Lovely Refuge

Guest: Maurice Ravel (New York)
Date of Stay: 04/19/09 Review Submitted: 08/10/10

I went in search of much-needed respite away from the hustle of NYC... and found it at Casita Felicidad. Nestled among tropical trees and flowers, yet close enough to the hotel's restaurant and amenities, you need want for nothing and you have the best of both worlds. The house itself is well-appointed and has the most lovely porch where you can take your coffee in the mornings, have a siesta in the afternoon, and star gaze at night. If you sleep in the master bedroom, you wake to gossimer drapes blowing in the morning Once you're off the plane in San Jose, it's only about a 45-minute drive, so it's ultra-convenient. And.. the house is situated such that it is convenient as a base if you decide to venture elsewhere in country. No going wrong here.... it's a steal.

Owner response:Lovely review and spot on, although the cottage is only TWENTY minutes away from the airport, and about 40-45 minutes away from San Jose proper. This is fairly important, as many people use the cottage as a beginning and ending of their vacation in Costa Rica because of the proximity to the airport. Thanks for the review, Maurice!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, romantic getaway, tourists without a car, families with young children, girls getaway, adventure seekers, families with teenagers, age 55+.

What a lovely place.

Guest: M_NYC (New York)
Date of Stay: 06/19/10 Review Submitted: 07/27/10

I recently booked Casita Felicidad for myself and my family (family of four) for a week in June. What a lovely place. We had planned to go to the coast for a few days but stayed the entire week at the cottage because we had full access to all the amenities at Vista del Valle, the hotel where the cottage is located, including the pool, nature trails (the 300 foot waterfall was awesome), and restaurants. We even booked a horse tour and road through the coffee plantations! Needless to say, this was a wonderful way to take advantage of the hotel facilities and also have a house with a full kitchen and peaceful HUGE porch to enjoy our privacy! The price on VRBO is half of what this cottage is listed for on the hotel website, and worth every penny. What a great location. We will be renting again next year!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, romantic getaway, pet owners, tourists without a car, families with young children, girls getaway, adventure seekers, families with teenagers, age 55+.

A Little Slice of Heaven

Guest: Berty (New York, NY)
Date of Stay: 09/14/07 Review Submitted: 07/27/10

My husband and I stayed here for our first wedding anniversary, and it was perfection. It feels like much more than 1200 square feet, because the ceilings in the Great Room are vaulted with beautiful wood. The place was immaculately clean with no creepy creatures one might expect to find in the tropics. There's a wonderful open feeling to the house which sits on a hill overlooking a long, beautifully landscaped yard. Across the little lane at the foot of the hill are more sloping, landscaped gardens. You feel like you're looking out over the Garden of Eden. My husband and I would get up early every morning, make our coffee and sit on the porch to watch the hummingbirds fly right up to the porch rail and sip the mornnig dew out of the cups of the Bird of Paradise plants that grow up to the porch rail. One of the first things I fell in love with when we arrived was a beautiful Lantana bush in the yard that was absolutely covered with butterflies of every description drinking the nectar of the flowers! If you happen to go in mango season, there are 4 huge mango trees at the foot of the property that you can take all you want. And there's a blender in the kitchen. Yummy. We went in the rainy season and found the rain to be very cooperative. Every morning was bright and sunny, and the rain didn't start until mid to late afternoon. Then it would come down in buckets for a couple of hours or so- just in time for an afternoon siesta- then clear up by 6 or 7- just in time for a stroll over to the restaurant which is part of the resort. They have fantastic food and a full bar, the service is wonderful, and the restaurant sits on the brink of a huge gorge with spectacular views. Right outside the restaurant there's a jacuzzi and a gorgeous swimming pool that we used almost every day we were there. We took lots of day trips, which were so easy to plan because the staff at Vista del Valle, who were all very helpful and congenial arranged for drivers for us who know the area and took us at very reasonable rates to wherever we wanted to go, and there's lots to do in that area without having to go too far. The owner was right on point with everything we needed to know, and bent over backwards to help make our stay one we will never forget. This is really the deal of the century, and I would recommend to anyone a stay in this beautiful cottage. It's really bigger than a cottage and absolutely charming in every way. We're going back soon.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, romantic getaway, pet owners, tourists without a car, families with young children, girls getaway, adventure seekers, families with teenagers, age 55+.