Kalapiti Luxury Jungle Suites

Kalapiti’s owner loves Morocco and the boutique hotel feels like an Arabian mansion. The design incorporates Moroccan elements like baby blue or mustard-yellow paint-washed walls, arched doorways, Arabesque windows, and outdoor balconies with plush pillows. The hotel’s huge, tiled infinity pool has a separate, elevated cold-water whirlpool that spills into the pool. Families (and their kids) especially love the big waterslide. The hotel’s situated on a 10-acre property covered in both untamed rain forest and manicured gardens. Nature trails pass through the grounds past groves of fruit trees that include lime, orange, avocado, guava, and mango. There are tons of blossoming flowers including 27 varieties of heliconia, orchids, hibiscus, and mimosa. There’s also a scent garden with cinnamon and ylang-ylang trees (the main ingredient in Chanel No. 5 perfume). With only two suites and a rural location, the hotel is a private and tranquil refuge, possibly too quiet for some. That said, it’s super romantic and attracts quite a few honeymooners. Hotel guests are mostly couples and families from the United States, Europe, and Canada. 

Kalapati is located in the hilly outskirts of Montezuma, a laid-back, oceanfront backpacker town. Down the road from the hotel is a small grocery store (a five-minute walk). Montezuma’s a bumpy nine-minute drive from the hotel and the town is full of restaurants serving pizza,, sushi, seafood, and Mediterranean cuisines. It also has gorgeous beaches and two turtle rescue organizations that have periodic turtle releases during the breeding season. There are multiple grocery stores, an ATM, and souvenir shops in Montezuma. From the hotel, the 79-foot tall Montezuma Waterfall is a six-minute drive followed by a 25-minute hike. The popular surf and yoga beach of Santa Teresa is a 35-minute drive away. Cabo Blanco, Costa Rica’s first national park and a great spot for hiking, exploring, and animal watching is a 50-minute drive. Tortuga Island has great snorkeling, diving, and wildlife watching and requires an hour drive and a 25-minute boat ride. Tambor Airport is a 38-minute drive from Kalapiti and is the best place to catch flights to Liberia and San Jose (25- or 20-minute flights respectively). Driving to Liberia is a four-hour drive. San Jose is a five-hour trip (that includes a ferry ride) from Kalapiti. 

Kalapiti’s two big and colorful suites are named La Luna (The Moon) and El Sol (the Sun). Their walls are painted in washed yellow or blue (the blue pigment was imported from Morocco's famous blue city, Chaouen, a place beloved by Kalapiti’s owner). La Luna’s standout feature is its round, turret-shaped room with plush mattress floor, tons of pillows, and gorgeous spade-shaped Arabesque windows. The suite has a king four-poster bed with a burnt-orange bed runner, mosquito net, and built-in couches that double as beds. El Sol is a bit more traditional with two king beds, a plush couch and matching armchairs with canary-yellow cushions, brightly painted animal carvings and Moroccan street scenes on the walls, and lots of photo books. 

Both suites have ceiling fans, air-conditioning, cedar accents, and carved doors inspired by the architect Gaudi. Other room amenities include flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, iPod docks, mini-fridges, coffeemakers, slippers, robes, and safes. Wi-Fi is free, but slow. The suite’s bathrooms are phenomenal with their stone floors and walls and mood lighting. Expect huge whirlpool tubs, stand-up showers (El Sol’s is outdoor), and a bidet. Included toiletries are shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, bath salts, and shower caps. Irons, ironing boards, and hairdryers can be borrowed. Both suites also have big private patios with rain forest (or pool) views. 

Without a doubt, Kalapiti’s infinity pool is a huge hit. The big, freshwater pool spills into a fountain-like reservoir. There's a whirlpool with waterfall and a spiraling waterslide. Lots of lounge chairs provide a place to unwind after a day of exploring (or just relaxing all day long). There are also a bunch of outdoor showers with creative accents like conch shell water spouts and handles shaped like stars or moons. A fun feature is the steam room that from the outside looks like a rooftop igloo. The hotel has a big shared chef’s kitchen with industrial stainless-steel appliances, a blender, juicer, and coffeemaker. There’s also an outdoor barbecue. The hotel can arrange chef services upon request. Free continental breakfasts of cereal, fresh fruit, and home-baked bread and pastries are included with all stays. All water on-site is drinkable, and there’s filtered water in the kitchen’s refrigerator. A nice plus are the short nature trails scattered throughout Kalapiti's lush grounds. The hotel can arrange tours, yoga classes, massages, Spanish lessons, and grocery provisioning (for a fee). It can also setup ATV rentals, car rentals, shuttles, taxis, and national flights. There's free parking. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout, but the signal is pretty slow.