Pros

  • Intimate adult-only luxury boutique hotel with a relaxing vibe
  • Beach-chic contemporary decor with lots of lounge space
  • Gorgeous two-tier infinity pool with swim-up bar
  • Terraced dining area with views of the mountains and ocean
  • Large rooms with private terraces and contemporary style
  • Free cooking classes
  • Second-floor lounge and ocean-view terrace for yoga and massage
  • A short (30-minute) drive to the airport in Liberia
  • Free shuttle service to the nearby beaches
  • Three meals included in the room rate
  • Free Wi-Fi
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Cons

  • Alcoholic beverages are not included in the all-inclusive rates
  • It's a 20-minute drive to the beach
  • Adults only (16 years and older); pro for some
  • The hotel is isolated, away from other restaurants and bars
  • The quiet, retreat-like atmosphere is not for those who like to party
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Bottom Line

This seven-room, upscale, all-inclusive boutique hotel is set on a hillside overlooking the region's dry forest and distant ocean. Villa Buena Onda's hushed, retreat-like vibe stems from the fact that it caters to adults only. The decor is stylish with lots of white seating and colorful contemporary art, while the pool serves as the social center, a place for guests to lounge, drink in hand, and take in the views. While the hotel is not on the beach, guests can catch a free five-minute shuttle ride to Playa del Coco and other nearby beaches.

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Oyster Hotel Review

Villa Buena Onda

Scene

An all-inclusive, adult-only, intimate retreat that caters to couples looking to relax, read, and unplug

Villa Buena Onda offers its guests a variety of activities from yoga to guided walks to cooking classes, but the most popular undertaking for visitors staying at this adult-only, mostly all-inclusive property is simply relaxing. The 10,000-square-foot hotel, which feels more like a swanky private villa, exudes a retreat-like atmosphere. Gated entrances and an impressive porte-cochere set the stage for arriving guests.

Despite its intimate size (there are only seven rooms), the hotel offers ample public space to lounge and escape. The gaping lobby is a shrine to contemporary style with white leather and linen sofas and chairs, taupe-colored tile floors, sisal rugs, driftwood sculpture, and colorful abstract artwork. Guests can grab a coffee or fruit-infused water from the beverage stations and settle in to the sunken living room, find solace on a soft modular sofa tucked away in one corner of the lobby, or order a drink at the small crescent-shaped bar. A few steps outside the lobby, a bright stone terrace sheltered beneath a bamboo-lined ceiling is arranged with small dark wood tables and white chairs, intended for romantic dinners for two.

The property's two-tier infinity pool is the property hub, and guests can be spotted drifting placidly in the water, ordering a drink at the swim-up bar tucked neatly beneath a barrel-tiled roof, or simply sitting in the cushioned lounge chairs turned toward the view of the mountains and distant ocean. On the second floor, a multipurpose space offers a stylish lounge and a huge terrace for yoga, massage treatments, or taking in the ocean views from breezy rope hammock chairs. Those who feel the urge to go to the beach can hop a free shuttle ride to nearby Playa del Coco.

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Location

Set on two-and-a-half acres of hillside overlooking the Guanacaste countryside and the Pacific Ocean, about a 10-minute drive to the beach and a 30-minute drive to the airport in Liberia

It's easy to miss the turn that leads to Villa Buena Onda off the main road to Playa de Coco. The dusty, dirt road runs up the hillside, past local residences, before arriving at the black iron-gated entrance of the hotel.

  • 10-minute drive to Playa del Coco
  • 15-minute drive to Playa Ocotal
  • 15-minute drive to Playa Hermosa
  • 20-minute drive to Playa Panama
  • 30-minute drive to Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, Liberia
  • 80-minute drive to Tamarindo
  • 90-minute drive to Palo Verde National Park
  • Three-hour drive to Arenal Volcano National Park
  • Four-hour drive to Juan Santamaria International Airport, San Jose
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Rooms

Seven rooms with private terraces and plush furnishings, most with king-size beds and ocean views

The two-story hotel holds four Ocean View Rooms on the second floor, two Pool View Rooms on the first floor with partial ocean views, and one Garden Room, which overlooks the neatly landscaped grounds. Ocean View Rooms have large, private, covered balconies with small garden boxes planted with flowers, wrought-iron railings, and sweeping views of the distant ocean while the Pool View Rooms open directly onto the terrace area of the pool and are less private than the second-floor rooms. Most of the rooms feature king-size beds, except the Garden Room, which comes equipped with two queen beds.

The rooms are spacious, styled in the same manner as the public spaces with white linen sofas and chaise lounges, taupe-colored tile floors, dark wood furnishings, and colorful contemporary canvas artwork and photographs of Costa Rican wildlife. Beds are finished with high-thread-count linens, memory-foam mattress toppers, and quilted coverlets. Pillows are covered in decorative shams finished in muted tones and rich fabrics.

All of the rooms come equipped with flat-screen TVs, huge closets, air-conditioning, and en-suite bathrooms with glass tiles, granite vanities, glass-enclosed showers, and large containers of locally produced, spa-like toiletries.

