Hotel Villas Playa Samara

The site is beside a long beautiful beach with hard sand. The hotel grounds are very attractive with flowering shrubbery, trees, paving stones and pathways. The cabins (villas) are also attractive. The restaurant (only one) was covered but "outdoors" which was very pleasant. The food (3 meals a day included in the price) was plentiful and I would rate 7.5/10. I would say the kitchen staff weren't always watchful for such things as missing plates or cutlery, but nothing that wasn't corrected when brought to their attention. I wouldn't though advise going there if you are a foody and that's part of the overall experience that makes you want to vist there. The drinks were included in the price and I enjoyed the pinacolada from the pool bar and the Imperial beer. The pool itself was great for swimming lenghts or just lounging as it was long. The staff was by and large reserved, but always helpful if asked. The reception area staff spoke English, French and Spanish. The other staff mostly spanish with a some having a smattering of English or French. The week we were there the place was tranquil except the weekend when my sense was Ticos came with their kids, which certainly livened the pool area up.Themusic playing in the restaurant and pool was not too intrusive so as to be bothersome. There was no entertainment except on a couple of occasions a guitarist singer at the restaurant at dinnertime. We had a significant problem with our spacious accomodations in that there was no blind on the front room window so early sun came in and as no a/c in that large room, got extrememly hot. Finally had a sun blocking curtain installed over the sheers that helped and a fan that could circulate cool air from the separate bedroom. Bed was kingsize and fairly comfortable.Refrigerator didn't work and that was replaced, faucet in bathroom needed to be fixed which it was. Cleaning happened 2 days out of the 7 we were there. We didn't ask for more, when needed fresh towels they were brought. Overall for the price we paid in this shoulder season I felt it was good value for the cost. Had it not been for the terriific heat during the day that kept us much less active than usual, I would have highly recommended the place for the price at that time of year (Dec). If you love hot hot weather, this is the place for you if you aren't looking for a higher end kind of resort. Oh yes, the trip from Liberia to the resort was awful because of the traffic and a driver who was constantly taking his foot on and off the gas. The trip back was very enjoyable with a great driver and daytime interesting scenery. Easy going through customs on arrival although long line up that moved relatively quickly. Exchange rate at the currency exchange in the airport was terrible 440c for 1US$. Usually can get 500-520c elsewhere. But if give $ get change in C. Leaving go through security when you get there as main level has little seating, has no a/c and no worthwhile shops. Duty Free shop on departure level was quite good. And many other shops. Overall, would encourage anyone who likes heat and tropical scenery etc go to CR. One last word, birdwatching not great here, best go elsewhere for that! [Details]

I had a relaxing, laid-back time. The staff (all varieties) were generally friendly & the manager (on site) chatted & built positive rapport throughout the stay. Very welcoming. [Details]

Without a doubt after a very long day getting here after 11pm we were immediately welcomed by the front desk clerk. She quickly whisked us through registration she said the porter would be there shortly to take us to our villa via a golf cart. The bar was conveniently located near the desk and the bartender smiled and asked if we would like anything while we waited. He made an excellent margarita and after the first sip the porter arrived put our luggage on and drove us to our oceanfront villa. It was exactly as the brochure except it had the sounds of the ocean. We dropped our luggage and sat on the chaise lounges looking at the ocean and finishing our drinks. The villa was clean, perfectly air conditioned and the bed was very comfortable. I woke up early and walked up to the restaurant to see if I could get a coffee. The staff were busy preparing to open in an hour but were all extremely friendly and understood my request. A quick pot of coffee appeared and I filled up my thermos and walked back to sit on our patio chaise to listen to all the wildlife of the tropics. We did not want a modern condo plunked down beside the ocean. We wanted a cozy villa with amenities to enjoy Costa Rica and we had found it. The concierge directed us to an event planner who told us all the excursions we could enjoy. My daughter and I choose kayaking down the river, horseback riding in the jungle to see monkeys, and evening to see the sea turtles nesting and laying their eggs, biking into Samara. The scenery was beautiful, the weather hot, the friendly staff caring and quick to take care of anything we asked for. We had a perfect view of the sunset with the wild horses walking the beach as we sat in our loungers. Food was fine not fancy and the window coverings needed refreshing but we weren't expecting a 5 star and the price reflected that. The Hotel Villas Playa Samara was an amazing holiday we wanted to stay longer and felt very safe and truly welcome. [Details]

