Good value for your money

Guest: None (Burlington, ON)
Date of Stay: 01/03/12 Review Submitted: 02/03/12

For the first time in our lives we have taken a 30 day holiday - and now regret that we did not do this sooner! Our stay at Villas Casa Loma was much more than we expected and was made even more memorable by our thoughtful hosts, Tom & Igor, who went out of their way to include us in local activities, shopping trips, beach excursions, etc. Mornings were spent mostly walking the lovely beaches of the area. Afternoons were spent swimming and sunning by one of the 2 beautiful tropical pools. The time just flew by! Many new friends. Many wonderful experiences! Our accommodations were clean, comfortable and the premises were well maintained. Our beds were very comfortable, we received fresh towels every 2nd day and new fresh sheets once a week. Accommodations were just right. The staff was very friendly and helpful, too. Low key and wonderful! One of many highlights was a Sunday excursion to Playa Dante and Lola's Restaurant, where we dined on great fish and chips plus local beer under the trees by the beautiful beach - enchanting! On our last evening Igor and Tom organized a going away dinner which was another happy memory for us. We are very glad that we decided to join with two of our friends for a much-needed winter holiday at this special oasis. We highly recommend this property to anyone who is seeking a peaceful, soul-refreshing break from the routines of everyday life! We'll be back... E&K, Ontario, Canada

Owner response:Hey Erika & Kajo! It was a great pleasure to have you both visiting and sharing our tropical paradise. We are delighted that you had a good time here! So glad that you were able to relax and enjoy the facilities of Villas Casa Loma and the surrounding area, too... We all sure had fun! As you discovered, there are a wide variety of beaches, restaurants, shops, farmers' market, land and beach activities - all within minutes of our property. There is never a time when one can ask oneself: "What am I going to do now?" ... Now that the new airport terminal is open in Liberia, it will be much quicker to clear your plane and find your way back to our little corner of Paradise the next time you come... We will be very pleased to see you both here again ... Come on back! The birds and animals are waiting - and so are we! PURA VIDA,! Tom and Igor

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, age 55+.

Extraordinarily relaxing!

Guest: Sal (Ashland, Oregon)
Date of Stay: 11/23/11 Review Submitted: 01/13/12

Villas Casa Loma is an exceptional vacation property....for those guests wanting views, spacious accommodations, atmosphere, and convenience to Guanacaste's northern pacific region. The property was much more than expected and our hosts Igor and Tom were always available to share CR history, give directions, make restaurant reservations, and make sure our needs were met. We recommend Congo Trails for zip lining, river tours, and the Lazy Lizard boat tours in Flamingo Bay.Our favorite restaurants were Marie's, Lola's North and South, Mar Y Sol, Marco Polo, and Carlos and Carlos. We are most certainly recommending this property!

Owner response:It was a delight to have you all visiting for 40 nights! You all clearly have a great senses of humor and adventure -(and dare we say Good Taste?) You made it all so easy for us and we thank you most sincerely for your kind comments. Of course, we are already planning new and exciting activities for you when you choose to return again to our little corner of Paradise! In the meantime, be well and happy. Enjoy life. It is too short to squander, as you know... Until soon, PURA VIDA! Tom and Igor

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+.

Amazing vacation for a group of friends!!!

Guest: Alina (Toronto)
Date of Stay: 10/31/11 Review Submitted: 11/15/11

After this experience You will never want to go back to any other country and especially all inclusive resorts with boundaries on you and your family!!! A week ago me, my bf and 5 of our friends came back from Costa Rica. We stayed in villa 5. We had an idea of what it looked like based on the website pictures BUT its nothing compared to the first time we walked in and saw it in person. It was absolutely beautiful, spacious, stunning and extremely clean! Tom and Igor have amazing taste and idea of how convey home cosines in paradise for families or group of friends. Sparkly clean pool that was bigger than I expected and was perfect for those morning laps facing the rainforest with papaya trees all around. Shower outside of the pool and clean bathroom were extremely comfortable for evening hang outs around the pool, saving walks up the stairs. This was my second time in Costa Rica at flamingo beach and i remembered that white sand and fun waves, but unfortunately we couldn’t find the beach until the last day. The beach is literally 15 min walk from the villa right in front of “Flamingo Resort and Spa” resort and its one of the top 10 best beaches in the world. Grocery store was 10min drive from the villa that had everything we needed. We went to volcano Arenal for 2 days and did a lot of fun stuff but all of us couldn’t wait to get back to our villa, it felt like our home so fast. And of course how can we not mention Ernesto who was such a helpful and attentive man at all times with 0 expectations. Overall best vacation ever, I can’t wait to be able to go again and stay at that same villa. All of us suggest this place and promise you will have no regrets or concerns!!! Its affordable and in a very good location with beautiful views! Thank You Igor and Tom for building such beautiful villas! Pura Vida ;) Alina

