Casa Zen Guest House & Yoga Center

Like the name implies, Casa Zen House is a laid-back spot. The hotel opened in 2014 and its scrappy grounds are covered in tall shade trees (a big plus during the hot Costa Rican afternoons) and signs painted with messages like “Love Truly” or “Go to the Beach." The hotel’s courtyard is rustic, and a reminder of just how wild Costa Rica can be. During our visit, we almost walked into a huge spider hanging out on its tire-sized web. Guests often laze away the day in the hotel’s rancho, a dual level gazebo with built-in benches and tables. In the mornings, Casa Zen is abuzz with people prepping breakfast before heading to yoga classes or to the beach for a surf session. In general, it's a friendly, quiet refuge that draws guests from the holistic-life crowd to dreadlocked surfers between the ages of 20 and 40 from North America and Scandinavia. 

Casa Zen’s location is prime, as the beach -- with its phenomenal surf waves -- is a three-minute walk away. There’s a grocery store just a minute away on foot, and a sandwich shop and multiple restaurants serving international cuisine are within a two-minute walk. Santa Teresa's not much of a party town, but a bar specializing in Costa Rican microbrews is a five-minute walk away. The nearest pharmacy, bank, and ATM are an 18-minute walk or five-minute drive from the hotel. Hermosa Beach, a less crowded option with surf waves is a 15-minute drive from Casa Zen. The laid-back backpacker town of Montezuma is a 40-minute drive from the hotel. Isla Tortuga -- a minimally developed island with beaches, animal watching, and diving and snorkeling -- is a 40-minute drive followed by a 25-minute boat ride. Getting to the hotel from San Jose requires either a five-and-a-half-hour drive (that includes a ferry crossing) or 20-minute flight from San Jose followed by a one-hour drive from Tambor Airport. Alternatively, travel from Liberia takes a little over four hours by car, or a 25-minute flight and one-hour drive from Tambor Airport. 

Rooms at Casa Zen are a basic mix of dorms, doubles, triple rooms, and an apartment, with burnt-orange walls, batik tapestry bed spreads, and ceiling fans. The dorms have bunk beds with Chinese-globe lamps, lock boxes (don’t forget your lock), and shelves. The doubles and triples have artsy accents like Mayan masks, live-edge coffee tables, slatted-wood ceilings, and lamps made of carved metal. They're a bit tired, but decent enough as a crash pad. The apartment is the poshest offering, with its vaulted ceiling and full kitchen stocked with a full-size fridge, coffeemaker, electric kettle, gas range, and cookware and cutlery. It also has the hotel's only private bathroom with a hot water glass-brick shower. All other rooms have shared bathrooms with cold-water showers. Towels are available to borrow from the front desk with a deposit and all rooms have free Wi-Fi. 

With a name like Casa Zen House, it’s no surprise the hotel’s open-air yoga studio is a big draw. The studio gets beautiful leaf-filtered light and yoga classes are held multiple times a day. Discounted class passes are also available, though no free classes are offered. The hotel’s shared kitchens are a plus for budget travelers, but could use a good cleaning, especially with so many guests choosing to self-cater. There’s an indoor kitchen with industrial kitchen appliances and also an outdoor open-air kitchen. Free breakfasts include fruit, bread, and coffee, making for a simple start to the day. The hotel rents surf boards, boogie boards, and bicycles. They can also set up tours, fishing trips, surf lessons, massages, and shuttles. ATV, car, and motorcycle rentals can be arranged as well, In the hotel’s chill-out gazebo, there’s a book library and games like Trivial Pursuit, dominos, Uno, and playing cards. Laundry service is available and free Wi-Fi is offered throughout the hotel.