Vacation Rentals by Owner

Sprong Break-2012

Guest: The Hoops (Indianapolis, IN)
Date of Stay: 03/31/12 Review Submitted: 04/14/12

Our family arrived at the house on Saturday afternoon to a warm welcome from Ana and Freddy. We settled in and Ana prepared a wonderful dinner for us. The pictures cannot substitute for seeing it in person. It is a beautiful home with a perfect view over the ocean. We did a number of day trips with Carrillo adventures and just relaxed at Carrillo beach and around the wonderful infinity pool. Thanks to Ana and Freddy for a wonderful and relaxing vacation.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Fabulous Family Vacation

Guest: Beverly (Easton, Maryland)
Date of Stay: 02/11/12 Review Submitted: 02/28/12

A wonderful stay was had by our family at Casa de la Loma! For us and our three adult children -- two with spouses and one single --- the house was perfect. Breathtaking views, fabulous infinity pool, comfortable and beautifully appointed rooms ....and the services of Ana, Freddy and Allison ---- EXCELLENT on all counts. Close enough to Samara and action, but quietly tucked on a hill with privacy, serenity, beauty and and the services of Ana and her family. Outstanding!! We are thrilled to have found this little jewel for our first visit to Costa Rica.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Awesome holiday!

Guest: Happy & relaxed (Spruce Grove, Alberta)
Date of Stay: 01/27/12 Review Submitted: 02/27/12

This is an absolutely beautiful villa. Our vacation was top-notch, second to none. Having such a wonderful cook/housekeeper added to our stay. She was not only an excellent cook but was a great reference guide as to all of the amenities/attractions in the area. She definitely added to the entire experience. I would highly recommend this as a destination (already have, in fact) and am planning another visit in the future.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Paradise!

Guest: Yvette (Stony Plain, AB, Canada)
Date of Stay: 01/27/12 Review Submitted: 02/27/12

The best word to describe this property is PARADISE!! The house itself has the best layout. From the moment you open the front door to the time you go to bed, you'll get a breathtaking, panoramic view of the ocean. The property is immaculate and the house is sparkly clean and well maintained. What is even more special is the fact that all our meals were prepared, fresh, daily by the most wonderful, friendly housekeeper/chef. It was like she was part of our family. She was very helpful in recommending activities and attractions. The whole atmosphere of this paradise made it so special that we didn't even want to leave to go to the nearby beaches. I would recommend this property to everyone I know.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Dream House in Paradise!

Guest: Mandi (South Carolina)
Date of Stay: 01/14/12 Review Submitted: 01/27/12

My husband and I and 4 of our best friends came here for a week in Janauary. It was pure heaven. Like everyone else says, the pictures do not do it justice. Most of our group hardly left the house and relaxed in the pool and hammocks. Ana was priceless. She was just wonderful. We are all foodies, and we all agreed that she cooked some of the best food we've ever had. She was very helpful too on telling us where to go for different things. There was great surfing and boogie boarding at Playa Carillo and Playa Samara. We all felt that Playa Samara was one of the best beaches we have ever gone to and highly recommend Gusta Cafe to eat at. I would have to say that our whole group felt that this was the best vacation ever (and we travel a lot). It was all due to the wonderful accommodations!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway.

Seattle Family

Guest: Ted (Seattle)
Date of Stay: 12/16/11 Review Submitted: 01/03/12

We took our family and two friends (7 total, all adults) on a week at Christmas. Everything about the house was excellent. Photos were accurate, althaugh might have understated the property. Clean, great cook, owners very very helpful making our stay better. Strong recommendation to anyone. We enjoyed an evening turtle search, and the local ziplining was a blast. The kids went to yoga classes on the beach, and tried surfing at Playa Carrillo several times. We also visited several other beaches and towns within 25km north and south.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway.

Review of Casa de la Loma

Guest: Cathy (Seattle, WA. )
Date of Stay: 12/16/11 Review Submitted: 01/03/12

Casa de la Loma is paradise! The pictures on-line don't even describe what a lovely piece of property this sits on...180 degree view of the ocean, the infinity pool is superb, Ana, the cook and housekeeper, is fabulous, wished she could have fit in my carry-on bag home! Her husband, Freddie, kept the grounds, pool, etc all perfect. The cooking was so great, truly a vacation when someone else cooks for you, and cooks wonderful dishes and then cleans up!!!!!!!!!!!! The 2 master suite quarters were lovely, views of the ocean, the other 2 bedrooms are great for kids, etc...no views...we rotated our kids through those two bedrooms so each kid had the 2nd master suite for 3 nights each... A/C in the bedrooms which is nice during the night...lovely hammock, game table (which we used all the time!), adirondeck chairs, etc. is a great place, covered patio to escape the sun mid-day....also a wonderful covered bar area with BBQ, frig, sink....outside bathroom near the pool is wonderful! Grassy area off to one side of the house for stretching, yoga, napping, whatever! Stereo surround system that knock your socks off, extends to the pool area....TV, VCR, wireless connection, W/D (all laundry done by Ana!!) We walked to the beach, hiked to the hut at the top of the hill, surfed at Playa Carillo, fresh fish was fabulous, butcher delivered meat/chicken/pork to our doorstep, the list goes on and on and on..... We had a wonderful vacation, all 7 of us...probably one of the BEST vacations we have ever taken...I highly recommend Casa de la Loma!!!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Amazing property with 5 star treatment by the staff