Owner response:Alina and Aras, Thank you so much for your kind words! We are thrilled that you and your friends had such a good time in our little corner of Paradise: VILLAS CASA LOMA. Of course, we have put a lot of love, care and attention into this property and we appreciate it immensely when people like yourselves respond in such a positive way to it! In addition to Papayas, plantains and bananas around the pool, we also have Mangos,coconuts, limes, lemons, oranges, pineapples, cashews and a variety of other fruits. Of course, our guests are encouraged to harvest and enjoy them. We look forward to having the opportunity to host you again in the near future. Pura Vida! Igor and Tom

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Costa Rica Above the Beach

Guest: Mark (Issaquah, WA, USA)
Date of Stay: 08/11/11 Review Submitted: 08/22/11

The property owner Tom was fantastic.... very accommodating. He let us play in the swimming pool until well past midnight. He brought in separate beds into Villa 1 for our little kids. Fans and AC worked great. The views from Villa 1 were excellent! Directions were good..... it's about 45 minutes from Liberia airport. The only minuses were the ants in the kitchen (but they seem to frequent every kitchen in Costa Rica), even at huge gold star resorts. It would have been nice if Visa was accepted too. Overall, I highly recommend it!

Owner response:Thanks so much for your comments, Mark! It was a joy to have you all here in our little corner of Paradise! We were happy to be able to have so many of your wedding party as guests, too! We really pride ourselves on being able to offer flexible accommodations ... Your visit went by too fast! You obviously had a good time and made the most of your stay. There is so much to see and do in this area that it could take a lifetime and you would not be able to do it all ... We really enjoyed the chance to visit with "the wives" at the pool on Saturday. Sorry you all had to leave so early on Sunday a.m.!... Controlling ants in the kitchen is an ongoing battle due to our tropical climate! I will be mindful of your comment, however, and will take extra control measures.(Every once in a while they pay us a visit.) ... We are working on being able to accept VISA payments, but as Canadians it is quite complicated for us to get onto their system in Costa Rica. (We try to compensate for it by keeping our prices as low as possible.)... We will be delighted to see you all again at any point in the future! Come on down! The climate here is absolutely wonderful, as you have experienced! ... PURA VIDA! Tom

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

Flamingo Beach Vacation July 2011

Guest: Terry & Steve (Georgia)
Date of Stay: 07/03/11 Review Submitted: 08/03/11

Our trip to Villas Casa Loma and Flamingo Beach was wonderful. It was our first time to Costa Rica. We were hesitant to go in the "rainy" season, but after talking with our host Tom, we were optimistic about the weather. Tom was right that Costa Rica is very much like Florida in the summer, where we would have a rain shower in the afternoons, but the rest of the day would be sunny and beautiful. We were very glad that we picked July to come, the country is lush and beautiful, a very tropical setting. We were so glad that we picked Villas Casa Loma, Tom was available to us for everything from perfect driving directions, to excellent recommendations for dining, and activities, such as zip lining, beautiful beaches, etc. He even got us invited to an exclusive dinner at Mar y Sol where we sat with the owner and his wife celebrating the 4th of July!! Our villa was gorgeous, overlooking the Pacific ocean. Spotlessly clean, with every amenity. We really enjoyed our 7 days in Villas Casa Loma, and look forward to visiting again. Highly recommended!!

Owner response:We are so pleased that you had a wonderful time here at Villas Casa Loma! We are always delighted to share with our guests the wide variety of activities, social networking and our little oasis here in Flamingo Beach.Our gretest reward is always being able to share our experiences in this lovely, gentle country with intrested- and interesting - guests. Thank you for your kind words... A week is almost too short, but I am delighted that you both were able to make the most of your stay here! It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to share the 4th of July celebrations with you and friends atthe wonderful "Mar y Sol Restaurant". As always, it was a pleasure to be able to suggest a number of other activities and places for you to to explore, too. I hope that the next time we will be able to spend a lazy Sunday at" Lola's Norte" or the "Coconut Beach Club"... Both are truly romantic and tropical places, with the added bonus of superb food served right on the beach! ...There is so much to see and do here. One should never worry about being bored! ... Thank you again for your visit - and thanks to Becky and Burt for their recommending us to you based on their own visit... Looking forward to seeing you both here again before too long. Until soon...PURA VIDA! Igor & Tom

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

A Beautiful, Serene Property!

