Great resort

This resort was more than I expected. When we arrived it was sunset and I must say It was breath taking. The beach was fantastic. The wild horses on the beach where so great to admire. They where right at home. The room was great. It was a type of small villa. Only 25 min walk to the village of Samara on the beach. Food was ok. The staff at front desk and for the tours where fabulous, they really know how to make you feel at home.

Gorgeous views!

Beautiful resort! Landscaping is lovely and the resort is situated on a lovely huge beach. The staff were very helpful, the decor in our room was lovely. we had the most wonderful view of the ocean and sunset every night! Considering there were only 2 restaurants, there was a good variety of tasty food every day. Being an animal lover, I loved having beach dogs and kitties around to spoil since I missed my own from home. Also, some local horses got loose and had a wonderful romp up and  [... read more]down the beach one afternoon. Quite a wonderful sight! However, it would be nice if they had a different bartender in the main bar. He totally cleans his station every time he makes a drink, BEFORE he gives you your drink! Also, the resort needs some TLC such as more chairs by the beach and replace the broken ones! Pads for the chairs would be nice as well. Replace burned out lights, especially on the walkways and by the pool. And no TV or telephones in any of the rooms that I saw. While this may not bother many folks, I did feel a bit out of touch with the world and had to walk to the reception for any issues encountered.

Beautiful, relaxing resort

Hotel Villas Playa Samara was perfect. The beach was large and mainly unoccupied, with no vendors; the swimming and snorkelling was safe and the food was super delicious!! The chef prepared a beautifully cooked black sea bass for the buffet one evening and it was the best fish I'd ever tasted. There was always lots of healthy food (great salads, mains and desserts), the staff was terrific and the grounds were clean, green and well maintained. We requested a renovated garden villa well in advance [... read more] and also requested it when we arrived. Despite this we ended up in an older style garden villa but it was fine and the air conditioner worked well. Overall the value of this resort is really good so no worries about which villa to stay in. Lots of birds to see and Isla Chora is a short 10 minute kayak away. My only criticism is that the bikes, SUPs and kayaks that were showing included on the Air Canada site are no longer available. Instead of doing the kayak tour I rented a kayak for the price of $10 an hour from Carmen and was able to kayak and snorkel at Isla Chora three mornings during our stay. The kayak/snorkel can be done in an hour. If you have snorkel gear bring it and you may see lots of fish and perhaps a turtle or two. Andre at the front desk was great and Julian our waiter was lovely. I would definitely return to this resort.

WONDERFUL RESORT

I'm glad I only listened to the good reviews. We stayed for two weeks and the resort was so wonderful with the lush grounds, great beach to walk, good food, good drinks, beautiful room in the luxury suites. The whole staff was wonderful, especially Arianna at the breakfast and lunch bar. She always had a big, wonderful smile to greet us with. The cultural entertainment in the evening was great at the dinner hour. The pool with pool bar was good also, but we are definitely beach people. Fro [... read more]m the beach you can walk 5-10 minutes and see the howler monkeys and then twenty minutes the other way is the beach town of Samara. On the beach is where all the action was with wild horses up and down the beach all day and all the iguanas on the property. I would definitely return to this more intimate resort.

Was a Great Time

It was all good. Just as expected. Friendly staff. Got a room upgrade. It's Costa Rica, Yah. All the neigh sayors people on here, please stay away. I will be back. Some great tours to be had. Shop around though, better deals in town. Some great food and entertainment in Samara as well.

Relaxing

The purpose of our vacation was to relax and basically enjoy the sun and beach. This resort has lots of that. The positives, very clean, nice staff, gorgeous grounds, awesome beach, safe, awesome sunsets, beautiful weather. Negatives, not much really, however many kids on weekends who take over the pool, the pool bar, and pool area. For us we enjoy the beach so not an issue. The other minor issue was the choice of food, it's pretty basic, but always fresh, plentiful and satisfactory. The reser [... read more]vation restaurant is poor, extremely basic and not work the visit. Overall if you want a quiet relaxing, walk the beach and get sun vacation, then this is the place.

Samara is a gorgeous place!

Our stay was very pleasant.The staff at this resort is really nice and accommodating and the food and drinks are great! Samara is a gorgeous beach community so go exploring and you'll find some real gems. They really should clean up the beach surrounding the hotel, it's a pity that it isn't really usable.

