Santarena Hotel at Las Catalinas

This place was definitely 5/5 for us. My husband and I went for a long weekend away, we wanted to relax and sunbathe and have some peace and we got that and more. There is construction happening nearby, but we were never bothered by any noise. The hotel was clean and beautiful, the staff from Arturo and Jocelyn at concierge who helped with everything from reservations to nearby recommendations, to Luis and Emerson at the bar, the wait staff, to the drivers hired to get us to and from the airport, everyone was just wonderful, helpful, accommodating. It was such a beautiful experience, we cannot wait to come back and visit. The pool wasn’t too big but it was never too busy. The beach was mostly quiet and empty. I’m so sad we left, this experience was MAGICAL! Thank you all!

We came to Las Catalinas planning to stay one night. Then we booked a second night. And on the second day we booked a third night. We really loved it. The rooms were nicely air conditioned. The water was hot. The shower was lovely. The soaps were great. The service was top notch. I actually got injured in a wave while I was there and the staff was very helpful. They made me several bags of ice for my knee. The hotel is in walking distance to everything you need. There isn't a ton of stuff in the town but enough options to make sure you don't want for anything. We loved all the hiking trails. There are a lot of them and tons of great views! The pool was so lovely. We were there all by ourselves except for the bar tender and it was so great to relax in the water and look at the beautiful view and watch the birds. My husband is still pouting because we had to leave there. LOL We will definitely be back. We are already planning our next trip.

It's a nice resort. Staff are wonderful. But this place is very isolated and you need transportation to get anywhere outside of this little village. It was almost like being in the US (SoCal to be exact) and not really a place to get a feel for the true culture of Costa Rica. Also one thing I should've researched better before staying in this area is the weather. It's very dry and not tropical. Which is great for drying out your wet bathing suit but not for seeing any tropical animals, besides the iguanas on the beach. This resort and its surrounding area (restaurants and other vacation housing) was gringo central. The staff here are very friendly and genuinely kind. I probably wouldn't stay here again since it's so isolated.