Casa Ix Chel - 6 Bedroom Family Compound, Pool, BBQ, Walk to Beach, No Car Need

Our overall impression of this house was disappointing. After reading all of the reviews, we thought we were in for the vacation of a life time. Not so much. This house does not have the charm that it looks like it has in the pictures. We were there on a very busy week so I do understand why somethings were not taken care of but... we also paid prime dollar to stay there this week. I felt like we paid way too much for what we got. The plumbing was backed up the entire week we were there. We called the agency. They sent someone to try to fix it but it was never fixed. The plumbing would back up into the master shower in the main level. The smell was horrible. We could not use that shower at all. The third floor is very hot. It does have an air conditioning unit but it did not work. It was leaking all over. We did call the agency about this but it was never looked at. We could not have anyone sleep up on the third floor. It was way too hot without air. The whole house could use some cleaning and painting. There was a little bit of charm in all of the windows and wood work on the ceiling. We could not get the dishwasher to work so we had to hand wash dishes all week. Not a big deal except that the smell from the plumbing backing up would come up the sink too. It was a horrible smell. The life saver in the house was the pool. The kids loved it. The location was OK. It was a walk to town and to the beach. The towels in the bathroom were not very new or nice. They look like they have been used a few times too many. Again, I would not complain as much as I am but we paid A LOT of money for this house for a week. We had certain expectations and this house did not meet very many of them. I will say that when we asked for the house to be cleaned half way through our stay, the cleaning ladies were great and made the house smell and look more livable. I sure hope the people that stayed after us had better luck with the plumbing and air conditioning.

From the beginning everything look fine,but the lasts day of our stay one of the cleaning lady's went inside the house and I questioned her who are you?and she said iam here to start cleaning,because the checkout is at 10 am,and the lady was very rude ,complaining that we had use towels totally rediculous.thas what they are there for.they had giving us the uglies towels that you can imagine.the lady had hid the nicer towels and we had found them.

One of the manager on duty was also very rude! And he also came in in a treating me with fines if the family members would not leave I informed him that arrangement was done previously for our departure at a agreed time ,the condition of some of the utility's was very bad condition refrigerator tv air conditioning and some of the patio furniture outside, and this manager ruin my traveling plans he enbarrasss me in from of all my family total disappointment!at the end.

Casa Ix Chel is a hidden gem in Costa Rica that will only add to the memories of this trip to paradise.

The location is great. It is an easy 5 min walk to the beaches and even shorter into town. You will feel very secure in the property surrounded by tall privacy walls and a main entrance that remains locked. When you step out of the secluded compound, you find yourself only steps from the town with plenty of shops and grocery stores to stock the fridge.

We were pleasantly surprised by the size of the pool. It was much larger than we had expected and provided ample room for our little boy TJ to play safely all day and night.

The kitchen is excellent and well equipped. There is even a nice area just outside the door that can be used to grill fresh seafood over an open flame. There are also many restaurants within easy walking distance of the house that you need to try. Specifically, The Seasons was the closest and possibly the best we ate. We celebrated our little girls sweet 16 there and they provided an amazing meal and even an unprompted dessert with a candle for her.

The house is constructed with screens on the doors and windows that allow guests to let the calming Costa Rica winds circulate the house when the sun goes down or close all the doors and windows and let the AC do the work. The overall property is very well maintained and the natural foliage allows for wildlife sightings and even picking some fresh fruits.

IN RESPONSE TO ANOTHER REVIEWER. Yes the area behind the house where the washing machine is located is not as immaculate and consists of cleaning supplies and equipment. BUT if you went to Costa Rica to do laundry and hang out behind a house instead of the pool or the beach, we can’t help that.

The staff is courteous and quick to respond. They are bilingual and very accommodating to needs. They are also great at helping plan activities for your trip such as fishing, hiking tours, canopy zip-lines and more.

We had 7 people staying on the property and had more than ample space. Given the chance, I would go back and take more friends with me. YOLO.

Casa Ix Chel was perfect for our group's vacation with close proximity to shops, restaurants, bars and especially beaches. Outside, the pool is larger than we expected from pictures and the outdoor shower was key to keeping sand from being tracked inside. Inside, the bedrooms were great as each has its own air conditioning unit which was nice after spending our days on the beach. The house has lots of spaces, featuring two spacious living rooms although as a group of 7 we didn't even need the upstairs one. The spacious kitchen and grill just steps from the kitchen was ideal for cooking meals together and grilling out when not wanting to eat out at the nearby restaurants. However, for the nights out the location of Casa Ix Chel was ideal. All restaurants we ventured to are within a 15 min walk with my favorite of the trip (Season's) being only a few doors down from Casa Ix Chel. The downstairs living room has large, screened windows that we loved leaving open. The house has a great stereo system which we were able to hook up to our iPads, iPods, and/or computers. This was perfect for listening to music while by the pool or around the house. This house is great for almost any group dynamic whether it's couples, group of young adults, or families. If you have questions about restaurants or things to do in the area the property managers have great suggestions. You won't be disappointed!

The house is absolutely beautiful! The kitchen and bathrooms have been recently updated and are very nice! The house is also located at the back of the property and is very private for being close to town.

We had 7 people staying and it every one had their own space and we never flet cramped.

The pool is a larger than it seems in pictures.

This is a great location to the city center and beach. You could be on the beach or in the town in less than 5 minutes walking!

Great restaurants all around you. Seasons a few doors down is amazing!

Would recommend this house to groups and families as there is a lot of space. And there are two cabinas in the front of the property that people can stay in.