El Castillo - Adults Only

Great facility, even better staff. The grounds are beautiful and the pool was perfect after daytime adventures. Even though the on site restaurant was excellent, the staff was helpful in suggesting other restaurants and outside excursions. We stayed from 5 nights and couldn’t have asked for a better vacation.

This is a beautiful hotel. The infinity pool and the dining area truly are gorgeous. The staff is very nice and housekeeping is done without getting in your way at all. The breakfast is very well done with enough choices. The balcony was amazing and we saw Scarlet Macaws almost every day. That being said, there were a few things that weren't great. First, for a hotel of this price and caliber, you appreciate the additional touches. This started out great, I got an e mail before we arrived asking us if there were any requests that they could help us with. I thought, awesome - this was totally worth the splurge. I tried to book a massage before arrival. No response. I asked about it upon arrival - even stated what dates we wanted. I heard nothing else and this was never followed up on. I asked for help with dinner reservations before arrival - this was never followed up on. I did eventually get an e mail replying to my request, but by then we had checked in to the room, so I didn't need the help anymore. Not a super big deal, but I expected better for the price and the lead up about the personal service provided at this resort. The other downside, which is not fixable, is that the access road and the driveway are incredibly steep and I thought, downright hazardous at night. The parking at the top is tight - fortunately most rental cars in Costa Rica are small. The hotel has gorgeous views because it is basically on a cliff. And you get to drive up it. This also means that there is no place to take a walk in the morning or evening. You can definitely not walk to any beach from here. That may not matter to some, but we do enjoy a walk to check out the local flora and fauna. Basically a beautiful place, but we are unlikely to return.

We were treated very special, the resort is very welcoming, the ocean view and infinity pool are a wow. i hope to plan a girls spa getaway here. We had a coati outside our balcony, lots of birds, and best meals ever! Thank you for our special visit

The El Castillo exceeded our expectations! You can make your stay what you want. Relaxing? Go no further. Adventure out. They have a great list. Don’t miss the Kokopoli Mangrove Boat Tour, Playa Ventana Beach and caves, close by waterfall pool. The staff was exemplary; from Roxy enthusiastically running out to greet us, to Carlos, dear Carlos, our server extraordinaire, along with Francesco and Greybean to Chef Jaffa. GM Rebecca picked a golden team for this calming place. Just how me yesterday and I miss them already!!

We LOVED this hotel. It's beautiful, has great food, check in was easy - but the service really made our stay great. They went above and beyond to take care of us, and the manager Rebeca was responsive (all hours!) to ensure this was the case. So highly recommended!

What an amazing hotel and experience. We spent 3 nights here and would have stayed more if we weren’t meeting friends in another town. The absolute best part of El Castillo is the people. The level of service they strive for is impeccable and they exceed it at every turn. LUIS and STEPHEN are my 2 favorite people on the planet now. They are kind, earnest and personable. Any request we had they made sure to fulfill. Learning it was my birthday they surprised me with dessert and a round of “Happy Birthday to You!” They enjoyed practicing their English, though it was excellent, and helped us brush up on Spanish words. We will miss them immensely and hope you will tell them hi when you stay here! Rebecca is the manager and she is also fantastic. She offered help with tours, transportation and recommendations. She is very professional and a huge asset to the hotel. The rest of the staff is also friendly, helpful and professional but I was not able to catch every name. And Charlie the iguana-like reptile who hangs out by the pool is who I want to be in my next life. :) The hotel itself is beautiful. Fantastic views of the ocean and the river that empties into it. You can see the tides change and the river go out into the sea all day come back all day so the landscape changes. The furnishings are so tastefully done and make you feel comfortable and right at home. We loved sitting in a number of spots around the main house and just enjoying the view and conversation with our friends. We stayed in the spa suites and loved the privacy. They were decorated in a more modern style but still our rooms felt cozy. I definitely recommend staying in both of these suites if you are traveling with another couple. The food was excellent. We ate dinner here 2 nights. We especially loved the breakfast every morning. I don’t think it gets better than coffee overlooking the ocean and pool.

We loved staying at El Castillo, it’s gorgeous and the staff is made up of genuinely nice people. We stayed in one of the spa rooms and liked having our own space, but enjoyed hanging out by the pool having drinks also. The French toast is the best I’ve ever had, and we enjoyed both dinners there. The view is amazing!

There aren’t enough words to explain how incredible this place is! You’ll wake up to the sounds of nature, surrounded by forest on one side and ocean on the other. With birds and sunrise greeting you in the morning. There’s such meticulous attention to detail you really feel like it’s your own private oasis. Not to mention the staff are absolutely incredible - the most kind, thoughtful, welcoming, and down to earth people I’ve met! You really feel like you’re staying with old friends here - Rebecca is an absolute gem. She’s made this place feel like home. You MUST stay here if you’re coming to Costa Rica!

The hotel and views are beautiful, but the hospitality is what makes this place. All of the staff were incredibly friendly and accomodating, but we interacted with Luis and Sirleny the most and they were both exceptionally kind and helpful. We were also appreciative of Nicole's efforts to arrange on short notice an off-the-cuff trip to Cano. The food at Castillo's Kitchen was also really good, including relaxed breakfasts on the veranda with fresh fruits and juices and a couple of quite pleasant dinners. A nod too to Rosavelle's frijoles molidos...sabroso! Overall, a fantastic stay and would definitely recommend.