Guest: Chris (Wellesley)
Date of Stay: 07/08/11 Review Submitted: 07/22/11

I highly recommend Villas Casa Loma! We were six adults (including two 20-something couples) and the set-up was perfect: 2 bedrooms have separate entrances on the first level, and one is off of the large living space where we could all "hang out together" on the main level. It is even more beautiful than the photos. The Living/dining room are very spacious and the veranda is huge (yet laid-out in a way that creates cozy spaces). The views are spectacular! I felt as if we were on the coast of Spain or Italy, but without the buildup and population. Tom, the owner, is warm, friendly and extremely helpful. He made our experience even better because it was our first time to Costa Rica and there are always so many things one doesn't know in a new country. Tom was always help and gave us great recommendations. The pool area is spectacular: a large, beautiful pool surrounded by gorgeous tropical plants. We loved this villa and will come back again. The grace and charm of the villa and the property were heavenly! I highly recommend it.

Owner response:Thank you so much for your kind review, Christine! The staff and I certainly enjoyed your company on the rare occasion when you were not out exploring and sampling the myriad of experiences that our area offers. Your week was certainly filled to overflowing with activities of all kinds, from zip lining to quad tours, etc. etc.! You all certainly "discovered" some of the best secrets of the Gold Coast in Costa Rica: Great restaurants, multiple land and water activities, beautiful beaches, touring or just doing nothing at all but lying in the shade by the pool or on your private terrace, reading or experiencing nature at its finest You will find that there are many more fascinating things to see and do here ,,, A lifetime is not long enough! That's why we say: "COSTA RICA - NO ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS" It is always such a treat to have interesting - and interested - guests sharing our little corner of Paradise. Happy Trails to you all! We look forward to seeing you again ... PURA VIDA! Tom

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Casa Loma Vacation

Guest: Vacation Lovers (Charlotte, NC/USA)
Date of Stay: 05/02/11 Review Submitted: 05/28/11

Spacious floorplan and fabulous sunset ocean views. Casa Loma proved itself to be a wonderful hideaway. My husband and I settled in for a one month relaxing and tranquil vacation stay. Igor and Tom were most kind and informative. There is a super market, pharmacy and bank nearby and several restaurants within a short walk or taxi ride away. What impressed us mostly were the grounds. The exotic plants, flowers, coconut and banana trees were all a part of this beautiful landscape. At the end of our trip we even got to see a group of howler monkeys. And Oh, what colorful birds!!! Costa Rica and Casa Loma were a delightful treat!

Owner response:Thank you SO much for your pleasant review, Jay and Sybil! Glad all was good for you and that your Costa Rican experience was memorable! We are waiting for your return - and your promised charity fund-raising concert - perhaps in December/11! The area here would really appreciate your assistance, as we are sure that you are aware... Come December, hopefully we will have MORE howler monkeys to entertain you, plus our usual compliment of colorful birds and colorful tropical flora and fauna! We wish you both well and trust that you will continue to be healthy, happy and loving of each other and the broader community in which we all live...Keep on singing!! PURA VIDA! Tom and Igor

Recommended for:Romantic getaway.

Perfect for Us!

Guest: margot (Andover MA)
Date of Stay: 03/17/11 Review Submitted: 04/07/11

One of our requirements for vacations is to be surrounded by beauty, to be able to leave everything behind for a brief period, to learn a little more than when we arrived, and to be in a caring environment. Villa Casa Loma answered them all. My husband and I truly vacated and recreated, two words from which vacation and recreation are derived. Our hosts Igor and Tom were most gracious and inclusive in informing us of things that were important to know and with suggestions for activities we might be interested in. The grounds are beautifully maintained by a happy staff. It was very helpful to have a 4 wheel drive vehicle.

Owner response:What a delight to have you staying with us Margot! You were both so very interesting and interested that it was a joy for us all to be around you. It is always a delight to share the views and interests of others and to know that open and receptive minds are at work! Thank you for your kind comments and most especially for sharing your ideas and experiences with us here in our little corner of Paradise! We are glad to have been able to offer you and George some new experiences to add to your vast store. Wherever you travel in the future, we wish you continued joy and good health. We'll be delighted to see you again here at any time... There is so much more to explore and experience here in this lovely, gentle country. Until the next time - PURA VIDA! Tom and Igor (PS: Your beach chairs are awaiting your return!)