Guest: liza (Arlington, Va)
Date of Stay: 08/09/11 Review Submitted: 08/25/11

My family and I vacationed in CostaRica in august of 2011. We stayed at Casa Loma for one week. It was AMAZING! I am not a fan of very developed beaches and prefer more natural and untouched areas. The house is easily accessible from San Jose. Its best to have a four wheel drive to go up the driveway close to the house. Ana, the caretaker, is an amazing cook and she had dessert for us every night. The house is beautiful, comfortable, and amazing. We could have stayed a month. We like adventure and had five kids with us. Four were teenagers and one was a four year old. We didn't get bored at all. There was plenty to do and the house and location is so beautiful that you do not feel the need to leave the area for entertainment. We will definitely return here. I havetraveledextensively around the world. This is among my top 10 choices to revisit again.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Un séjour exceptionnel

Guest: Nad (Montreal)
Date of Stay: 07/30/11 Review Submitted: 08/25/11

Nous nous souviendrons tous de notre première impression en entrant dans cette maison : nous avons eu le souffle coupé ! La piscine, la mer à perte de vue avec ces grandes portes ouvertes. Et cette impression demeure, jour après jour. La maison est idéale pour 2 familles (nous étions 4 adultes et 4 adolescents) et les plages des alentours sont magnifiques. La maison est impeccable, climatisations individuelle dans chaque chambre, la piscine nettoyée chaque jour... et il y a Anna !!! Une femme souriante, attentionnée, travaillante, et une cuisinière hors-paire ! C'était une fête à tous les soirs avec tous ces plats sur la table... les enfants disaient que c'était comme le Jour de l'An tous les jours !!! Nous recommandons cette maison à tous nos amis depuis notre retour. Un endroit de rêve !

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Paradise in Costa Rica

Guest: Gina (Louisville, Ky)
Date of Stay: 07/23/11 Review Submitted: 08/09/11

What a wonderful vacation in Casa De Loma ! We had 2 families - 4 adults and 6 children (ages 6-13) in our party. The accomocations were PERFECT for this group ! I agree with the other reviews that the pictures do not do the property justise. It is much more beautiful than the photographs show. The house is open and airy - then you walk out to the infiniti pool that overlooks the ocean. Kids were up and swimming early in the morning and late at night and easy to supervise. The views are breathtaking. We enjoyed watching howler monkies in the trees just a few feet away from the house. Every morning we took a walk/run down the steep hill and the gravel road. Anna was wonderful and made our stay even more special. The food she prepared was delicious and the house was kept immaculate (in spite of the 6 children !) Our favorite beach was Samara - less than a 10 minute drive. Be careful in the early afternoon at high tide because the waves are very rough, but it calms down in the late afternoon. You will definitely need a car, because the closest beach - Carrillo is probably a 5 minute drive, but too long to walk - especially carrying any beach stuff. Everyone went Zip Lining with the Wing Nuts group and we all LOVED it ! Don't miss that ! Also a few of us went Horseback riding and it was a real treat. We saw even more beautiful views of the house and Ocean. I will definitely be back to Costa Rica.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Living LARGE!

Guest: MARINE (Fredericksburg, Virginia)
Date of Stay: 06/23/11 Review Submitted: 07/27/11

So, we had a family reunion - picked this place that looked interesting and within our budget - the pictures looked nice and it came with a Chef/ House-keeper, so we committed. LET ME TELL YOU! We were in awe! Listing pictures does not do this location justice. The house and property is just amazingly beautiful – felt RICH! And the tentativeness that was given by Mrs. Ana (Chef/ House-keeper) was above and beyond! There is nothing like waking up to a GORGEOUS view! Walking out through the living room, on my way out to the pavilion by the pool to sit and relax with a cup of REAL TICO coffee that Ana had ready and waiting! THE VIEW! THE VIEW! THE VIEW! Ana's eagerness to please was genuine and constant. Her cooking was just DELICIOUS! Monkeys where cool – and we were able to see a bunch! Beaches – depending on your adventure level and if you can make it “out” of the house (both my daughters 18 & 20 did not want to leave the pool)! – First tour Samara and the Beach, and then take a day to drive out to Playa Conchal and shop for “gifts” in Playas de Coco!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

The most beautiful week...