This beach front hotel is nice. It is located between Samara and Carrillo villages. The beach is beautiful, long and wide, and the ocean is swim able.
It is okay to spend one week there, not more. Why? There are no entertainments, excursions are unbelievably expensive and that is why the staying there is becoming very boring.
In this hotel we found a self-service system. It means, if you want something from the bar, you have to go to the bar, take it, bring some drinks to the beach, or water to the room, since we did not have anything in our little fridge in the room.
Our room has not been clean well to our arriving and during our staying there.
The food in restaurant was okay, but not variety and very repetitive.
They have a SPA area. Massage lady is very professional and massage is so perfect and this is one of the reasons to spend vacations at this place. [Details]

Our stay here was incredible. Being the off season the resort was quite, the staff were friendly, the grounds were stunning, the rooms were more than plenty and very clean, and I can't say enough about the food, 5 start quality. There was lots to do in Costa Rica, and I will be going back. [Details]

We traveled to this resort from March 25 to April 1.
I'm giving this resort a 3/5 rating, BUT, in our opinion, it could very easily, with very little cost to the owners, be a 5/5 (5 star) resort.
The resort was in very good condition, clean and was beautiful. I wouldn't change much with respect to the grounds or rooms. Very pleased with that aspect.
It's a small resort, which is nice, so you don't have a hard time finding space at the pool, or the beach, or for dinner. Even when the resort was full, you didn't feel at any time like you were crowded. It was great that way!
There were some outstanding service staff members, and there were some service staff members that were a little hot and cold. I would say that if they made some slight staffing changes, my rating would bump up. (Special mention for Antonio and Javier)
I do believe that the cleaning staff are under staffed. They seemed to work very hard, long hours in very hot conditions. I would say that if they had a few more people on the cleaning staff, there would be a bump up in my rating.
At breakfast, coffee was a little slow. If they added a self serve coffee bar, (with the amazing Costa Rican coffee), it would take a bit of load off the servers, and would allow guests to get their coffee quicker. In our opinion, Costa Rica has some of the world's best coffee, and they should be flaunting it!
Yes, there is construction next door, but we didn't really notice it, so it didn't bother us.
We went there for the weather/climate, and it was awesome!!!! Hot, hot, hot, with lots of sun!
Take time to understand the layout of the resort, and choose a villa closer to the beach (if possible). Most of the villas had great little patios in front of them with chairs or loungers, and many of our evenings were spent with a glass of wine sitting on our patio.
We would definitely return to this resort and we would definitely recommend this resort to our friends. [Details]

My friend and I had a great experience at Hotel Villas Playa Samara. it is a small resort, everything is easy to reach: the beach, the pool, restaurant. what most impress us are the staffs working there, they are friendly, caring, genuine. they want the guests to enjoy their holiday with them! I would love to recommend my families and friends there and I will go back for sure! [Details]

This is a wonderful place to come and experience peace and quiet and a beautiful beach. This is not the place to come if you are looking to be waited on hand over foot. Be prepared to get your own drinks when you are poolside or on the beach from the pool bar. Most of the time you feel as though you have the pool all to yourself and the stretch of beach is magnificent. The walk into Samara is lovely and takes about 25 minutes and is well worth doing. The food is good. Nothing fancy but is always fresh. The grounds are beautiful and the accommodations are comfortable. Some of the villas have been renovated. Ours wasn't and was fairly tired inside but the space was great and we loved having a patio to sit outside on each morning and evening. The bed was comfortable and the air conditioning was very good. Each evening there is quiet entertainment of some kind from 7-10 pm. By 10:00 the place is pretty much shut down which is just fine as days start early here and you are exhausted by 10:00! The water is drinkable and we loved having a refrigerator to keep our pitcher of water in so we always had nice cold water. No need for purchasing bottled water! We brought our own water bottles from home and filled them before setting out on our daily adventures. Be sure to visit Carillo Beach which is only a 15 walk from the hotel and is so amazing! It's completely safe to walk to that beach down the road. The water is incredibly warm and beautiful for swimming. This is just a good solid resort that will provide you with the best location to enjoy this beautiful area. Totally safe, great laid back vibe. Pura Vida! [Details]