Hotel Tropico Latino

Hotel Tropico Latino opened in 1997 and its four-acre property is a lush oceanfront refuge. Like all of Santa Teresa, the beach is public but not too crowded. Rocks mingle with the sand and the waterfront directly in front of the hotel isn’t swimmable due to large rocks (very visible during low tide) but surfing conditions are good. Stone pathways covered by a thick canopy of palm trees meander through the grounds. It’s common to cross paths with iguanas and hear howler monkeys screeching in the trees. Wellness is a big part of the hotel and with two oceanfront open-air yoga studios, twice-daily yoga classes (for a fee), and an oceanfront spa, the hotel attracts a live-well crowd. It also hosts quite a few retreats for yoga enthusiasts and surfers. Drying surfboards are a usual sight on guest room patios. In general, hotel guests are couples from all over the world. It’s not a party hotel, but once in a while it has live music and bonfires on the beach.

Hotel Tropico is located on a beautiful, white sand surf beach: Santa Teresa Beach. The beach directly in front of Hotel Tropico has quite a few rocks, and its safer to swim a short walk from the hotel’s oceanfront. There’s a grocery store and surf shop across the road from the hotel. Within a five-minute walk are restaurants serving pizza, Italian, Costa Rican, and Asian cuisines. The nearest pharmacy and ATM are a 10-minute walk or three-minute drive away. The gorgeous and less crowded Playa Hermosa Beach is a 15-minute drive or one-hour walk away. Santa Teresa’s not known for its nightlife, but there’s a bar specializing in microbrews and DJs spinning a four-minute walk from the hotel. Montezuma, a hippy backpacker town with beautiful beaches, a 79-foot waterfall, and cute two road downtown is a 38-minute drive. Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve, Costa Rica’s first national park, is a 23-minute drive from the hotel. Tambor Airport is the nearest entry point for flights and a 51-minute drive. Getting to Liberia requires either a 25-minute flight from Tambor or a four-hour drive. Alternatively, San Jose is a 20-minute flight from Tambor Airport or a five-hour drive from Hotel Tropico Latino. 

The rooms and bungalows at Hotel Tropico Latino come in a variety of styles. Suites are modern and bright with white walls, flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, and off-white curtains with light yellow vine patterns. The hotel’s poshest offering is the Beachfront Suite. It has a full kitchen with stainless steel appliances, a dishwasher, blender, coffeemaker, and toaster. It also has a fabulous private saltwater infinity pool and cold-water whirlpool. Bungalows are done in a tropical Tudor-style with stone or wood walls, vaulted hardwood ceilings, and tons of built-in shelves. The rustically comfy beachfront rooms have gorgeous hardwood walls, ceilings, and floors. Bed configurations for all units are a mix of king, queen, doubles, and singles decorated with orange bed runners and throw pillows. Standard room amenities include safes, mini-fridges, coffeemakers with free coffee, and free and fast Wi-Fi. 

Bathrooms are a mix of tile or cement-top vanities, stand-up showers (although one suite has a tub), and porcelain sinks painted with images of birds, frogs, or flowers. Expect hairdryers, magnifying mirrors, soap, shower gel, and shampoo. Rooms don’t have irons, but the hotel will press clothes upon request -- a big plus for the wedding parties they host. All rooms also have balconies with hardwood Adirondack-style chairs and some have built-in couches and hammocks, plus ocean views. 

Hotel Tropico’s features are mostly focused on wellness and the outdoors. The beach, like most of Santa Teresa, is gorgeous despite the minimally rocky waterfront. The hotel did a great job placing lounge chairs, hardwood Adirondack-style chairs, and hammocks underneath a bit of shade -- a big plus on a blazing Costa Rican sunny day. The hotel’s freshwater pool has a cold-water whirlpool and is surrounded by lush gardens on one side and the restaurant on the other. Shambala, the hotel’s tasty open-air restaurant has great ocean views and serves international cuisine. It sources ingredients locally, which might be why the breakfasts are so delicious. The hotel’s biggest draw is probably the yoga facilities. It has two open-air, ocean-view yoga studios and twice-daily classes for a fee. Spa Natural offers standard spa services including facials, nail treatments, and body wraps. Massages are also available and conducted in ocean-view massage rooms. The hotel can arrange canopy tours, horseback riding, bird watching, surf lessons, and surfboard rentals. There are freshwater drinking stations throughout the resort, laundry service (for a fee), and free parking. Tropico Latino also has super fast internet and free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel grounds. A nice touch is the opportunity to volunteer at a local school connected with the hotel.