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Guest: Diane and Rob (Playa Flamingo)
Date of Stay: 03/04/09 Review Submitted: 03/26/11

Dear Tom and Igor, My computer will not allow me to access your sites so I have decided to write a personal 'Thank You' to you both. I have great memories of Costa Rica and especially Villa Casa Loma. Where do I start? Using the pool twice a day for my pool exercises-early in the morning and listening to the birds or at night watching the stars pop out , or seeing all the beautiful flowers,; waiting for the bananas to ripen. The kindness of you both-willing to listen to our ideas of changing our Villa for the other one for that time period. How lovely that was. Ernesto appearing like magic ready to give me a hand-everyone so ready to offer help. Ernresto's wife Lorena just the same. The tours you suggested-Palo Verde and Monteverde. Both headed by highly informed guides. Franklin aided by William showing us so many things on the boat trip. The boat owner knowing exactly where to look. Will never forget the Howler monkeys or the tiny ones taking pieces of bananas from our hands. How can one forget the crocodiles, the bats the iguanas and the lovely birds. The tour bus drivers in both cases were excellent-never taking any chances. Monteverde was quite different being part of the tropical rain forest. The butterflies were exquisite and the lecture incredible. Also the gorgeous hummingbirds- Rob regularly feeds them all year long here. (The Annas stay)-the Rufous return to Costa Rica in mid to late July. (lucky birds) I am glad that I did not know that I would be walking across 12 Suspension Bridges-the last two were tiny ones. I would remiss if I did not mention all the fruit we so enjoyed everyday- the pineapples, bananas, papayas, watermelons- could not stay for the mangoes to ripen ,will not forget the enormous shrimp!! Rob and I enjoyed an unforgettable holiday. Truly an unexpected gift to ourselves- Many thanks Diane and Robert

Recommended for:

VILLA 5 - A WONDERFUL COSTA RICAN VACATION

Guest: Ava (Cypress, TX, USA)
Date of Stay: 01/21/11 Review Submitted: 02/28/11

We were guests of Tom & Igor for a full week in January 2011, renting a villa for a family vacation. We were SO impressed! It was everything we had hoped for and more. The villa was beautiful; the stone-work and wood-work were inspiring and impressive. I can't imagine the man-hours expended in the construction. The Villa had its own private swimming pool and our family really enjoyed being able to take a late-night swim without bothering anybody else. Speaking of late-night swim, the extensive lighting around the pool is amazingly beautiful and romantic at night. The villa was well-appointed and the beds very comfortable. The central part of the Villa was used as the main gathering place for the family. It is quite large and the kitchen was wonderful. We had no problem cooking for our entire brood in this great kitchen. I couldn't believe how big the bedrooms were in this Villa, not to mention the very large closets. The tile-work in the bathrooms was beautiful and elegant. Tom & Igor are fabulous hosts. The staff is friendly and helpful, especially Ernesto, who took it upon himself to make sure we had a great time. Ernesto cleaned the pool each morning and asked us frequently if there was anything we needed. Tom, Igor & Ernesto hooked us up with wonderful & unforgetable sailing & fishing excursions. We really enjoyed drinking the fabulous Costa Rican coffee each morning on the porch, looking at the wildlife coming alive in the forest. The colorful birds would fly right by us and perch in the trees, a stone's throw from the porch. The howler monkeys would howl at each other in the mornings, and it was really fun to hear. One group of monkeys would play in the trees right next to the villa. This Villa is secluded on the lower part of the hill of the property, with forest all around. It made it feel as if we had our own private estate. WOW! If we ever make it back to Costa Rica (and I plan on it), we will definitely be staying here. Just a note, the pictures on the web site, though impressive, really do not do justice to the beauty of this place. Another note, the Flamingo area is a great home-base location to explore other areas of Guanacaste, with many activities within a just a short drive away.

Owner response:We are absolutely delighted that you had such a wonderful time here, Ava. Your wedding/family reunion really worked out well! We know that VILLAS CASA LOMA is a wonderful venue for such occasions... Weddings are always very special occassions - as are family reunions and we have had quite a few of both here! As you could see, we are well designed for both accommodating guests and providing the space and facilities for fully catered wedding ceremonies and private groups conducted around one of the large swimming pools. Thank you for your kindnesses to Ernesto (our right arm) who - along with Willy and Lorena - happily always extend themselves to make our guests feel truly welcome and "at home" with their wide smiles and cheery dispositions! Thank you, too, for your kind comments about the Villa, its quality and materials - as well as its magic setting. This property has been a true labor of love for us both... We are always thrilled when others appreciate it as we do! We hope that you will return one day soon. You still have to explore all of our preserve area, which we have discovered is full of exotic and beautiful wildlife! All within a short stroll from your private" home away from home" here in our little corner of Paradise! Please accept our warmest regards and kindest thanks! PURA VIDA! Tom and Igor

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