Samara Sunshine Sojourn

Iguanas everywhere, underfoot, fresh fruit heaped high... fish on the grill..drinks in-hand, BEST beach sand, between our toes, palm trees waving, Birds heard, birds seen, birds delight, Smiling ticos, Walking slow, Pura vida means breathing in, breathing out, we know that Samara is a perfect place, Happiness beneath blue skies.

Nice, nice, very nice...

The thing we liked most about the resort was it's connection to the outdoors. The lobby, bars and restaurant are essentially under a canopy and even the villas can be opened to the magnificent outdoors.

Paradise

Lovely small resort. Very relaxing and laid back. Beautiful beach. Food was good but did get very sick the first day. When talking to others turns out a lot of people were I'll during their stay. Service was good and room was clean.

Just Perfect!

travelled with adult Son and Wife, (stayed in two Villas), loved everything about this hotel: friendly staff, wonderful villas, great food and perfect location..... will definitely return next year!!!

Hotel Villas Playa Samara

Great villa, fantastic staff and the a la carte restaurant was phenomenal!! Note to those travelling - this resort is 2 hours from the airport, and therefore most excursions will take 2 - 2 1/2 hours to get you there. But it is a great place to go and relax and enjoy the hot sun :)

Has its own charm...give it a chance...

Beach: Clean, view is beautiful but the water is murky due to volcanic ash washing into the ocean. There is cleaner, quieter beach to the left of the cliff. You can walk, bike or get a taxi there. It isn't far. There is no beach bar or music to relax to. We met a Canadian living in Costa Rica and he said that the beaches in Samara are the nicest compared to Tamarindo and other areas that are more up north. Pool: Only one pool and pool bar. The drinks are way better when their ordered there. Sna [... read more]cks are pretty good (hamburger was tasty). Bartenders seem disorganized and confused about how to efficiently take orders and serve patrons. And there being a language barrier at times makes things a little bit more difficult. Either way try a MICHALADA (beer, lime juice, salt and tabasco). Service: Some servers were awesome while others didn't speak English and had no sense of urgency. It could be that they were not trained properly by new management that has taken over. Overall, if you're patient, you will get what you ordered. Food: Good selection, good quality for breakfast/lunch/dinner. Desserts were lacking in flavour/variety. Everything is all naturally grown and the chicken/beef are all farm raised. Juices had pulp and tasted freshly squeezed. Rooms: We had room 474, it had a TV, king bed and everything was modern and clean but it did not have a view. However, others we spoke to did not have a TV and/or there were other issues or the room looked older than ours. Hotel: Pretty far from any place you really want to go to. It is a 2.5 ride from the airport and pretty much anywhere you go for an excursion. Roads are curvy and bumpy so be prepared. You may get car sick, make sure you take gravol. Wifi available at reception and in rooms but some areas may lack a strong signal. Felt safe at this hotel - security at entrance wise. Do not go walking at night on the beach with your personal belongings, a guest had her purse stolen while walking back with her friends. Lost her passport, wallet, ID and had to travel to San Jose to get to the US Embassy. Grounds are kept clean. There is no nightly entertainment or group activities. Generally gets quiet at the hotel around 10 p.m. There is a bit of construction going on around the restaurant/gym area. The power did go out the last day we were leaving so many of the rooms and restaurant area were without any electricity. Not sure how long it took to get back up but they had some minor issues going on. But our room did not have any problems....so you may want to request it :) Convert your money if you decide you want to spend more than $100-200. This hotel will not have enough money to convert more than $50 US. Town: Approximately 30 minute walk to the right of the beach. 20 minute bike ride (but watch out you don't come back around 3-4 p.m. when there is high tide. There are a few vendors, convenience stores, restaurants that you can check out. It is very small and safe if you leave important belongings in your hotel. You can pay with US or colons Excursions/Car rental: Book through hotel (Monkey Tours) or at Downtown Samara area (it may be cheaper). If you want to book a car, make sure you check prices on their websites because they will charge you an arm and a leg in person. You can pay by credit car, cash US or colons. Remember to Bring: Water shoes (it will save your life, especially if you're going to do any excursions), bug repellent (you will need it but the hotel does not sell it), gravol (I don't get sick on the plane or car or boat but needed it when I was on the shuttle back to the airport - I think my body had enough of those crazy rides). **This hotel has just recently changed management and are new to the all-inclusive hotel business. Over time, I see them doing well but for now, it doesn't hurt to give them a chance. It has its own charm.