Guest: Beckey (Fort Worth, Texas)
Date of Stay: 06/12/11 Review Submitted: 06/19/11

This has been the most beautiful week! The house is gorgeous and perfectly arranged to enjoy the wonderful ocean and countryside views. We spent our time doing lots of swimming, beach time, a fabulous zip line tour (Carrillo Adventures), and shopping!! We were so blessed to be completely spoiled by Ana. What wonderful meals and warm, friendly service!! Enjoyed getting to know her a little bit and also hearing what it is like to live in Costa Rica. Freddie, the grounds and gardens are beautiful!! Loved meeting Allison and even got to see some of her artwork, beautiful!! Thank you for a fantastic week!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

"Oh my God"

Guest: Erin (Omaha, NE)
Date of Stay: 05/08/11 Review Submitted: 05/18/11

We had an absolutely amazing vacation at Casa De La Loma. It is an amazing home tucked away in a very beautiful part of Costa Rica. The house was very clean, very well kept, and very beautiful. Ana, the chef, was fabulous. I am a vegetarian and she was very accommodating. Every meal was better than the next and they were all fabulous. We hope to go back soon!!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

A Wonderful Property and a Terrific Holiday

Guest: AllenJ (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/21/11 Review Submitted: 03/06/11

Our vacation party of 5 are completing our two week stay at Casa de la Loma. The house is even nicer than the pictures on this website. The amenities are first-rate as well. However, the best part of our stay has been the hospitality exhibited by Ana our chef and her husband Freddy who tends the property. Ana's cuisine is superb. The food is fresh and perfectly prepared. The fresh fruit is a particular delight. Ana is very friendly and efficient. She is a delightful host. We are not in the habit of returning to the same place for a holiday. However, we've made an exception in this case because this place is so wonderful. This place is a little off the beaten track. We recommend renting a car for your vacation. It is possible to find a 4 wheel drive vehicle at a reasonable price.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Anja

Guest: Ann (Toronto, Ontario)
Date of Stay: 01/29/11 Review Submitted: 03/16/11

Casa De La Loma is simply amazing! As soon as you enter the home the infinity pool overlooking the Pacific is beckoning you to get in and in we got withing 20 minutes after our arrival. Any worries about home or work vanished. Never so destressed in my life so fast. The home is immaculate and the lush grounds, beautiful flowers are so welcoming. The staff and serviice impeccable. Did i mention the fabulous views, wonderful temperature, awesome food and presentation by Ana, the housekeeper and glorious sunsets. When we awoke the first morningand every moring after that, the sun was shining, the sky and ocean so blue, this is the view from our bedroom and I haven't even taken my head off the pillow. Pinch me because I must be dreaming. Exceptional vacation. number one on our list.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners, romantic getaway.

Enchantment at Casa de la Loma

Guest: Katharine (London UK and New York, USA)
Date of Stay: 12/16/10 Review Submitted: 03/15/11

My husband and I invited our three grown children, along with our son in law and one year old grandson Max, to spend ten days over Christmas 2010 with us at Casa de la Loma. We'd never been to Costa Rica before, and never rented through VRBO, but it turned out to be the most memorable, delicious, and utterly carefree and happy holiday we've ever shared together. This is a very special place - better than the photos show, with a beautiful pool overlooking the Pacific and glorious scenery all around. Anna, the wonderful housekeeper, makes everyone feel at home, cooks like a dream, and keeps the villa spotless. Her husband looks after the garden and pool, so guests can enjoy the sunshine on the terrace, swim, and admire the astonishing view over the Pacific. The atmosphere was relaxed and casual, and all age groups loved the villa and the holiday. Our grandson Max had a wonderful time playing on the terrace and splashing in the pool (a baby cot, highchair and toys are provided),. He also loved following Anna into the kitchen and banging on the pots with her. There's lots to do in the surrounding area, with two lovely local beaches, Playa Carillo and Playa Samara, both close by. Guests can ride horses up in the hills behind the villa, take surfing lessons, and hire boats etc. There are some very good local restaurants and Samara town has lots of cafes and shops to explore - plus good grocery and butcher, etc. Costa Rica is simply beautiful, and the people we met were genuine, friendly and helpful. There's flora and fauna in abundance, but it's a tropical country, so there are alligators and scorpions as well as beautiful birds and butterflies. All in all, a simply magical place.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway.

