My husband and I stayed at Florblanca Jan. 14-20, 2012, to celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary. Overall it was a very nice experience but there are some things I'd like to point out about the property and the area that I don't feel are adequately reflected in previous reviews.

1. The hotel is located at the edge of a town called Santa Teresa, which is a town that is world-renowned for its surfing. Nothing against surfers and not to over-generalize, but with that comes run-down hostels, rowdiness and a general unfriendliness toward non-surfer tourists. A very mild example: I'm 30 and I felt old.

It just feels strange that Florblanca is an ocean-front property and is charging $500 a night when no one else in town is paying that much to look at the same view. Not that Florblanca shouldn't be charging that much (the rooms and the grounds are nice for all the same reasons every other reviewer mentions) but it just feels very out of place. Be warned: If you decide not to go into town, you're going to get bored fast, because there's just not much at the hotel beyond the pool and the restaurant/bar.

2. Because Santa Teresa is so well known for its surfing, it seems that the local culture definitely gets pushed aside. Other than a few sodas (restaurants serving typical Costa Rican food), the grocery stores and the staff of the hotel, you don't encounter that many Ticos (Costa Rican people). So if you're looking for the warmth of the Costa Rican people, you'll have to look hard in Santa Teresa.

3. Getting to Florblanca or anywhere in that area of the Nicoyan Peninsula is not easy. You fly into Tambor and take a taxi to the hotel. It's maybe 15 miles away, but it takes about an hour. The roads go from paved to barely paved to gravel to dirt. There aren't many taxis and it seems that lots of people in the area travel by ATV (which you would rent, I guess). The hotel has bikes for taking into town. The first day I was terrified of this mode of transportation, but by the end of my stay I had gotten good at it. But that reminds me of my next point...

4. It's very dusty there. It may be because it's not the rainy season, but everything is covered in dust along the gravel and dirt roads. And unless you're in a car, you will get filthy when you're out and about. Sunglasses are a must, but goggles would probably be better if you're on a bike or ATV. And many people wore masks to keep the dust from getting in their mouth and nose, even just while walking. We didn't have masks (or didn't fashion them out of our shirts) and were fine, but there were times when I wish I had one.

5. The beaches near the hotel are not for swimming. The beach in front of the hotel is beautiful but it's very, very rocky (ouch!) and the waves are intense (ouch!). The concierge told us it was fine to swim in the beaches to the left (Playa Santa Teresa) and to the right of the hotel (Playa Hermosa) but we found these to be way too rough, as well. Some tide pools form directly in front of the hotel for a few hours each day, but those are pretty shallow and not very exciting. We took an excursion to Cabo Blanco National Park and hiked down to Playa Cabo Blanco, which was beautiful and a great place to get in the water, but the hour and a half hike back to the trail head prevented us from having too much fun.

6. For a 5-star hotel, the staff wasn't all that helpful. They were friendly and answered our questions and we got a fruit bowl and free half bottle of wine on the first night, but they didn't go above and beyond in any other way...for us, at least. We spent a lot of time by the pool (because of issue 5 - no beaches) and we weren't asked if we wanted something to drink until the third day. The restaurant is a short walk away so I could have gone to the bar, but I shouldn't have to. Further, while nice, the concierge staff didn't seem all that tuned into what we wanted or needed out of excursions, restaurants, etc. For example, the concierge booked us a reservation at Al Chile Viola and told us it was easy to walk to. In hindsight, he should have called us a taxi or at least offered us a flashlight. I thought I was going to die walking back to the hotel...either as a victim of a mugging or a car hitting me because they couldn't see me on the pitch black road. So please don't walk to Al Chile Viola...the restaurant is good, though!

7. Along the same line as the previous point, the restaurant staff seemed particularly inattentive. Food came out at normal speed but then we would sit and sit and sit waiting for the bill. Toward the end of our visit, we just got bolder and went back to our room or pool without closing out. They'll find you eventually.

I hope you find this review helpful. Overall, it was a great trip, but I wish I had been better prepared for the experience at Florblanca. I've been to Costa Rica before and I will go again, but I do not feel compelled to return to this hotel.

We've stayed at the Florblanca several times over the past few years and have never been disappointed. The location is perfect: right on the beach, at the quieter end of Santa Teresa. There's nothing like watching the sunset from your own room. To a person, the staff is extremely well trained and very pleasant. They obviously like what they do. And we found no reason to go anywhere else for food, as the restaurant has an excellent menu and serves delicious food. The rooms dot the lush grounds and you don't really notice any neighbors. This time we stayed in the Florblanca Surf House, which is on the beach next door to the hotel itself and is a very sweet spot for 2 couples or a couple with kids. On-site yoga classes are great, and the 2-level pool fits perfectly into the tropical beach setting. This hotel is truly a fantastic get-away spot.

We spend 5 nights at Florblanca over Christmas with a family of 4 (2 children aged 10) and had a fantastic stay at this magnificant place. The villa was beautiful and had all amenities required, beds were very comfortable, rooms / beds were made twice a day, living area was a nice place to relax including the hammock at the porch. The restaurant is great and the portions are huge so we ended up with the children sharing every meal. Service in the restaurant is very friendly and attentative and at the end of our stay we tried most dishes and especially enjoyed the fresh tuna as well as the fresh fruit smoothies and shakes. We went out for dinner once but returned back to Nectar the following day as the quality there was much better. The pool area is a great place for relaxation and also there service is very good, plenty of towels, free sun lotion and drinks served. Because of the rocks on the beach in front of the hotel it is not possible to swim there but a 5-10 minute walk would get you to open sea where you could so this was not a problem at all. Reception staff were very helpful starting with the booking process, sending directions, ferry schedules, making suggestions and reservations for dinner outside the hotel, etc. Service in the restaurant / pool area was excellent and everybody came accross very motivated and caring. We truly enjoyed every day of our stay and would love to come back !

This is a classy boutique hotel consisting of 10 sumptuously appointed villas. They contain a separate bedroom and outside bathroom as well as a living room and terrace, all stylishly decorated in creams, browns and tropical wood finishings. The staff are very helpful and friendly. Free yoga classes in the morning are offered by the hotel, and participating in a class even if you are normally not a yoga fan is an experience not to be missed. Classes are given by Stefano, who welcomes people of all ages and abilities into the lesson. A highly qualified yoga instructor, Stefano - whose body looks like a sculpted and polished piece of mahogany - actually makes the session fun for everyone, always managing to squeeze a few laughs out of people while they are contorting themselves into the most impossible positions. Yet at the same time advanced yoga practitioners will get the benefits of a serious workout.
The hotel is located right on the beach, which stretches for miles. I'm told the ocean waves are perfect for surfing.
The restaurant, although serving high-quality ingredients, was a little disappointing but we only ate there one night so maybe it was not representative of the chef's abilities. We were enamoured by the restaurant next door, Milarepa, and dined there a couple of times.
Our only negative comment is that we found the excursions on offer vastly overpriced. We were told the prices were going to be reviewed for the new season, so maybe the mark-up won't be so high in future. Flor Blanca cares about its customers and ensures their comfort in every way. It's a very special destination and gives the feel of luxury and exclusivity in a beautiful surfer's paradise.