Ballena Dorada Lodge

The accommodation was comfortable and clean and facilities were everything we hoped for. Host was super friendly and helpful with all enquiries.

Nothing we didn’t like.

Lovely views, sunset Very helpful 😃

Nothing

Friendly welcome from Gretyl. Trees and wildlife surrounded the house. Clean linens and pleasant communal areas to sit and well stocked kitchen. Nice small pool.

The noise from the main road nearby. Getting a little warn and in need of some maintenance.

We had a great stay at this hotel. The location is beautiful and up on a hill — we didn’t love that at first, but the amazing view definitely made up for it. The building is nice and cool, and the kitchen space is excellent. Customer service was very good — the staff were friendly, and whenever we needed something fixed, they responded quickly and took care of it right away. The pool area and the pool itself were nice and enjoyable. However, the lodge definitely needs renovation. If you’re looking for a luxury stay, this place is probably not for you. We were not seeking luxury — we were simply enjoying Costa Rica and everything it has to offer. Overall, a very nice experience.

There were several technical issues during our stay. In one room, the toilet flush was not working and there was no water in the sink. We rented five rooms, and each had some kind of problem — cooling units were shutting down, and there were plumbing issues. Be sure to confirm your room has proper air conditioning, as some are offered with fans only. Thankfully, the hotel gave us a discount for all the technical troubles, which we appreciated. Parking was also quite tricky. It is very narrow and right by a cliff, and we were not able to park our SUV there. I’m sure for locals it may not be a problem, but it was challenging for us. One more thing — the second floor is right next to the road, and it gets very loud in the morning. Many people use motorcycles, so after a long, hot day it was not very relaxing.