The rave reviews are accurate - from that first frozen margarita and damp towel when we walked in, we felt like ROYALTY!!
I could wax poetic about Arnoldo, Luisa, Cesar, Chef Santiago, Libby, etc. but other reviewers did a fine job conveying how exceptional the house & staff are :)
Two things I'll emphasize...
- SECURITY: if you're reading reviews, you may be looking for security reassurance like I was when we planned our trip. Our group ranged in age from 2 to 65 and the youngest two members (2yr & 4yr) were my children. Traveling internationally for the first time with both, I was hyper about security and them staying in a separate room. Libby (the lovely manager) called prior to our trip and explained each room has both sliding glass doors and heavy wooden storm doors that lock into the floor. For naps & nights, we shut the storm doors and used a key to secure the children's room. After the first 24 hours and several interactions with the HOA security coming & going to town, I realized how secure the area is. They were probably safer in their Caida de Agua room than their regular bedrooms in the States!
- DINING: if you're on the fence about eating out or hiring Chef Santiago to dine in... DINE IN!!! Several other reviews mentioned they wished they would've dined in more so I changed our family's plans and Santiago served us 4 of our 5 nights. It was like living with a Michelin chef.
Hope this helps! Now, I'm off to book our return trip... Cheers!!