Boutique Hotel Aguas Claras Puerto Viejo

We spent the best 4 night stay at Hotel Aguas Claras! When we decided to book our trip to Costa Rica, we looked for a place that could provide a low-key, no rush, natural/scenic surrounding while still getting great comfort, food and service. Aguas Claras provided just that and definitely much more! The service was impeccable but yet friendly and casual! The grounds and our room were clean and very well tended to - housekeeping and the ground keepers do a fabulous job. We had all of our breakfasts (Gallo Pinto is delicious) and dinners at Papaya and the food was just excellent all around. We especially enjoyed the barbecue on Friday night... sooo good. The whole restaurant area is very welcoming with couches and sitting areas everywhere. You could easily spend the whole day there sipping a cocktail or a coconut water and reading a book poolside losing track of time. We also enjoyed the Dalime bar by the beach, so convenient and a very short walk from the hotel. The lunch menu at Dalime is great too - we really enjoyed the ceviche! **** Our stay would NOT have been the same without the big smiles and friendliness of the wait staff - Especially Frayman, Arriett, and Michael!! It was great seeing your smiles every day! Danya was awesome too and introduced us to the Chiliguaro on our last night!!! You guys are the absolute best and you TRULY made our stay in Costa Rica extra special. **** We rarely visit the same location twice (there is so much to see in the world)... but we might very well make an exception for this one :)

This is our second visit to Hotel Aguas Claras, a member of the Cayuga Collection of Ecotourism hotels. Simply put, Hotel Aguas Claras has the finest staff top to bottom of ANY resort or hotel we have ever stayed at. Everyone from the gardeners to the maintenance people to the reception staff to the bar and restaurant servers and chefs GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO KNOW YOUR NAME AND MAKE YOUR STAY IMPECCABLE! In this day and age of mediocre service, this kind of personalized, exceptional service alone makes Hotel Aguas Claras unique. And then there is the stunning setting (a tropical rain forest garden), the willingness of the kitchen team to prepare individually tailored exquisite meals (we eat Whole Food Plant Based with no added Salt, Oil or Sugar and the kitchen team served us meal after outstanding meal -- all freshly prepared and stunningly good!), the gorgeous rooms (laid back tropical chic with gorgeous art, outdoor showers and the most comfortable beds/linens ever), a beautiful (albeit small) Caribbean Beach (from which you can easily walk for 45 minutes in either direction) and a down-home, funky surfer town (with more food and beverage option than you could possibly visit in a month) just 5 minutes away. Whether you are coming to experience nature, hang out in some really fun bars and restaurants or just chill out by the pool or Caribbean Sea, Hotel Aguas Claras has something for you. The only small nit we have is that some of the rooms near the front of the hotel are a bit close to the main road. In an otherwise idyllic setting, there is nothing the Hotel can do about this, but you, dear reader, can ask for a room towards the back of the property and ensure your stay is perfect!

This hotel is beautiful but it is not a "5-star" hotel and is not worth the price. The bad - Took 75 minutes to get our bags brought to our room - The hotel calls itself a 5star hotel but did not have a hairbrush - The hotel didn't have a phone charger for us to borrow and suggested we go to a supermarket (we told them it was our honeymoon) - The suites do not have natural light in the bedroom which makes it claustrophobic - Our key cards did not work which prevented us from going to the beach on our first day before sunset - No TV - It is a 3 minute walk to the beach (versus being on the beach) - Beach access is via a beach club - All of these things could be forgiven at a lower price point - but at the current price point and the claim that it's a "5-star" hotel, doesn't fly in our book The good - Beautifully designed hotel - Hotel has parking - You can't see any other building on the beach which makes you feel like you're in a secluded paradise - The beach had soft sand - They had a nice welcome drink - The Pavlova "Sweets" are spacious - The outdoor shower area is very spacious - The staff is friendly