On the Road From Samara To Carrillo, on the road from Samara to Carrillo; 150 meters from the ICE Tower, Playa Samara, Costa Rica | (888) 616-5829
Spacious rooms with colorful, beach-inspired decor
Blue pool surrounded by cushioned lounge chairs
and matching umbrellas
Private restaurant serving locally sourced cuisine and
homemade desserts
Small business area with a laptop computer in the lobby
Beautiful gardens with walkways lined with flowering hedges
and palms
Breakfast included in the room rate
On-site manager to help schedule excursions
Free Wi-Fi
The restaurant closes early, leaving guests feeling rushed
for dinner
The pool is close to the restaurant, offering little privacy
The hotel is not on the beach, requiring a walk down a dirt
road
The room decor is somewhat outdated and lacks authentic Costa Rican style
It’s a 10-minute drive to access the restaurants and shops
of Samara
The ground floor rooms are prone to noise from upstairs
guests
Music played at the pool and restaurant may not be to
everyone's taste
The hotel charges by occupancy, not by age, meaning kids do
not stay for free
This 13-room, mid-range boutique hotel has beachy contemporary style, a crescent-shaped pool, and an intimate restaurant known for
its daily specials and homemade ice cream. The rooms are spacious and bright, outfitted with traditional furnishings and private terraces. While not
located on the beach, Playa Samara and its calm waves are just a quick walk
down a gravel road. The nearby Hotel Villas Playa Samara is right on the sand, but accordingly has higher rates.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
A boutique hideaway with a pool, an intimate restaurant, and personal service all within easy reach of Playa Samara
Tucked away in a quiet location along a
narrow gravel road and guarded by a tall stone wall and two iron gates, the
Hideaway Hotel lives up to its name. Guests enter the one-acre property beneath a covered loggia into a bright reception area with a long, granite-topped front desk and
a small seating area with classic rattan sofas finished in a lively coral and
palm fabric. Here guests can consult with the manager regarding local activities
and arrange excursions to the national parks.The lobby flows directly into the restaurant, a somewhat dimly lit room with a collection of dark wood tables set with cobalt blue
tablecloths and small vases with fresh flowers. The room is decorated with prints of
generic beach scenes, and the biggest enticements here are the dual-sided
bar with service from inside and outside the restaurant and the lovely covered terrace
with round cafe tables and chairs overlooking the pool. The hotel is a collection of nondescript, two-story white
buildings surrounded by neatly coiffed gardens. Borders of flowering hedges as
well as hibiscus and palms line the stone pathways that lead guests away from
the main building to their rooms. The small pool, ringed with cushioned blue and
green striped lounge chairs and matching blue umbrellas, is a magnet for
guests, mostly couples, looking to relax, read, and gaze at the surrounding
tree canopy with hopes of spotting a howler monkey. A soundtrack of tunes
(1990s rock and dance songs) plays in the background. The bartender churns out
his specialty frozen mango margaritas and other concoctions at the bar. A
blackboard on the terrace announces daily specials such as tropical shrimp, grilled mahi-mahi, and homemade ice cream. The restaurant serves three meals
daily, but closes early, leaving guests
feeling a bit pressured to have dinner before 8:00 pm. Those seeking a later reservation, and a slightly livelier scene, can try the restaurants in Samara, a 10-minute drive away.
Location
Off the main road that connects Samara and Carrillo, a two-hour drive to the airport in Liberia
The hotel is located off the main road that connects Samara
to Carrillo, along a narrow gravel road that leads to a small parking area at
Playa Samara. Across the street from the hotel is a fenced area that holds cows and horses.- Five-minute walk to Playa Samara
Rooms
Spacious, beach-inspired rooms with mini-fridges, coffeemakers, and private terraces
The hotel has 12 Deluxe Rooms on the ground floor and second story, which have a beach-inspired blue and white color palette that balances the same color scheme found at the pool and restaurant. Floors are finished in ivory ceramic tile, white walls feature large blue canvases depicting Costa Rican wildlife, and the beds are outfitted with white linens and topped with blue-striped bed covers and coordinating throw pillows. Overall, the rooms are tidy and spacious but a touch outdated and somewhat antiseptic, lacking true Costa Rican ambience. Amenities include old-fashioned tube TVs, empty mini-fridges, and coffeemakers, and there is either one king bed and a double sofa bed or two queen beds and a seating area. Each room also has a vase with beautifully arranged fresh flowers picked from the property's gardens. Tiered open shelving, in lieu of traditional closets, hold safes, irons, and ironing boards. Rooms have small terraces with hedges as privacy screens or second-floor balconies, offering guests a private place to enjoy morning coffee or an afternoon read. Rooms on the second floor at the back of the property overlook a forested area that's popular with howler monkeys.Bathrooms are also generously sized if a bit generic, offering large granite vanities and walk-in showers finished in beige tile that coordinates with the granite. Wall-mounted toiletries, hairdryers, blue glassware, and small vases of fresh flowers add the final touches. Above the main building, which houses the restaurant and reception, is a three-bedroom, three-bathroom Penthouse Suite. It is accessed via a private entrance adjacent to the lobby and is well-suited for families. An open kitchen with breakfast bar features granite countertops, mahogany-stained cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, and all the amenities needed to prepare gourmet meals. The kitchen overlooks a joint dining and living area with a long table with seating for six and an L-shaped rattan sofa facing a flat-screen TV. The living space flows onto the huge crescent-shaped terrace that looks directly down at the pool through a screen of potted palms. Outfitted with plastic chairs and a dining table, the terrace begs for a pair of cushioned lounge chairs, an amenity that one would expect in a villa of this price point and class. The decor here is quite similar to the rooms, offering neutral tile work in the bathrooms, blue-themed bedding, and a collection of contemporary and Costa Rican-influenced artwork and decor.
Features
A small pool and an intimate restaurant specializing in locally sourced items such as grilled fish and homemade ice cream
The hotel's on-site restaurant is an intimate retreat
overlooking the pool. Guests can sit indoors in the air-conditioned dining room
or dine alfresco on the poolside terrace. Breakfasts (included in
the room rate) include made-to-order items paired with fresh fruit and Costa Rican
coffee. Lunch, afternoon poolside snacks, and dinner are also served. A
blackboard displays daily specials such as tropical shrimp and grilled filet
mignon but the restaurant also offers staple menu items such as chicken with porcini
mushroom sauce and grilled fish. Freshly made guacamole and mango salsa paired
with homemade chips are ideal for snacking poolside with a mango margarita or
fruit smoothie. One of the most popular items on the menu is the homemade ice
cream, which comes in flavors that include chocolate mousse, cinnamon, chocolate chip, or mango sorbet, made even more decadent when paired with
a chocolate brownie.