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Features

A two-tier infinity pool with a swim-up bar, ocean-view terrace for massage and yoga, and a private restaurant

Hotel Buena Onda's resident chef uses fresh local ingredients to create a menu that is a fusion of local and international cuisine. Guests are offered three a la carte meals per day as well as access to two bars (one by the pool and the other in the lobby), although alcoholic drinks are not included in the all-inclusive rates. The chef also holds free cooking classes in the hotel's kitchen.

See More Features

Oyster Hotel Review

Villa Buena Onda

Scene

An all-inclusive, adult-only, intimate retreat that caters to couples looking to relax, read, and unplug

Villa Buena Onda offers its guests a variety of activities from yoga to guided walks to cooking classes, but the most popular undertaking for visitors staying at this adult-only, mostly all-inclusive property is simply relaxing. The 10,000-square-foot hotel, which feels more like a swanky private villa, exudes a retreat-like atmosphere. Gated entrances and an impressive porte-cochere set the stage for arriving guests.

Despite its intimate size (there are only seven rooms), the hotel offers ample public space to lounge and escape. The gaping lobby is a shrine to contemporary style with white leather and linen sofas and chairs, taupe-colored tile floors, sisal rugs, driftwood sculpture, and colorful abstract artwork. Guests can grab a coffee or fruit-infused water from the beverage stations and settle in to the sunken living room, find solace on a soft modular sofa tucked away in one corner of the lobby, or order a drink at the small crescent-shaped bar. A few steps outside the lobby, a bright stone terrace sheltered beneath a bamboo-lined ceiling is arranged with small dark wood tables and white chairs, intended for romantic dinners for two.

The property's two-tier infinity pool is the property hub, and guests can be spotted drifting placidly in the water, ordering a drink at the swim-up bar tucked neatly beneath a barrel-tiled roof, or simply sitting in the cushioned lounge chairs turned toward the view of the mountains and distant ocean. On the second floor, a multipurpose space offers a stylish lounge and a huge terrace for yoga, massage treatments, or taking in the ocean views from breezy rope hammock chairs. Those who feel the urge to go to the beach can hop a free shuttle ride to nearby Playa del Coco.

See More Scene

Location

Set on two-and-a-half acres of hillside overlooking the Guanacaste countryside and the Pacific Ocean, about a 10-minute drive to the beach and a 30-minute drive to the airport in Liberia

It's easy to miss the turn that leads to Villa Buena Onda off the main road to Playa de Coco. The dusty, dirt road runs up the hillside, past local residences, before arriving at the black iron-gated entrance of the hotel.

  • 10-minute drive to Playa del Coco
  • 15-minute drive to Playa Ocotal
  • 15-minute drive to Playa Hermosa
  • 20-minute drive to Playa Panama
  • 30-minute drive to Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, Liberia
  • 80-minute drive to Tamarindo
  • 90-minute drive to Palo Verde National Park
  • Three-hour drive to Arenal Volcano National Park
  • Four-hour drive to Juan Santamaria International Airport, San Jose
See More Location

Rooms

Seven rooms with private terraces and plush furnishings, most with king-size beds and ocean views

The two-story hotel holds four Ocean View Rooms on the second floor, two Pool View Rooms on the first floor with partial ocean views, and one Garden Room, which overlooks the neatly landscaped grounds. Ocean View Rooms have large, private, covered balconies with small garden boxes planted with flowers, wrought-iron railings, and sweeping views of the distant ocean while the Pool View Rooms open directly onto the terrace area of the pool and are less private than the second-floor rooms. Most of the rooms feature king-size beds, except the Garden Room, which comes equipped with two queen beds.

The rooms are spacious, styled in the same manner as the public spaces with white linen sofas and chaise lounges, taupe-colored tile floors, dark wood furnishings, and colorful contemporary canvas artwork and photographs of Costa Rican wildlife. Beds are finished with high-thread-count linens, memory-foam mattress toppers, and quilted coverlets. Pillows are covered in decorative shams finished in muted tones and rich fabrics.

All of the rooms come equipped with flat-screen TVs, huge closets, air-conditioning, and en-suite bathrooms with glass tiles, granite vanities, glass-enclosed showers, and large containers of locally produced, spa-like toiletries.

See More Rooms

Features

A two-tier infinity pool with a swim-up bar, ocean-view terrace for massage and yoga, and a private restaurant

Hotel Buena Onda's resident chef uses fresh local ingredients to create a menu that is a fusion of local and international cuisine. Guests are offered three a la carte meals per day as well as access to two bars (one by the pool and the other in the lobby), although alcoholic drinks are not included in the all-inclusive rates. The chef also holds free cooking classes in the hotel's kitchen.

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Air Conditioner

  • Airport Transportation

  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio

  • Cable

  • Concierge

  • Internet

  • Kids Allowed

  • Laundry

  • Pool

  • Poolside Drink Service

  • Room Service

  • Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space

  • Spa

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.