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All 31 Osa hotels »

Hotel Cristal Ballena Resort

4.0 of 5
Ballena Beach | 7 km (4 miles) al Sur de Uvita, Costa Rica
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Ranked #13 of 31 hotels in Osa
4.5 of 5 stars 53 Reviews
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53 reviews from our community

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Traveller rating
    32
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EasyHiker
Austin, Texas
Senior Contributor
25 reviews
10 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 1 February 2012

The Hotel Cristal Ballena is a very attractive hotel with clean and comfortable rooms. It is located on a hillside well above the beach and it has very nice views. The grounds are spacious and beautifully landscaped. It has a good restaurant and a large swimming pool on the grounds. I respectfully disagree with those reviewers who downgraded the restaurant.... More

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schunkfamily
San Jose, Costa Rica
Senior Contributor
26 reviews
22 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 January 2012
1
person found this review helpful

We spent a day here tacked on to a previously booked trip to Dominicalito. So a very quick stay. This hotel and the accomodations were delightful. The staff (esp Evelyn) was amazing. Very accomodating. The rooms, and all over the hotel, show wonderful little touches by the owners. From the art around the hotel, to the mini bar, to the... More

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Iain C C
Nanaimo, Canada
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews
1 helpful vote
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 2 January 2012

we spent five nights here on the tail end of a 3 week trip. Our boys, 11 and 14 really enjoyed the very large pool, as well as the pool table and dart board. the atmosphere is relaxed and the staff are very nice. The food was good, but not great, and the price was on the higher side for... More

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GAMinTN
Nashville, Tennessee
2 reviews
1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 December 2011
1
person found this review helpful

We just returned from a week long trip to Costa Rica. Our last day there was Christmas Eve. First, let me say I have read the negative reviews for this hotel and could not disagree more with their impressions. Going to Costa Rica it is impotant to understand and appreciate the fact that you are not going to be in... More

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Treepalm
Montreal, Canada
Senior Contributor
37 reviews
105 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 November 2011
1
person found this review helpful

Stayed here recently for one night and was very impressed. The grounds and setting are spectacular; lush mountains on one side and gorgeous ocean views on the other. Rooms are fairly basic but quite large and clean with AC and nice finishes - better than I had expected. Free wi-fi in the open areas. Satelite TV in rooms. Beautiful and... More

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David_Kuwait
Tampa, Florida
2 reviews
3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 August 2011
2
people found this review helpful

This resort has a great view and the staff and resort is five stars. The junior Suite is a large room that has a great view. This spa is small but it rates as good as if not better then the big spa's. We got a message and it was great. The pool is very large and has a great... More

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centralcoastlove
Santa Fe
Contributor
17 reviews
56 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 December 2010

We spent three nights at Cristal Ballena, and we were mainly interested in birding and just enjoying the rain forest. We had the place pretty much to ourselves (December 10) and spent a lot of time on our balcony, watching the birds and the sun set over the Pacific. Dining by the pool was nice, especially in the morning (included... More

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BeachFairy
San Jose
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews
12 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 31 August 2010

Cristal Ballena is so nice and so much better than what other offer for the same money. The pool is outstanding, rooms are spacious and cozy. Views are soothing and deep, with the ocean on front and those mountains along the sides. I was amazed that I could actually hear the surf from my room, that doesnt happen often on... More

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Carlos60763
New York City, New York
Reviewer
4 reviews
3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 August 2010

The hotel is as billed- charming, great location and wonderful staff and owner! All the rooms have fantastic views and are immaculately kept. The restaurant is very good with local and international cuisine. It overlooks the Pacific and the pool. All of the staff are attentive and helpful. The owner an Austrian lawyer, who fell in love with Costa Rica... More

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MikeO98
Pleasantville, New York
Reviewer
3 reviews
1 helpful vote
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 2 August 2010
1
person found this review helpful

We took a drive down the Pacific coast of Costa Rica - no plans, no reservations. Hey, it's the Green Season (aka the "rainy season") and it should be easy to get a hotel for a night or two just be driving up. Wrong! But Cristal Ballena did find us two rooms for the first night and promised us two... More

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Hotel Cristal Ballena Resort Also Known As

  • Hotel Cristal Ballena
Address: Ballena Beach | 7 km (4 miles) al Sur de Uvita, Costa Rica

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