Outstanding

Guest: Cynthia Robinson (Alpharetta, Georgia)
Date of Stay: 08/07/10 Review Submitted: 08/28/10

My husband, my two daughters, and my mother-in-law stayed here in mid-August 2010 and we all cannot come up with the appropriate words to say how fabulous this home is. The view is absolutely outstanding -- nothing but ocean, rocky seashore, lush jungle and a picturesque bay. You don't see any other houses except the next door neighbors who are set back and off to the side. The quality of the home construction is evident throughout -- separate sleeping areas, plenty of bathroom space, gorgeous arched doors and windows for sunlight and ocean breezes. The home is well stocked with cooking utensils, dishes, wine glasses, linens, and beach towels. I absolutely adored having breakfast on the covered patio overlooking the sea, and dinner at the huge, beautiful dining table with the three sets of french doors open wide to the ocean breeze, music from the docking station, candles burning, and a sumptuous meal graciously laid out by Ana. I have rented many homes from VRBO throughout the years and can say without hesitation that this is the most elegant home to date. I have never enjoyed the services of a professional cook/caretaker before and now wonder how I can ever go on vacation again without one. It was simply one of the most relaxing and enjoyable vacations I have ever been on. We highly recommend this property.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

the title is very accurate

Guest: Uschi (Creemore, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 07/10/10 Review Submitted: 08/23/10

The listing for the property is very accurate . The villa is beautiful , spacious and very well maintained. My husband and I have rented different villas in various locations in the Carribean and Casa de la Loma has been the best. Really enjoyed the saltwater pool and spend a lot of time in it with our grandson. There are a lot of pool toys for him to play with. There were 6 of us at the villa and with the villa having a bedroom wing at each end of the house it worked out really well. It is unique to wake up in the morning and listen to the Holler monkeys . Of course , for me, one of the best things at the villa was Ana, the housekeeper/chef . A terrific cook, good sense of humour , very knowledgable in the activities and restaurants in the area and she will really spoil you. My grandson was very taken with her and she even started teaching him Spanish. Ana will pack a lunch for you if you go out for the day . We spend a day on the beach at Samara and our daughter and son-in-law took surfing lessons which they really enjoyed. They also took a day trip to Monteverde (3 hr trip) and in hindsight felt they should have arranged to stay overnight as there was so much to see. Since the villa is two hours from the airport, we had arranged to rent a vehicle and the owners gave us very good instructions how to get to the villa. Our stay was very relaxing and found that 7 days was not long enough. Next time we would like to do 10 days. We were there the second week of July and had very good weather except for 1 day of rain. We highly recommend this property to everyone. Please feel free to contact me if there are any questions .

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Paradise in Costa Rica

Guest: Chris and Greg (Barrie, ONT, Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/11/10 Review Submitted: 03/26/10

More beautiful and serene than any hot climate vacation we have ever been to. High on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the photos cannot possibly do the Casa justice. Always clean and beautifully maintained by live-in housekeeper/chef and groundskeeper, Ana and Freddie make your stay even more relaxed and magical. Owners Jacquie and Bob could not be more helpful in assisting with arrangements and suggestions to make our holiday go as smoothly as possible. We have made many recommendations to friends, in fact we have been back 2 more times with several different friends. There are a few attractions to see, but once you settle in, you honestly will be happiest resting in the Casa, in the pool, gazing out at Pelicans overhead and Humpback whales below. There is no place I have recommended as highly as Casa de la Loma.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

more beautiful than the pictures

Guest: longlake (winniepg)
Date of Stay: 01/16/10 Review Submitted: 03/28/10

I would highly recommend this property to anyone and everyone. The house and views are more beautiful than the pictures show. Freddy keeps the grounds and pool immaculate and Ana takes takes great care keeping the home clean. The food that Ana prepared for us was fantastic, every meal was my favorite! I can not wait to go back, it truly is paradise.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Wendy63 (Barrie, Ontario)
Date of Stay: 01/04/10 Review Submitted: 01/04/10

Words cannot describe what a wonderful holiday we had. The casa is beyond words. Ana and Freddy were over the top. Ana helped us out with everything from directions, restaurant recommendations, to booking our day fishing. She prepared terrific meals. (Including our fresh catch from fishing excursion). The view is spectacular and the house is beautiful. All of us agreed that it was our best vacation ever.

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Guest: Nanci Leigner (Northbrook IL)
Date of Stay: 12/28/09 Review Submitted: 12/28/09

This is a beautiful home with top notch everything. The house and the grounds are even more wonderful than the pictures and we loved the location in Carrillo - away from the main road with a breathtaking ocean view. The caretakers of the Casa (Ana & Freddy) were extremely helpful and very kind. Ana is a fabulous cook and has a warm and wonderful temperment. This place is perfect. I would return tomorrow if I could!

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