We loved it here! Rainer picked us up from Liberia airport and took us back to the hotel. The main roads to Samara are good, but this hotel and its beach, Playa Buena Vista is a little out of the way so the roads are bad, hence a 4x4 is a necessity (you have to drive through a couple of ponds in dry season, so I expect them to be a full grown rivers in the Green/Wet season). The hotel and its grounds are gorgeous, rooms are spacious, clean, and the area is very safe. We locked our doors, but stopped after 1 day because it's so secluded! The pictures are accurate and there is wildlife everywhere! I too was visited by Pootsy and even hand fed him a banana! The beach is about a 10min walk away (would be nicer if it was closer, oh well) but on the way you see Howler monkeys (with babies!) in the trees above you and walk by ranches with horses. The beach Buena Vista is also really nice, but hey all the beaches in CR are beautiful! There isn't much to do activity wise at this hotel or other guests for that matter, but I'm sure if you wanted a massage or a horse back ride or whatever, they could arrange it for you. It's an excellent place to RELAX. Or if you had a group, it's a geat place to "take over". If you rent a car, it would also be a good place to have as "homebase". We rented an apartment with a kitchenette but we never cooked, should have saved the extra $30. My favorite breakfast was a huge bowl of fresh fruit (mangos, papaya, pineapple, melons) over granola and topped with yoghurt. Rainer cooks dinner and they have a nice but simple menu. Prices are extremely reasonable. Staff made up of local friendly Ticos . I recommend this place for people looking to relax, get a suntan and putt around. If you want more society than your travel mates, stay in Samara which is a popular beach town, the next beach over. This place is for relaxing. The Flying Crocodile hotel is right next door and it looks kind of cheesy compared to the simplicity of this place. P.S bring your own shampoo etc!
